I was, and still am, very disheartened by the presidential election outcome. To me the winner represents all that I’ve fought against from my early teens to now, my advanced years. I read an article by John Railey, called “The Time has come” which has, however, lifted and encouraged my spirits. He starts the article with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag — our flag.

Prior to reading that article, for me, I’ve lived and endured the “Civil Rights era” and have physical and emotional scars from that fight. I’ve lived through and survived the Vietnam War and bear the physical wounds of that fight. I’ve lived through the long gas lines of the early ‘70s, the high double-digit housing interest rates of the ‘80s, the sky-rocketing social/moral decline of the ‘90s, and the decades-long Iraqi/Afghanistan war brought about from 9/11 terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda on our country. Seems that ever since the turn of the century, we’ve been at war — that’s 16 years.

I’ve lived and have fought for my country over 30-plus years trying to make it better for myself, my kids and my grandkids — and whomsoever comes after them. I have coached T-ball, youth baseball, youth basketball, youth football and youth track and field. I was a Girl Scout (Brownies) co-leader for 15 years.  I’ve been a director of a Christian Academy with grades ranging from K2 through sixth grade and a staff of over 25 people. I’ve helped to organize and manage a Bible college issuing graduate and post-graduate level degrees (AA. BA, M. Div).

Through it all I’ve endured subliminal, often hidden, but far too frequent blatant racism. With the election of President Barack Obama, I believed that this country had indeed moved forward in its race relationship between blacks and whites. And for eight years under President Obama’s leadership, I still felt that times would get better for black folks notwithstanding the lack of political cooperation from the Republicans and blue-dog Democrats. Regardless of this fact (an unwillingness to cooperate for the overall good of the country), I truly believed that we had honestly turned the page heading for a brighter tomorrow.

That’s why I was so optimistic over this presidential campaign regardless of the overall negative assertions being launched on both sides. I just could not bring myself to believe that the country was in fact still harboring such a destructive level of bigotry. I was wrong and that’s why I was so dishearten, disappointed and dejected. To me, the country selected a leader that was the very opposite of 400 years of African-American’s struggling for inclusion.

Railey said that “. . . this presidential election will likely be remembered as a watershed point in our American history, for better or worse.” From a white man’s point-of-view, I completely agree with him.  My watershed point in our American history was the election of President Obama and I’m sure he will completely agree with me. Railey’s article is based on faith in the American people and hope that we will showcase our best side to ourselves and the world demonstrating to ourselves and the world that “we all love this grand land of ours.”

So, let’s follow Railey’s example and wave and salute our standards bearer, Old Glory — our flag!

DR. WILLIAM A. SCOTT is retired from the National Security Agency of the Department of Defense (DoD). Since­ his retirement, he has served as a biblical instructor with the Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary and as executive director and academic dean of Triangle Bible Institute in Triangle, Virginia. Since his relocation, he has joined the pastoral staff of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, in Boykins, Virginia.