Making history

It was a remarkable day and night yesterday, no matter your politics.

Half of Americans would be disappointed, or so they said, but I hope the half not happy could appreciate the history of the remarkable day.

Voters turned out in unprecedented numbers here and elsewhere, they gave Barack Obama a clear majority and great momentum for change, and they celebrated across the country in a way not seen for a political winner.

It was amazing, and so were the speeches of both John McCain and Obama in their attempts to bury the bitterness and move ahead together.

The world was watching and applauding, and it's a new dawn in the best of ways.

Few see the bitterness and personal attacks that we see in e-mail correspondence, angry voice mails and letters to the editor. It was evident throughout this campaign, and apparently it was evident on election night in Centre County as one of our letter writers who didn't get his way was handing out literature saying we practice "censorship" here.

His claim: That we edited his letter to conform with style that we and other newspapers follow. We shouldn't edit letters, in his view.

I wrote about letters to the editor in October and explained the firm election deadline as well as why we edit letters for style and grammar and check for facts. That part of the column applied to a few of our most aggressive letter writers, including yesterday's protester.

I doubt he and others can join a movement for a better future. But I think many Americans can, and they signaled it with their strong support for Obama yesterday.

Congratulate yourself, all who voted. You helped make history.