Why “Don’t Resist” Advice is Not the Solution

Sitting on an airplane, the man in front of me was watching 12 Years a Slave.  I glanced up.  Two men were just hung.  A third was passing and was kicked by a white man to move along.  The hung – as being hung - looked at him, at the man passing, with what in their eyes?  Not pleading.  I don’t know.  He looked back knowing it was their last look, and they were hung.  Bodies twitching violently in the air, high above the crunchy brown leaves and the stained hats of the stained white men.

This is why “don’t resist” is not an acceptable answer to the pervasive police brutality against black men in this country.  For over 200 years, we have told black men they have no dignity.  We have emasculated them with commandments that they obey our orders and our force or die.  To tell them the solution to not dying is to just obey is not ok.

“Obey, and fight it later in court,” and this, somehow, is supposed to be “justice.”  Without even getting into the skewedness of that system, even if they “win” by not having charges filed or by getting a case dismissed on a 4th amendment violation, their dignity has still been taken.  There is no justice for that; there’s no getting that back.  The closest they can get is a civil judgment or settlement against an officer or a department by their family after they’re dead – or maybe, in extremely rare cases (Walter Scott), a murder charge against the officer.

The solution is not “don’t resist.”  The solution is showing respect and acknowledging dignity.  It is officers treating human beings as fellow men – not “others,” not “criminals,” not “thugs,” not “pests,” or “suspects” or “perpetrators.”

A lady who had testified during the Congressional Briefing on The Justice Package said on the news, “it’s the system, not the officers.”  Well you know what? The officers are the system.  And until they can treat other humans – black humans, black male humans – with respect, the system will not change.

“Do not resist” is not the answer.  It only addresses the symptom of “death in police custody.”  It does not address the problem, the raping of black men’s dignity, the continued degradation and emasculation of the American black male. 

The costs and benefits of over-regulation

I didn’t like the idea at all, but I knew he was right.  The law is something to weigh when doing your cost-benefit analysis.  Whether or not to break the law is simply part of a business decision.

To me, this exemplifies everything that’s bad about our over-regulated society.  Law is no longer a dictate of what is right or wrong.  It’s far beyond keeping some semblance of order in society.  Law is just another weight to be put on your scale when making decisions.   And we all do it, whether we realize it or not.

When was the last time you drove above the speed limit, or crossed the street when the red hand was lit?  The last time you didn’t bother to pay a parking meter or posted a picture you found somewhere online to one of your social networking sites?  And when do you do these things?  When the cost is lower than the benefit, when the risk of getting caught or the risk of being punished if caught is minimal.

As plain-old-Joe’s, most of the laws we break are what we would consider minor.  The laws are often there to protect us; the punishments are relatively small fines and there’s no risk of ‘a record’ that might hurt us later.  (Note: my last example above does not fall into this category.)  But for businesses, these are real, heavily thought about decisions.

Perhaps nowhere is this more true than when dealing with intellectual property.  The law is so grey that it’s often difficult to know when something is against the law.  People spend hours and lots and lots of money trying to answer this question.  Then they spend more hours and lots and lots more money trying to decide, if it is against the law, what are the risks to the business.  They buy insurance to protect themselves from this risk.  The law is like a fire or flood, a quasi-predictable occurrence of which you can only estimate the chance of its harm to you.

Of all the laws out there,  I can only think of two groups that truly regulate right and wrong, and they have the cost benefit analysis built in; society has decided when the benefits outweigh the cost:  causing harm to someone else or causing death.  If you’re defending yourself, there’s an excuse; the benefit of protecting you outweighs the cost of the loss of the other person.  If you’re completely enraged because you found your partner in bed with someone else, society understands.

Does it have to be this way?   Can we expect people to respect the law when disobeying the law is only a question of how it will affect you?

Photo: Statue of Lady Justice at Nasarawa Law School in Nigeria

10 years and 2000 miles later

On the 10th Anniversary, it seems obligatory to do a blog post about 9/11/01.  But my memories related to September 11th do not start that morning. 

My thoughts start two weeks before that day, when I finished reading Angles and Demons.  For those unfamiliar with the book, a very devoted Catholic stages an attack on the Church in order to revitalize the Church community and support for the church.  I remember finishing that book and thinking, “America needs something like that.”  Tired of people being ashamed of our country, of flags being uncool and patriotism being dead – and this was before I moved out to the Bay – it seemed that the last time our country had been supported by its people was World War II.  We need a cause to rally behind.  I didn’t expect us to get one, and I certainly didn’t expect it to be so dramatic.

