Review of the review....

I have heard several good comments about my blog on the recent election. The best comments came from my older sister, whose perceptive comments made me think even more about this.  I do believe that she was basically agreeing with me, but she "localized" the comments.  I pointed out that the country has changed a great deal, and made significant progress to be able to elect Obama.

What she pointed out is that our family has changed a great deal in three generations as well, and in some ways our progress probably is indicative of the changes the country managed.  Certainly my grandparents had less than enlightened views of race.  My parents sometimes reflected their upbringing with unenlightened views that were shocking with our generation's (hopefully) more enlightened historical presentism.  Why this growth?  I would argue it probably happened because of increased opportunities, more education, and other opportunities to open our minds and hearts.  

I seldom quote my former father-in-law, for many reasons.  I often was on the other side of arguments with him, and we often disagreed.  One thing he said to his daughter, Lisa, was that each generation of the Foat family was a little less weird (his words!) than the previous generation.  He was right.  But time and distance has allowed me to realize that he often was right, and more than not, he often did what he did and thought like he did with good intentions and certainly not maliciously.

So each generation, thankfully, is a little "less weird" and more open-minded and more kind and more educated and and and...  Interestingly enough, it was the generations which preceded us, whose faults and shortcomings and closed minds we sometimes notice, who sacrificed so that we could grow and become a nation who could elect Obama.