Does the 2008 Election mean we are ready for change? Maybe not... (yet)

It's official, the United States elected it first African American president. Can we now sit back, relax, and say phew we really aren't a racist country after all? Did president elect Barack Obama break through the barriers of discrimination and a dark past of slavery and segregation? Are we a country who accepts progressive ideas and shoots down discrimination? In class yesterday we discussed how electing Barack Obama is a monumental step forward for our country, and I agree that it is definitely a big step. Also mentioned was the rise of many racist and extremely inappropriate comments after the outcome in favor of Obama. I myself was shocked to hear friends of mine (who were McCain supporters) use racist terms and tell slave jokes, like it is no big deal and socially acceptable. I almost felt as though for some, the outcome of this election was like stepping back into the America of the 1950s and 60s. However, for the majority, Obama was a milestone in the fight to end race discrimination with some shouting triumphantly, "YES WE DID!", but for over 18,000 gay couples in California, discrimination and a lack of change was a powerful outcome of the 2008 election.

In a CNN commentary, one LA journalist discussed the overwhelming support of Proposition 8 by the Latino community. Most Latinos voted in favor of Barack Obama, but at the same time provided critical support for the prevention of same sex marriages in the state of California. So why bring up the Latino vote when talking about the 2008 election? Well as the article states:

"The irony of Latino support for Prop. 8 is sad. That a community that continues to struggle for basic rights would deny them to another is particularly baffling. A marginalized minority, Latinos, voting to take away the rights of another marginalized group, gays and lesbians, is like the kid who's picked on in the third grade and only makes some headway when a punier kid comes along to take the punches instead."

Even though electing Barack Obama was a step forward away from discrimination of one group, the many propositions in a couple of states eliminated basic civil rights and liberties of others. So therefore, does one step forward and one step back mean there is no progress at all, or is one more important than the other, preventing this canceling out?

I think that even I am caught in this question- and its only 3 days after the election.