The morning of September 11th, I was trying to sort out some credit card bills.  I called the customer service line.  The lady on the other end was all distracted.  “I’m sorry,” she said, “we just heard about the World Trade Center.”  “But that was years ok,” I thought, thinking of the parking garage bombing.  Then my roommate came rushing into the room, let out of her 8am class early.  “Did you hear?!”  “Hear what?”  She turned on the small tv atop our dressers.  Every channel, every single one, was showing the same thing, the clip of the second plane hitting.

There was lots of excitement, people running down the halls, exclaiming any news they’d gotten that others might not have yet.  Candlelight vigils on the campus’s Main Lawn.  Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” moved even those that hated country music.  American flags everywhere, not just cool again but practically required.  It was a cause to rally behind, and for most of us at my small Midwestern school, that’s all it was.

Ten years ago, I hadn’t been to New York.  I didn’t know anyone in New York.  I didn’t know anyone who would be on an international flight.  New York was like Harvard, a place that only existed on tv and in the movies.  It wasn’t until this week that I learned the plane that crashed in a Pennsylvania field was bound for SFO.  Even if I had known, it wouldn’t have mattered.  As a Midwesterner, I scorned those people on the coasts who flew from one side to the other, treating real Americans like they didn’t exist, “fly-over-country” nonsense.

Ten years later, I’ve been to New York.  I’ve seen the World Trade Center hole, and not because I went there to see it, but because it’s down the street from my friend’s dad’s office.  I know people there.  I know people who are frequently on international flights, including friends and family, and me.  I know some of the “coastal people,” heck, I’m even friends with them.  And while I still disdain the fly-over-country mentality, I don’t hate them.  Ten years later, the events are more real than they could have been to a sheltered twenty year-old.  And sadly, ten years later, the flags are mostly gone again.

I liked that patriotism; I’d like to see it back.  But I don’t expect it anytime soon.  It’s impossible to be both an apologetic and a patriot, and the loudest voices in our society are still demanding we be the first.

September 11th, 2001 may have given us a rallying cry on which to rebuild our patriotism.  But the events of the next 9 years destroyed it all again.  John Yoo said we’re safer and freer now than we were ten years ago.  He’s a good speaker, but I disagree.  When I feel trapped in my city because transportation out of it is either too long or too anxiety-filled due to the “heightened security measures” – not the risks, the measures – I do not feel safe or free.  I never feared the terrorists; I fear TSA.

They won. We have lost both our patriotism and our freedom.

A Little Too African

You may recall a post I wrote last month about my trip to Jos and how much I liked the town because it finally felt like Africa.  Well, it turns out, Jos may be too-much-Africa.

Many of you have called or emailed me because the recent violence in Jos has made international news.  Results of a state-level political election led to claims of rigging and violent outbursts, a repeat of the violence that occurred at the beginning of the decade.

Kyura had told me about the previous riots when she was giving me the tour of Jos.  The town is, she said, fairly segregated by religion.  The Muslims live in one area, the Christians in the other.  During my visit, she mentioned that there hadn't been any new violence, but, she added, the tension remained.

Sunday's newspaper reported the current death toll at 400.  The local government instituted a dusk to dawn curfew, which soon turned into a 24-hour curfew.  I got a hold of Kyura; she and her family are safe.  I don't know if she's been able to attend her classes.  She sent me this text message about the situation:

We're all ok, but it's very tense here.  Am glad ur not here.  It's scary and tiring.  Gun shots, machetes, spears and angry people everywhere.  Pls pray for us.

How Did I Get Here?

It's a question I've found myself asking quite often the past few years of my life.  In my heart, I'm still that little girl from Cheeseland who'd rather have a glass of milk than a glass of wine (or of anything else for that matter), anytime.  And then here I am in Nigeria, interning for part of the Federal Government, talking to the American Ambassador's parents!  wtv?!

It hit me really hard this past week, and Thanksgiving added to it.  I was sitting in a group at the Thanksgiving Day Dinner, just chit-chatting with a bunch of people, and watching these two adorable little children run and play, and I started thinking about when I had been to the Embassy earlier in the week to meet with one of the people now part of this group. 

The gentleman is really nice, and from the bits of interaction I've had with him, I think very intelligent (that's probably a pre-req for working in the Embassy, I guess).  His Boston College lanyard around his neck put me at ease a bit.  Ba Tim went there, so it somehow made things more familiar.  Although, the Patriot's clasp on the bottom of the lanyard made me frown a bit inside.  Where I come from, there's only one real football team. ;) 

His office had these great, very Nigerian, calendars in the back corner.  Candid pictures of him above the months, probably snapped at some meeting or conference or something.  But the pictures on the side of his desk, those were the ones that made me start a little bit.  Those were the ones that came into my mind when I was wondering how I wound up at this Embassy Thanksgiving Day dinner.  Him and Colin Powell, him and Condy, him and W.  It was like when I go to Mr. Embassy-Man's house and there's pictures of Mr. Embassy-Man and Clinton all over the place. 

