Hello I'm Rich Brown and this is my personal website and blog. I'm just your simple, average, down to earth, professional, out gay man and aspiring circuit boy, living in Phoenix, Arizona with a few things to say while trying to find my place among all the scary, conservative, religious nuts in this sick and twisted world.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Why I Think It's The Right Time
It was 1992 and just a few short months into my junior year at University. I'll never forget that day, a brisk and overcast November afternoon as I finished up with one of my afternoon classes in the Hammond Building at the Pennsylvania State University Main Campus.
I was walking the route home along College Avenue, wearing jeans, a t-shirt with one of my many fraternity sweatshirts on the outside, and my tan barn jacket from 'The Lodge' was draped over my blue saddle bag which hung from my right shoulder down across my chest to my left side as was the case almost every day on my walk to and from class.
This day was a little different from most because instead of heading right back to my apartment after class or stopping off at the Rathskeller to meet up with a few friends for a beer, I was headed to the local church on College Avenue which served as my districts voting place. It was the presidential election, and for me it was my very first and most significant.
I could hardly contain my excitement, I was actually going to get to vote. It wasn't even an question regarding 'if' I was going to vote as it is with many young adults today, it was simply a matter of 'when' I was going to vote. I mean why wouldn't I, because as a wide-eyed eager liberal University student, I just knew my vote was going to make a difference.
I walked inside, checked in with the volunteers, was handed my ballot and waited my turn in line for one of the voting booths to open up. Before long, I was closing the curtain behind me on the back of my voting booth and ready to cast my vote. I can't remember any of other names on the ballot except for one, William Jefferson Clinton for President. I first cast my vote for Mr. Clinton as President and then carefully read and completed the rest of the ballot. I was so excited to finally be voting. I finished, grabbed my things, exited the voting booth, stuffed my ballot into the box and then eagerly headed home to follow the results of the elections for the rest of the evening on television with my friends.
For me, a closeted university student who was just coming to terms with my own sexuality, Bill Clinton represented something different from the rest of the candidates. He represented the hopes and dreams of an entire gay community and my simple wish that maybe someday it wouldn't be so bad to actually admit to people that I was gay. He also represented the possibility for the inclusion of gay & lesbians in the military which was a huge deal at the time. Mr. Clinton was one of the few politicians during that time who openly talked with the gay community, addressed some of their (our) concerns and even made a few lofty promises which seemed promising. It was a big day for those of us who knew there had to be something more, something different, something better ahead of us.
I don't remember much else from that day, except for the excitement that later arose from my liberal friends and roommate's celebration for Mr. Clinton's victory. Things were going to change now, everything was going to get better.
Over the next 8 years while Mr. Clinton lived up to a few promises, and fell short on others, things did change. In my eyes they changed for the better. I finally came to grips with my own sexuality, met my first boyfriend, and came out to not only my friends but also my family. I graduated from the Pennsylvania State University, got my first job out of school and moved to Arizona. I was proud to be transitioning from a young adult and new university graduate to a somewhat responsible adult with a real life and a real job. I moved to Las Vegas for a year, back to Arizona for a few years and then headed up to San Francisco to be part of the dot-com boom. My career was thriving, I was making good money, times were good. Really good. There was no end in sight. At least that's what we thought until the 2000 election blindsided us all and dropped a huge boulder called George Bush on America. I don't need to go any further because you're all well aware of what happens from there.
So now after almost 8 years of conservative repression, war, terrorism and global hate for Americans, we're ready for a change, well at least I am. It feels like an eternity from the prosperity and good times we all shared in the 1990's with Bill Clinton as our President, and maybe it's all really just me being nostalgic, but I'm certainly ready for another Clinton Era.
Aside from the fact that Hillary Clinton is the wife of former President Bill Clinton, and former First Lady, I truly believe that America is ready to finally have a female president and I'm confident that Mrs. Clinton can handle the job.
As Americans we take pride in being a modern and cosmopolitan society, forward thinkers who embrace diversity, cherish the values of education and equal rights for everyone right? Ok, on second thought maybe not. Maybe America is simply a majority of flag waving, closed minded, ultra conservative, fundamentalist Christian, country bumpkins who still think a women's place is in the home, and wonder when it was that Barack Obama took off his turban and was allowed to leave Afghanistan to come to the United States and run for president. Perhaps that is indeed the case, and why George Bush was ultimately elected and even worse, reelected as our President. I would however like to turn a blind eye to that part of America and finally act like the modern society we try so skillfully to portray to the rest of the world. Frankly between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, I'm only picking Hillary because I have sentimental reasons for thinking that having the Clinton's in the White House will once again help this country to repair our negative international image, and maybe even boost our economy again. If Barack Obama were to take the Democratic nomination, he would certainly have my full support and I'm quite confident that he too can lead us in the proper direction as a country.
Regardless of who takes the Democratic nomination, I really do think it's the right time for America to grow up, and realize that it's not only a white male who can run this country (or into the ground as may be the current case). It's the right time for us as Americans and an educated society to stand up and say we are free-thinkers, we do value diversity, inclusion and equal rights for all and that we will not blindly follow our leaders into a war for profit. It's the right time to stop shedding our children's blood overseas, to mend strained international relationships, and help the world to realize Americans are generally not bad people. It's the right time for a change. It's now or never, because this country simply can not handle another 8 years of conservatism, repression and regression. Cheers.
Nice post. It's a relief to finally have options other than white male.
|______________________________________________________________________ posted by Anonymous @ Tuesday, July 17, 2007 3:58:00 PM
While I was too young to vote in the 92 election, I had a similar feeling/experience in 96 voting for Clinton. :P Yeah, it would sure be nice to get the Clintons in there again...time for some repair.
|______________________________________________________________________ posted by Jerry Timms @ Tuesday, July 17, 2007 4:14:00 PM
While it was unfortunate that I when I finally got a chance to vote, the nimrod won, I too fell the sense of duty from voting that you had. Awesome blog, I'm definitely coming back to read more.
|______________________________________________________________________ posted by Eb @ Thursday, July 19, 2007 7:42:00 AM
Aaaahhh...look! State College. Home sweet home. ;)
|______________________________________________________________________ posted by Michael @ Thursday, July 19, 2007 10:01:00 AM
