As the electoral votes mounted and the White House became imminent, supporters of Barack Obama in cities all across the country celebrated his historic victory on election night the only way Americans know how: with riots, looting, and setting things on fire.
In Grant Park in Chicago, Obama captivated the crowd with an eloquent and inspiring speech, leaving over 100,000 people with a sense of real hope not felt in this country for a number of years. After the speech ended, complete strangers were seen embracing and laughing together. Then, in a true show of unity, nearly all present burst into a riot. It was a riot for change, a riot for America. Blacks and whites, men and women, young and old, rioted together side by side, in a scene many thought they would never see in their lifetime.
“This is absolutely amazing,” stated Lacy Graham, a 90 year old black woman who had waited in line for 3 hours to cast her vote for Obama. “The future finally looks bright for the United States. I’ve never been so happy in all my days.” Graham proceeded to help her grandchildren flip over a police car and set it ablaze. “God bless Barack Obama,” she said, pouring gasoline on the car with the pride and zest of a 20 year old.
Similar scenes took place all over the country. In New York, rioters started a massive fire in an office building in the shape of an ‘O’. Bob Jameson, one of the organizers of the fire, shared his thoughts: “You know, Americans really came together today. I’m so proud. What we did here,” he said, gesturing to the billowing fire with a twinkle in his eye, “this took the hard work of over 50 people, from all walks of life. This wasn’t planned. We all just saw an opportunity to be heard, to make a difference. Where but in America could something like this happen?”
Even some Republicans took place in the celebration riots, as they came to realize the gravity of the moment. “I did not vote for Obama,” said one Republican, as he poetically launched an empty beer bottle off into the night air, “but if he can bring people together like this, who am I to stand in the way of change?”
As the night waned on, the rioters slowly made their way home, the magnitude of the night’s victory starting to sink in. And even as the couch fires began to burn themselves out, it was clear that this was not the end, but only the beginning. The change America needed would not be accomplished through one hard fought day of voting and riots; the change America needed would have to come slowly, would have to be earned one day at a time. Still, the days events signaled that the opportunity for that change was never more present.
“Yes we can, to opportunity,” said a teary eyed Jack Bertran as he climbed through the shattered window of an electronics store, holding his 3 year old son in one arm and a $500 DVD player in the other. “Yes we can.”
