We Have Overcome

We shall overcome because
we have overcome.
We have overcome when we no longer
think of ourselves as
African-Americans
Jewish Americans
Muslim Americans or
Italian-Americans but
as Americans
we are closer to that day.
We have overcome when we "judge a man not
by the color of his skin, but by the content of
his character" and no longer confuse what we see
with what is.
We have overcome when we can unapologetically
think first
before firing
and recognize our own face in that of an
adversary.
We have overcome
when we no longer attempt to
quantify, or qualify, injustice, but eradicate
it.
We know we have overcome when we accept that
nations, too, have destinies, and that we are
responsible for the destiny of ours not
our forefathers not our president but
us.
we have overcome when, after his
inauguration tomorrow,
we join Barack Obama,
and work with him to make this country,
and this world, a better place.