Touched by the Better Angels of Our Nature…

In the aftermath of the Presidential elections, those of us who supported Barack Obama are basking in the glow of victory. But my friends and relatives who supported John McCain ought to know that we are well aware of the challenges that lie ahead. There really is no time to gloat. And since both candidates took the high road on Election Night, why shouldn’t we?

In the interest of healing, then, there’s no better time than today to extend an olive branch across the aisle and roll up our shirtsleeves to start working on the future.

A nice little blog out in the sphere is attempting to do just that, with an ingenious idea that’s catching on. Zefrank.com has launched a visual way that readers can send photos in to express their hope that when the celebrations have died down, we can reach out to one another and embrace, at least through the Web. The site is called From 52 to 48 With Love, and you can submit your photos directly to Zefrank. Naturally, the photos sent in have to be vetted first, since Zefrank has noted that some submissions haven’t been nice. But check out just a few he has displayed on From 52 to 48:

My favorite, though, is the following photo, which quotes a wise man on the subject of unity. You may have heard of this guy:

In case you can’t read it, here’s what the sign says:

Dear 48:

To quote a great American: “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” — Abraham Lincoln.

We’re all in this together…

Love and respect, 52

This post, incidentally, is dedicated to my husband, the McCain supporter.

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Learn How to Elect a President

Common Craft has done it again, producing a simple and amusing how-to video, this time on how we elect U.S. presidents. Common Craft, an ingenious company started by Sachi and Lee Lefever of Seattle, Wash., produces videos (public and available on YouTube and other video sites, and enhanced versions for corporate use) about somewhat complex topics in a simple-to-understand way. Using narration, paper cut-outs and animation, Common Craft videos include “RSS in Plain English,” “Twitter in Plain English,” “Wikis in Plain English,” and more. They’re fun to watch and easy to digest, and I often use them in my Web 2.0 workshops.
Their latest entry is “Electing a U.S. President in Plain English,” a must for anyone still confused by our popular vote vs. electoral system of electing a President. I can tell you it helped me, and this might be the perfect teachable moment for anyone — adults, kids, first-time voters.

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