Just because the length of your hair ain’t long
And they often criticize you for your skin tone
Wanna hold your head high
Cause you’re a pretty woman
The world has woken up to a new day. Millions, if not billions, of people like me all over the world have tuned into their smart phones, tv screens, and radios this past week to follow the results of the US election, the Americans’ greatest exercise of democracy. And boy the Americans delivered. The results were both electric and euphoric. Why it’s important to me is simple. Anything America does ultimately affects the rest of us. The USA is still the most important leader in the exercise of democratic process. The superpower other democracies look up to and many tyrants fear. I have come to detest America these past four years for the monster it unleashed in Donald Trump. Today, I woke up with a renewed sense of faith.
In watching President-elect Joe Biden’s victory speech this morning (transcript here), it’s easy to tell that he is a far better, significantly more decent human being than the sitting president, a character trait you would think most people would accept as a minimum requirement. We’ve seen from a lot of nations who elected populist leaders, the Philippines included, that apparently, it is not. But the Americans have also proven to us that this kind of divisive, hateful, bigoted rhetoric has a time limit. Old, derelict world views are going to be thwarted to usher in more progressive views that are in keeping with the times. Therefore I say, Duts and co, your day of reckoning will soon come too. Bilog ang mundo.
While Joe Biden’s election made me feel exultant, Kamala Harris’ victory brought me to tears. Though overshadowed by the presidential race, her story is most inspiring to a lot of people, women especially, but women of color even more specifically. The sound of the glass ceiling shattered by her victory is reverberating all over the world, collectively felt by the many women who have long been unduly oppressed by the patriarchy. I recognize that there are and had been many notable women leaders in other countries that came before VP-elect Kamala Harris, but we cannot deny that the symbolism of her victory is more pronounced because America as leader of the free world is again finally acting like one. A major precedent for years and centuries to come. A win for women and a win for humanity over all.
In all material respects, this year has been crap. But last night’s news has been the start of redemption and balance restoration I, and I’m sure all of us, have been fervently hoping for. 2020 tuloy mo na, baka naman.
P.S. The song at the start of this post is Work That by Mary J Blige. It was played during Kamala Harris’ entrance to her victory speech this morning (transcript here). She was wearing a suffragette white suit. It’s an exciting new era.