How on earth am I sitting here talking to someone who's been that close to a President?!  I thought Mr. Trizzle's picture of him and the Congress-woman he worked for was really neat.  And I remember, when I was 10, thinking that my mommy knowing Rosemary Potter was the coolest thing in the world.  She had to be important; she was in our Wisconsin Blue Book!  Along with the state beverage, milk, and the state wild flower, wood violet, and the state domesticated animal, Guernsey cow.  (No, I did not look those up, so I don't know if they've changed in the past umpteen years.  And in case you care, or are Wendy, the state fossil is the trilobite.)   To me,  presidents and politicians aren't real people, they're like movie stars or something.  You can't actually meet or talk to them!

I suppose it makes sense that people who work at the Embassy know the President.  They are diplomats after all, representing the country and stuff.  And I guess the President appoints the ambassadors, so he'd have to know them.  So what I find even more surprising than these guys having pictures with the President is that both this gentleman and Mr. Embassy-Man have friends that work at Google.  How can they both know such lucky people?  Of course, as the Ambassador pointed out, Mr. Embassy-Man seems to know everyone.

He Won, Accept It

Ok, this just really pisses me off!  A former assistant state attorney has filed a law suit alleging that Obama is not qualified to become President because he is not a natural born citizen.  Alan Keyes filed a related suit in California.

Really, people?  The country overwhelming selects this guy to be our next President and you're so bitter about it that this is how you decide to try to fight it?  Apparently, the suit alleges that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii.  All the stuff I've seen says Hawaii, but then, I haven't seen any birth certificates.  I think it's extremely unfair that this is all coming up after Obama's grandmother passed away, especially since on of the "arguments" in the suit is that there aren't any witnesses alive to verify where he was born.

According to many news specials and Obama's books, Obama's parents met in Hawaii when his father was studying there.  I find it difficult to believe that a young American woman would choose to travel to Africa to have a baby, especially in the 1960s.  Additionally, all accounts I've heard say that Obama only saw his father for a few months when he was 10, nothing about him being around when Obama was born.  If Obama was born in Kenya, his father would have been around.  How about talking to his relatives in Kenya, and asking them if he was born there?

Most of the arguments outlined in the brief report about the suit seem very nit-picky.  They also seem to attack his international upbringing, which many see as one of his best attributes going into the Presidency.

I'm so angry about this, but I refuse to believe this can succeed.  Not after everything the country's been through.  God would not let all our hopes and dreams be taken away like that.  So that means in the grand scheme of things this suit must really have a different purpose.  Maybe it will cause Congress to amend the Constitution and open the door for Arnold to run someday. ;)  Hey, gotta stay positive.

The Morning After

The internet went off right after Obama's speech.  I have no idea why.  I wished they (the Obama ppl) would stop playing the Patriot music.  That just added to the tears.  But then, I suppose that's the point.

I'm sure some of the my tears yesterday and today were out of sheer joy, but some of them were out of sadness, too.  I'm not there, in America.  I had thought about flying to Oakland for the election night, and I would have loved to have been dancing in the streets with my friends there.  But, I decided not to go.  And while I did miss the dancing, I didn't miss the election.  I'm just experiencing it in a different way.  A different way that I can share with you.

The Nigerian Papers

I walked down to a newspaper stand this evening to get some of the day's papers.  They were all printed before the results were announced at 5am here, so the headlines just proclaimed that Obama had an early lead.  One paper had an article about lots of errors causing long lines.  I hadn't heard that, mostly just that the high turnout caused long lines.  No offense to The Punch, but I think CNN and BBC are more respectable sources.

There were also a lot of articles trying to make McCain look bad.  One paper's front page read "McCain breaks rule, campaigns on election day."  This pissed me off.  First, there is no rule like that.  Second, Obama was campaigning on election day, too.

One of my favorite articles was an "interview" with a judge on duty at a polling station. (I don't know what that means, but that's what it says.  Sounds like she might be a poll watcher.)  The Nigerian paper, The Vanguard, printed the entire exchange with this judge.  It's basically her just repeatedly telling them that she can't do interviews and they can't talk to the voters until after the voters have voted.  I don't think the "interview" is actually verbatim though because it has the American saying "I hope you would not disrupt the queue out there."  We don't say "queue;" we say "line."

Nigerian papers also comment on things that American papers wouldn't mention, either because they aren't important or aren't proper.  For example, that same Vanguard article: "Andrew Strike, a white, who is the Chief Press Officer, from the State Department said he was...."  Hello!  What he's saying matters because he's the Chief Press Officer.  The color of his skin is irrelevant.  These elections have provided plenty of opportunities for comments where the speakers skin color might be relevant; this is not one of them.  On top of that, 'a white'?!?

