I was thinking about lots of things I wanted to write about this weekend... but I keep going back to Cindy McCain and her shitty, snide comment about Michelle Obama. Aren't we over these nostalgic Ameri-freaks yet? Aren't we tired of being lectured on patriotism by people who've never suffered the myriad slights, indignities, and outright outrages suffered by folks who don't march in perfect lockstep? The thing about these people is that they've never been poor, they've never been black, they've never been particularly introspective or empathetic. Pride in country is pretty easy when country has always been generous to you. Why care about civil rights if you're not a minority? Why be worried about feminism, if you're rich enough to find a doctor to declare your abortions medically necessary? Why worry about equal pay when you're just going to inherit your money?
Michelle Obama, on the other hand (in the interest of full disclosure: Michelle Obama has recently ousted Starbuck from my number one girl crush position) has suffered the slights and indignities. She is smart and empathetic. And she is interested in making the world better instead of returning to Mayberry (especially since Mayberry would have sucked for her). So when she says she feels really proud of her country, it means something and it makes me feel really proud of my country too.
I really like Barack Obama a lot. I think he'll be a great president. But part of me thinks the biggest reason I like Barack so much is that I have faith and confidence in a man who marries a woman like Michelle Obama. It says a lot about who he is.
