Our generation has spoken.
We have chosen a candidate who represents our desire for change, our call to equality and our longing for justice.
But this is all fairly uncontroversial. It was predicted that the youth vote would largely turn out for the Democratic party and most especially for a candidate who has embraced the youth vote unlike any other.
It is important for us then, in the aftermath of the presidential election, to realize that our generation has done more than elect the first African-American president of the United States. We have chosen a candidate who will bring about a new era in American politics.
We have chosen a candidate who is not a baby boomer, who is not fully white, who is not fully black, who is not a Washingtonian figure and who is not, in short, the mold of the traditional president. This, of course, speaks to the inspirational leader that Barack Obama is and will be, but it also speaks to the creativity of our generation.
We did not stick to the status quo. We saw the need for change and rang its cry in a voice stronger and louder than our elders. We did not just speak about Barack Obama as a man, we spoke about the positions he supports, the politics he represents and the new America he will welcome.
In a time when our economy is floundering and our foreign relations look unpromising, this is a source of optimism. We have inherited a plethora of political and economic problems from our parents, but as the next generation of working professionals, we have demonstrated great judgment in recognizing the need for change and acting on it.
I am proud of my colleagues, my classmates and my friends. In a world where we are often undermined as the generation of Facebook-obsessed techno-kids, we stood up for ourselves and showed that we care about our future, the future of our children and the future of nation, and that we are willing to fight for all three.
So to those who say we face tough odds, I say: We got a damn good head start.
The writer is a sophomore majoring in international affairs and programming director of the College Democrats.
