The U.S.'s first black president elect won 349 electoral votes - double the number of votes his opponent Sen. John McCain received and 79 more than the 270 electoral votes he needed to be voted president.
If his good democratic and economic policies, his stance of increasing renewable energy and decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, his desire to end the war in Iraq responsibly, his understanding of womens issues and his overall BluePrint for Change aren't enough, Obama also offers us a way to mend tattered foreign relations.
Most countries were pleasantly surprised that Obama was voted in, especially after their disappointment with last election, when Bush was re-elected somehow. Hopefully, having Obama at the helm will put the U.S. back in good graces with our partners in the United Nations and heal the wounds Bush caused over the past eight years.
The French newspaper Liberation reported "In this election, a French bias about Americans is swept away. Every four years, we complain about the poor voter turnout in the USA -- which is a reality. But this year, given the election's historical significance and thanks to the technological advances of the Internet, we saw an exemplary mobilization of American voters..."
"We also need to change our preconceptions about American prejudice. For the first time, an African-American and a woman were candidates for the highest office in the land. It seems like America could teach us a thing or two about democracy," the Liberation reported.
I'm also thrilled that voters chose to end inhumane treatment of animals in Massachusetts and California during this election. The Humane Society of the United States reports that California approved a ballot measure to halt the inhumane confinement of animals on factory farms, and voters in Massachusetts approved a measure to ban greyhound racing, because when these dogs aren't being exploited for gambling, they are locked up in tiny cages.
These are small steps in what will be a marathon of legislative changes for animals, but important ones in our evolution as a society; people don't need to show their superiority over animals by treating them with disrespect. Farm animals are vulnerable creatures that depend on us for care, and if we intend to take their lives for food, they deserve to be treated respectfully for it, and given a good life until it is taken.
Dogs offer us their loyalty, love and protection, and we should return the favor by treating them, and all animals, with some dignity and respect.
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