Oh, and apparently the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission says the "US has a lot to learn from Nigeria" about elections.  Right.....  I wonder how the guys at the Embassy would feel about that statement.  The The Chairman's reasoning for why we should learn from Nigeria shows a great ignorance about America.  First, he says we need a national voting registry.  Feel free to leave comments on why this is ridiculous.  Second, he says we need to learn how to have elections all in one day, with none of this silly early voting stuff.  So that then he can criticize our long lines?  I happen to think the early voting worked very well.  Anyone have another opinion?  (Article in the Daily Sun.)

We apparently also have one paper with a prophetic writer.  The Daily Independent on November 4th had an article "U.S. on the Verge of History."  The first sentence says "By 5 a.m. local time on Wednesday, history would have been made and the face of world politics and racial relations changed in magnitude more groundbreaking than the fall of the Berlin Wall."  CNN declared Obama the winner at 4:59 a.m. local time.  (The sentence sounds funny to us.  Nigerians use "would" where we use "will."  I have no idea why.

The Nigerian People

They're crying, too.  Dara and Feyi told me they all got up early this morning, about when the results came in, and watched the news.  Auntie and Uncle were crying tears of joy.  Feyi's been running around the house singing "Obama, Obama, Obama."  And Dara told Hammed, one of the family's gate-men, that Obama looks like him.  Hammed laughed, but his face lit up with this huge smile.  But that's part of the magic of all this, isn't it?  That a poor gate-man in Africa can look like the next President of the United States.

People were so excited about the election that massive crowds besieged the satellite dish companies to pay past-due bills.  The company buildings couldn't hold all the people.  There was nearly a riot.

Work sent me an email:

This is to congratulate you on the election of Barak [sic] Obama as the 44th US President of the United States. This gives a new lease of hope for the majority of the human race who are impacted by the events in the world's leading democracy. I commend your compatriots for again showing the dynamics of democracy at this defining moment of your country's history.

And they offered me a celebration on the Commission, which of course I would not accept.  The day off to sleep was all I needed.

Other workers asked for similar arrangements:

Oh! Barack Obama won sir - the black race has made history. Can i have the day
off to celebrate sir.

One comment that made me really happy came from the maid.  She had seen McCain's speech.  "He is a very good man," she said.  She talked about how she really liked his speech, how happy she was that he was now supporting Obama.  She kept telling Dara and Feyi how good McCain is.  She's very excited that Obama won.  She was clapping and dancing when telling me about it.  But, she also appreciates and respects McCain.  I like that, a lot.  I think it shows a lot for how perceptions of the US are changing, not just because of Obama, but because of McCain and many other Americans.

These are Not Americans

[a Repost to add a photo.]

But they are Obamacans.

at 4:59am, CNN announced that they project Obama to have won the Presidential Election.  And the crowd is still cheering.  Waving American Flags.  Dancing with Obama.  Picking up anything red, white and blue that they can find.

[I still can't get the video uploaded, maybe in December.]

 

5:18 am local time - it finally quieted down a bit to hear Tracy Chapman on BBC.  Now it's McCain's speech.  I really do feel kinda bad for him.  He's a good guy.  But that Palin is nuts!  McCain just said he congratulated Obama, and the room went nuts again.  I think he is being very gracious.  The crowd seems to agree, they are cheering him a bit too now, especially when he mentioned African-Americans.  He says this election proves that we are no longer the nation of bigetry we once were.  I don't know if I can agree, yet.  Let him serve 4 years, and then maybe I'll believe it.

But I do like McCain's speech and I think it regains a lot of the dignity his campaign people cost him.  And I don't think he should feel like he failed.  I can't tell what the McCain supporters are chanting.

And for those that are curious, I told work I'm not coming in tomorrow.

And the Winner Speaks

5:57am local time - Ever seen a room give a standing ovation to someone on tv?  That's what just happened here when Obama came out to speak in Chicago.  And standing the tallest, the Obama cut-out being hoisted high in the air by that guy that looks like a Vandy professor.

Someone pinch me.  If it weren't for the searing pain in my side (I have no idea why), I'd think I'm dreaming.

Every channel is showing the same speech, but BBC doesn't line up with the other two.  Of course, the other two are exactly the same, so I don't know which is delayed.  They all say live.   Ok, I don't understand why all the Nigerian's cheered so loudly when Obama said "and we always will be the United States of America."

He is right; McCain was very gracious, and I like that Obama is paying McCain the regard he is due.  Aww... the puppy thing is cute.  It is really sad that Obama's grandma came so close to seeing this and then just missed it.  I was surprised when I picked up the paper today and saw on the front page that she had passed away.

