Dear Editor, Rockbridge Weekly:
My mother still wonders where Duke Ellington slept. In the late 1950s, she and my father, who taught at Lexington's Washington and Lee University, would chaperone the big college dances. Often, the male students and their dates would be long gone and my parents, who loved to dance, would pretty much have the King of Swing and his orchestra to themselves.
I spent my elementary school years in Lexington, It was a great place for childhood - good teachers, safe streets, great Halloween fun, the excitement of W&L football and marching VMI cadets, and visited those stuff Civil War heroes (horses) - Traveller and Little Sorrel.
Looking back, Lexington 50 years ago was a bit like Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon - of course, we children were all above average. We were certainly homogeneous. I only saw white faces. I don't recall seeing African Americans ("negroes" or "colored" back then). I never wondered where they shopped, went to school, or worshiped. Yet, everyone knew where they lived. It was a part of town that had its own name, a term used so freely a half century ago, but, fortunately, unspeakable today.
Fifty years later, I am not supporting Barack Obama's candidacy because of the color of his skin - as wonderful a statement that would be about how far we have come. I am supporting Barack Obama's candidacy because of his intellect, his knowledge, his passion for change, and the fact that he gets nuance. Obama understands the world and its complexities. He won't shoot first (literally!) and ask questions later, if at all. Senator Obama has a curious and questioning mind and realizes that there are many questions to ask. And, boy, is the world, our nation, and our future complicated.
I support Barack Obama's candidacy because he supports people like me, people who work and who are worried about disappearing savings, about health care, and about the world we are leaving for our children. He wants to level the playing field that has tilted too far toward big corporations and the wealthiest citizens - a field that will only continue to be unfair to middle-class Americans under McCain's proposals.
I support Barack Obama's candidacy because he had the wisdom and the humility to choose a running mate who is highly qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Senator Biden has crucial experience to complement Senator Obama's world view and understanding, which is so essential in these perilous times.
I support Barack Obama because of his commitment to our future both in his energy policy and his desire to make the U.S. a leader on climate change. What is leadership if not leaving your town, state, or nation better off than before you were at the helm? Senator Obama is committed to reducing our dependence on foreign oil and is serious about environmental leadership.
The Commonwealth of Virginia has produced eight presidents - Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Harrison, Tyler, Taylor, and Wilson. Wouldn't it be something if our swing state helped propel Barack Obama and Joe Biden to the White House? That's why I'm knocking on doors in Virginia and talking about Obama for change.
Lynn Dorfman
Arlington, VA.
(former Lexington resident)