Will they still call it the White House?

Amidst the euphoria of many pro-Obama supporters, not only in the United States but globally as well, this white man has had cause to reflect on President-elect Barack Obama's ground-breaking victory in the US presidential election yesterday. Of course much has been made of Obama himself, a highly skilled and intelligent man who ran a relatively near-flawless campaign to grasp the highest seat of power in the US, if not the free world. And of course one cannot escape the issue of Barack Obama's racial background - he will be the 44th president of the United States of America and the first not a caucasian white male. Personally, I found it poignant to hear repeatedly throughout the media coverage yesterday the deep echoeing voice of Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr reminding us of his dream, a dream for an equal, truly united America between white and black and anyone else in-between. The significance of the people of America's choice to elect their first coloured president cannot be lost upon those of us in the world who can now be of lesser doubt that the US is a land of opportunity for all. As Barack Obama himself said yesterday "It's been a long time coming. But tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America." And that it has; America will never be the same.

Yet this white man wants simply to make one point. Whilst the racial significance of Barack Obama's victory should not be lost, let it be said that regardless of what colour the leader of a nation is, that alone cannot be the defining measure of who they are and how they will perform in their role. As the first Anglo-Australian ever ordained into the Vietnamese Evangelical Church of Australia I know that at the end of the day my skin colour counts for little when compared to who I am as a human being and how I do my job. And when they gather at my funeral some day I earnestly hope that the conversation about my legacy isn't focused on my ethnicity but rather on my good nature and integrity. So I will judge Barack Obama on how he tackles the mountainous task of re-building global respect for his nation and re-stabilising the economy. Whether he is black, white, red or yellow should not matter as long as he stands worthy of the high office before him and presides fairly and equally for all Americans.

Yet all that being said and at the risk of sounding contradictory, how long will it be before an indigenous Australian can ascend to the highest office in our great southern land? Hopefully in my lifetime! I have a dream too...