I agree, "the best political campaign in the history of the United States of America."  And now, it can stop emailing me 3x a day for donations.  My magnet better be at home when I get there in December!

I wish I could look at Obama without seeing JFK, could look at Malia and Sasha without seeing John Jr. saluting in his little blue pea coat.  I'm just as nervous and shake-y as I was this morning.  And I knew I would be.  I knew no matter the outcome, I'd still be scared, but for different reasons.

I find it very funny that people in this corrupt-vampire country can cheer so loudly for American ideals when Obama shouts them.  Wow, 106 years old.  I wish they'd stop showing people in the audience crying.  It makes it harder for me not to cry.  ... or impossible.

The speech is over, another standing ovation here in Nigeria.

Can I Go Home Now?

I don't want to be here anymore.  I want to be at home.  I want to be hugging my mommy and daddy  and my sisters and my friends.  I want to be jumping around the room and running through the streets.  I want to be with Shaina and Trizzle and Chasity.  Not in the corner of a room in Nigeria, trying not to cry.

But of course, even if I was home, I couldn't do all those things.  Those people are in 5 different states.  But still, I want to be at home.  I want to be part of this.

Thank you to everyone who im'd with me and commented on the blog and kept engaged throughout the long night.  It made me feel closer to home.  It's only now that everyone's off celebrating that I feel apart.

These Are Not Americans

But they are Obamacans.

at 4:59am, CNN announced that they project Obama to have won the Presidential Election. And the crowd is still cheering. Waving American Flags. Dancing with Obama. Picking up anything red, white and blue that they can find.



[I have a picture and video too, but they won't upload right now]



5:18 am local time - it finally quieted down a bit to hear Tracy Chapman on BBC. Now it's McCain's speech. I really do feel kinda bad for him. He's a good guy. But that Palin is nuts! McCain just said he congratulated Obama, and the room went nuts again. I think he is being very gracious. The crowd seems to agree, they are cheering him a bit too now, especially when he mentioned African-Americans. He says this election proves that we are no longer the nation of bigetry we once were. I don't know if I can agree, yet. Let him serve 4 years, and then maybe I'll believe it.

But I do like McCain's speech and I think it regains a lot of the dignity his campaign people cost him. And I don't think he should feel like he failed. I can't tell what the McCain supporters are chanting.

And for those that are curious, I told work I'm not coming in tomorrow.

The US Presidential Election Live from Nigeria Pt. 9

4:31am local time - It bothers me that 150 years later, we're still talking about Confederate and Union States.  Yet, we're doing it because there's a reason.  As ICP says, "stood for slavery; stood for war; stood for hatred; but go ahead and hang your d*** flag up some more!"

There's some fat white guy in a red tie on CNN that keeps saying "I hope he keeps us safe" about Obama.  Apparently, he doesn't realize that the reason we weren't (aren't?) safe is because people hate us, or at the very least, don't respect us.  If we get a leader people respect, that will do 100x more than any tanks and weapons of mass destruction.

One of my friend's im status has a great saying on it:

Rosa Parks sat so Martin could walk.  Martin walked so Obama could run.  Obama is running so we can FLY!!!!

NTA is showing live feed of our Obama cut-out right now.  And people sleeping.  The crowd rallied a bit to clap for Virginia being projected as Obama's, by FOX?!  There's a guy here being interviewed on NTA that looks like one of the professors at Vandy.

I'm shocked the polls in Cali close at.... oh wait, it's about to be 8pm there.  It's 5 here, not there.

The BBC is talking to some black people somewhere (I missed where they are) and they are sure that Obama has won.  They are talking about what it means for the world and for America.  "It's not just one person running things."  Because white people are one person....  The white people the newsman talked to next seemed just as excited and sure Obama will win.

The fat guy's back on CNN.  He's still going on about great McCain is.  I agree.  McCain is an amazing man and has done a lot for the country.  But, there's something about the way he's saying it that irks me.  NTA was just showing live feed of our BBC screen's projected numbers.  That's like - oh, they're doing it again.  Anyway, it's like when I was little and used to take pictures of the tv, or of my mommy taking pictures of me.

Wow!  Obama got Virginia!  The South gets another blue!  First VA Dem since 1964.  People here perked up a bit with this news, but no more clapping and cheering.  A lot of bobbing heads.

4:59am local time - CNN just projected Obama the winner.  Now the room is full of cheering and clapping again.  So loud I can't hear the tv at all.  They have him projected with 297.  People are dancing with the Obama cut-out.  Standing, yelling, pumping fists and hopping in the aisles.  I wonder if people will leave....  No one's asleep anymore.

