this was written by my dear friend adriel harris. she is spot on.

"this is a profoundly, important historical moment and i am so proud to be here - aware, involved, and appreciative of what has just occurred and what amazing potential lies ahead. i was on the phone all night with several friends who were at grant park taking it all in with their own eyes and the potency is undeniable. i haven't been around for a very long time, and i'm only old enough to have voted in two elections prior to this one, but the energizing effect this entire election season has infused my generation with is something that i feared would never be possible.

we can tend to be an apathetic, selfish and cynical group of people. not because we are hateful, but because we have become isolated in a pervasive feeling of hopelessness. we have lost much of the joy of sincere communication and authentic community. we have grown up in a culture of text-messaging "dialogue" and internet "friendship". we have become suspicious of all forms of leadership... not just in our government, but in our schools, our churches and even our homes. we have become un-trusting and detached.

i would never be so naive to presume that this elected figure represents some "idea" that will fix all of these characteristics in us, but it is simply impossible not to note the turning of a page that has occurred. in my peers, i have never witnessed more passion, more intelligent and informed conversation or more of an understanding that it is imperative for us to believe in something. to have some sort of faith that our collective effort can actually accomplish something and make some sort of difference. i know that many of you are disappointed today and had hoped for a different outcome, but i hope that you can see what has been ignited in an entire generation of people. for us, it wasn't just about taxes. it wasn't just about a war. it wasn't just about an economy. it was about the fact that we actually cared. we cared enough to educate ourselves, to communicate, argue and challenge each other. to put all of our endless internal dialogue and tension into some sort of concerted and collected effort. and the effort wasn't necessarily to elect one person or another, it was to find something to hope for again. it was was an effort to convert our apathy and cynicism into interest and action.

and in that conversion, so many of my prayers have been answered. not all of them, but many...

i love you all and its been a long time coming, but i can say, with a great deal of sincerity, that i am proud..."