A student voter's experience
By Whitney Short, Fisher Senior
Last Updated:2:59 PM EST 11/11/08 Section: Viewpoint
Nov. 4th, 2008, Election Day. I had my crutch under my arm, and my Obama shirt on as I went to the polls. As I walked out of the poll booth, I began limping away, as I hear someone behind me yell at me, "EXCUSE ME!" I turned around to an old man, with gray hair peeking out from under his Confederate flag hat, with a dirty black sweatshirt and even dirtier jeans. "Isn't that illegal", he said.
I looked around, and the moderator looked around too. "Is what illegal?" she asked. "Her shirt!" The moderator looked at the man, still pointing at me. "They didn't tell us anything about people not being able to wear candidates shirts." "It's been all over the news!"
I spoke up, "Look, sir, I can take the shirt off, I have another shirt underneath" "Isn't that illegal," he barked again. I looked at him, "Look, sir, I hope you know this but the South lost, so get over it. And you're living in New York now, which was not even a part of the South."
I stormed out as fast as I could on my crutch, my mother now close behind me. She asks, "What was that all about?" "Ah," I say, "just some racist upset because his canidates aren't going to win in the election."
I have talked to other people from different poll stations that have said other people have worn McCain shirts, as well as Obama ones, but have not gotten in trouble for it.
But now, Obama has proven that, and a little less then half the country who thought he could not achieve the presidency wrong.
Obama won the popular vote, and also won the electoral vote with almost 200 more points then John McCain. As I was in the ER, I watched CNN non-stop until 1 a.m. When the polls closed in California, Washington and Oregon, and they projected him the winner for presidency, I was speechless. I was dancing in my bed the best that I could. Even the guy next to me was thrilled.
As my mother and I watched his winning speech, I could see her wiping her eyes. "Yes Mom," I told her, "you just helped make history."
I looked around, and the moderator looked around too. "Is what illegal?" she asked. "Her shirt!" The moderator looked at the man, still pointing at me. "They didn't tell us anything about people not being able to wear candidates shirts." "It's been all over the news!"
I spoke up, "Look, sir, I can take the shirt off, I have another shirt underneath" "Isn't that illegal," he barked again. I looked at him, "Look, sir, I hope you know this but the South lost, so get over it. And you're living in New York now, which was not even a part of the South."
I stormed out as fast as I could on my crutch, my mother now close behind me. She asks, "What was that all about?" "Ah," I say, "just some racist upset because his canidates aren't going to win in the election."
I have talked to other people from different poll stations that have said other people have worn McCain shirts, as well as Obama ones, but have not gotten in trouble for it.
But now, Obama has proven that, and a little less then half the country who thought he could not achieve the presidency wrong.
Obama won the popular vote, and also won the electoral vote with almost 200 more points then John McCain. As I was in the ER, I watched CNN non-stop until 1 a.m. When the polls closed in California, Washington and Oregon, and they projected him the winner for presidency, I was speechless. I was dancing in my bed the best that I could. Even the guy next to me was thrilled.
As my mother and I watched his winning speech, I could see her wiping her eyes. "Yes Mom," I told her, "you just helped make history."
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