The really funny thing is, the Americans (many of whom are known Obama supporters) are all just sitting quietly, smiling in the back of the room.  Me included.  Of course, I can't type and hop.

The cheering is still going on.  It's been 3 minutes.  My friend from the Embassy is taking pictures.  That's a good idea!  People are making phone calls and yelling into the phone.

The US Presidential Election Live from Nigeria Pt. 8

3:21am local time - I stopped paying attention for a bit to read a letter from Zambia (thanks for scanning it Mommy!); let's see where we're at.  Looks like not much has changed despite the updates everyone's im'ing me.

The room's a little bit emptier. Only a handful of people standing now.  Some people are sleeping in their chairs.  I didn't think of it before, but I'm glad the chairs are padded.  That's kinda unusual here.  Of course, so is this awesome free wifi!

Lots of cheering and whistling again, though I couldn't really tell why.

3:57am local time (sorry for the long break, was talking to important people) - McCain cut-out was folded up and carried out in a plastic bag.  Sorry, munchkinhead, can't do anything with him anymore.

CNN is talking about the diversity of Obama's supporters.  I like that.  It says "unity" better than anything else can.  Showing Obama 206 to 89 on CNN, 200 to 130 on BBC.  I can't believe so much of the South went red.  Why ain't ATL reppin'?!

Aljazeera is interviewing Jesse Jackson.  That's probably interesting.  And they have "breaking news" that MT is too close to call.  How is that breaking news?  BBC has way more McCain votes than CNN.  Why?  And why does this guy in NM that they're talking to look so mad?  I'm just full of questions!

I hope Mississippi goes Obama.  McCain can't have the whole South.  It'll completely disenfranchise an entire new generation of voters!  Ok, maybe just dissuade.

I like that the Senate races aren't necessarily following the President race party-wise.  The system of checks and balances doesn't work without a balance.

Doesn't look like many more people have left.  I suppose if you've made it this long, might as well stay.  The BBC has a former US Ambassador to the UN on it right now.  He kinda looks like a grey version of that thing that sweeps away the path in Disney's Alice and Wonderland.  I think he was talking about badly biased media in the US, but I couldn't really hear.

CNN is looking at Latino voters, which is very interesting because of the black-brown racism that was often brought up as an issue early in the election.  Obama got more Latino votes than McCain.  Even Bush had more Latino votes than McCain (percentage-wise).

4:19am local time - Darn it, the only thing not red in the South is Florida.  Senate seats are very close to the magic 60 for the Dems.  That makes me nervous.  I don't want a single party government.

The numbers for both candidates now match on BBC and CNN.  Aljazeera is talking to someone in a navy suit with a red tie.  That could be anyone.  Now they're in Chicago at Obama's rally.  The IL Sec. of State (or something like that) is either not good in front of cameras or had a very scripted answer about how great Obama will be.

There haven't been any cheers in awhile; I guess there haven't been any new numbers in awhile.

The US Presidential Election Live from Nigeria Pt. 7

2:06am local time - More loud cheering as the BBC moves their predictions so that Obama is ahead 103 to 34.  The room is definitely thinning out; I'd estimate about 75 people left.  Still mostly Nigerian.  Many of the Senators I met earlier have left, but some are still around.

Now we have no audio.  NTA is showing live feed from Chicago.  I wonder if they actually have reports/cameras there or if it's borrowed from another station.  Interesting side note, broadcasts are actually protected under copyright in Nigeria, instead of as a neighboring right.  Don't know what any of that means?  Look it up! ;)

NTA is also showing live feed from this very room.  That's kind of cool!  Oh, there's a guy I met this weekend at my friend's party, on tv right now.  He works for the embassy.  Now I understand why they turned off the audio.  Wish I could hear what he was saying though.

The Obama cut-out has been moved into this room and is positioned to watch the returns.  Cute.  Poor McCain's been left out in the cold, literally; he's outside, and it's cold.

2:20am local time - NTA's back to the studio.  They've hung paper maps of the US behind the anchors.  It creates an interesting contrast with the fancy White House projected image on the BBC and all the crazy technology on CNN.  The NTA anchors are also sitting on high-backed office chairs and the maps are right behind them and thus much obscured by the chairs.  For some reason, we still don't have audio back here.

Ohp, sound man got the go ahead.  CNN's back.  I wish they were playing the BBC audio.   The BBC's at Morehouse in GA, talking to girls... Hmm... I think they came over from Spellman.  Aljazeera is in Beijing talking about the election.

We're back to NTA, with audio.  They were showing pictures of a sign that said "Arizona."  I can't understand what the anchors are saying.  The volume is too low for their thick accents and my thicker ears.  Apparently other venues in Nigeria have their own McCain and Obama cardboard cutouts.  I wonder where everyone got them from.

2:39am local time - More cheering as CNN declares Pennsylvania for Obama.  BBC and CNN have a one vote difference between each other for Obama.  I wonder why.

3:00am local time - More cheering.  As CNN declares NY for Obama.  People here are yelling out states the way someone might yell numbers at a roulette table or when playing dice.  Cheers for Wisconsin.  I like that :)  And bigger cheers for Michigan.  The room is awfully lively for 3am and no food or drinks.  CNN now has Obama up 174 to 49.  BBC has Obama 171 to 52, nope 58 (Kansas), nope 61 (Wyoming).  BBC upped Obama to 175 (Rhode Island) only sporadic clapping.  Still haven't figured out why BBC and CNN are one off on Obama.

And my friend from the embassy just got to pose for the video camera with a Senator and the Obama cut-out!

The US Presidential Election Live from Nigeria Pt. 6

1:18am local time - OK, the hologram correspondent on CNN is freaky!  I'd rather have Arnold Rimmer reporting.  At least his H doesn't look radioactive.

Wow.  It's nighttime, in Chicago, in November, and people are wearing short sleeves!   Anyone still not believe in global warming?

I just realized, in a month and a week, I'll be doing something very similar, probably wearing the exact same thing.  Except I'll be sitting awake on an airplane all night instead of in a conference hall.  And by then, hopefully, we'll know who the next President is.

1:30am local time - We've switched to BBC audio.  I think I like listening to a group of people talking around a table better than watching the guys on CNN play with their new technology.  I can look at all those details myself on line.

And as I say that, we switch back to CNN audio. :(

It's really weird how the states seem like just places on a map when you don't know anything about them.  I wonder if Nigerian's looking at the US map and state's reports feel like I feel when I look at Nigeria's map or read about its states.  But as the results come in from states I know, states I drive through regularly, or have been to on vacation, it's so different.  They're very real.

1:45am local time - The Nigerian in charge of changing the audio has just been demoted and replaced because he left CNN's audio on during commercials too many times.  I might actually like it if we get more audio variety.  Of course, right now all we can here is screaming people in Chicago at Grant Park.  Sounds like a Beatles concert.

1:54am local time - BBC's giving McCain South Carolina.  That's 16 to 3.  Doesn't look like the other channel have made predictions yet.  We're back on NTA, which is showing video of here from earlier, people eating dinner and the Ambassador's speech.  I was here for it, but I have no idea what she was saying.  I was too nervous and entranced by the moving pictures behind her.  She did have a nice suit and a cool tie though.

CNN has S. Carolina projected for McCain, even though he's showing 10% below Obama.  How does that work?  And on NTA, we have ostriches....

2:00am local time - CNN's making lots of calls now, even though there's very low amounts of precincts reporting so far.  BBC a well; now has Obama up 24 to 16.  And the room busted into cheers and applause.  I'm not quite sure why.  It suddently got very lively.  Ah, CNN has Obama up 77 to 34.  They are all repeating how the numbers have changed and getting very excited about the predicted lead.

The US Presidential Election Live from Nigeria Pt. 5

12:51am local time - Gap in KY just closed to 1%. Wow! Didn't see that coming. Although I think the number of ballots is still several thousand apart, so not as close as it seems. I'm not sure if CNN is telling us what percentage of precincts have reported.

Ok, the Kentucky gap widened back out. Must have been a fluke. And the gap in Indiana is down to 1%.... this is nerve racking! And it's just watching numbers move!

BBC is predicting Indiana to go to McCain. At least, it looks like they are. Hard to tell for sure with no sound. They could be showing which party it went to last year.

CNN projects Obama for Vermont and McCain for Kentucky. Both as expected. That's 3 to 8.... (There's an electoral map next to me.) Still a lot of people here. I wonder if they're all in for the long hall.

Indiana flip-flopped! Now McCain's in the lead. If I had nails left, I'd bite them. Aljazeera is calling pretty much every state "too close to call." But they are expecting Obama as winner overall. My friend from the Embassy is having his picture taken with the Obama cut-out now. Hee hee.

Crowd looks like it got a little thinner, but it's still pretty big. The snackies went awfully fast. I got up to get more when I saw there was no line. Then I saw why there was no line. There was no food. Hope we don't have to wait 'til breakfast, but won't be surprised if we do.

Obama back ahead in Indiana. Up, down, up, down, up, down. McCain ahead in Virginia, but they're saying it's too early to make any projections.

The US Presidential Election Live from Nigeria Pt. 4

Midnight, November 5th - NTA is showing election watching parties from around the country.  Looks like a lot of kids are up way past their bedtimes.  People think taxes are going up no matter who wins, yet the economy was the biggest issue.  What do you link of that Mr. ToughMoneyLove?

I'm surprised how many people are still here, mostly Nigerian.  Some of the American Embassy people actually have to be here all night, but that's good.  That means I have at least one friend to keep me company :)  (or vice versa).

The NTA screen has switched back to Aljazeera.  I sort of wish sound was on that one because they're doing perspectives from all over the world, but we've got CNN audio.  It's still a little different than what people at home have because it's CNN International.

Keep getting reports about voters giving up and leaving line.  NOOOO!!!! Don't go.  In Zambia, we often had to wait 4 or 5 hours for our transport to leave, or other things that aren't nearly as important as voting.  It makes me so sad to hear that people have turned and left. :(

 

12:22am local time - Aljazeera is interviewing people in a bowling alley.  Makes me really home sick; I love bowling!

Looks like Kentucky is going McCain - but of course, that doesn't surprise anyone.

 

12:30am local time - got access to an outlet (thank you Mr. Embassy-Man!) and some veggie samosas, yum.  The room is still pretty full and poll results are starting to come in.  People here (the Nigerians) seem really surprised that McCain is getting any states.  That bothers me.  It's like they think he's evil or something.  Whether or not you agree with his policies, you have to admit he's served our country with dedication for a long time.  He deserves respect for that, even if you don't want to give him your vote.  I actually feel bad for him, watching his speeches.  He seems like a really good guy.

The bathrooms here are really nice.  I was surprised.  There's tissue, soap, and even lotion!

12:38am local time - biggest cockroach I've seen in Nigeria just crawled past me.  Not in Africa, just in Nigeria; only about the size of my thumb.  I was going to get more samosas, but the line is resembling a line at the polls.  Some of the Nigerians are chasing down the giant cockroach now.  fun.

Kentucky moving more towards McCain.  Indian still showing Obama but the gap is closing.  There's a report that race doesn't matter for 90% of candidates.  I think that it's sad it matters for anyone, let alone 10%.  I wonder how it influences them.  Are they specifically for one race?  Or specifically against another?

The US Presidential Election Live from Nigeria Pt. 3

11:51pm local time - CNN just reported about the Cuban-focused robocall.  WTV?  This sort of stuff should not be allowed, from either side.  It's deceptive, dishonest, and disrespectful.

First polls close in 7 minutes!  Now there's some pastor talking about how God feels about life and marriage.  Hmmm....  It's interesting how in Nigeria homosexuality is illegal (not just same-sex marriage, homosexuality itself), abortion is illegal, but they still all want Obama.  A bit different than North Carolina.

The US Presidential Election Live from Nigeria Pt. 2

11:21pm local time - Still over half an hour until the first returns come out.  I've been mingling around here, meeting senators and people from all sorts of embassies.  That's been pretty cool!  I also had my picture taken with the Obama cardboard cutout.  That was just too good to pass up.

Based on the quiz games that were going on earlier, the Nigerians here no more about American politics and the American political system than most Americans.  NTA was broadcasting the quiz game close-to-live.  There was about a 30 second delay, which made it pretty funny to watch on the big screen and hear behind me. 

The US Presidential Election Live from Nigeria

I can't actually live blog because the internet connection comes and goes, but here's my pseudo-live blog.

9:35pm local time - Daddy Bunny and I are at the US Embassy sponsored Election Watch at the Cultural Center in Abuja, Nigeria.  We arrived almost 4 hours ago.   There was a mock election for non-US citizens.  The results will be announced later.  There is also a photo-op corner with cardboard cutouts of McCain and Obama.  The Obama one has been in the center of the re carpet most of the night; The McCain one has been standing in the corner.

I'm a nervous wreck, hence Daddy Bunny being here.  Luckily, some of my friends have been around to cause diversion and introduce me to more people.  For awhile I was just sitting and watching the screens, but that was getting me too many phone numbers from random people who would sit down next to me.

We have three big screens, currently showing BBC, CNN and NTA.  The NTA screen was earlier showing Aljabeezer.  The sound goes with whichever screen is providing election coverage at the time.  It provides us with a neat global perspective on the elections.

 

10:02pm local time - First polls close in about 2 hours!  The mock election poll already closed.  Only Nigerian's voted - 500 ballots.  McCain received 24 votes.  When that was announced people clapped and yelled "who voted for them?"  Obama got 432 votes.  More cheering, very loud.  The announcer couldn't go on for awhile.  Other contestants had 5 votes split.  Again, questions from the crowd of "who voted for them?"  Time for more Jeopardy.

CNN keeps showing a weather map and I can't figure out if the temperatures are in C or F.  20 C seems far too hot for WI in November, but 30F seems too cold for FL!