CHANGE

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent." - Martin Luther King, Jr.


It has been said that all politics is local. As such, not all cyclists were happy with the results from last evening's US Presidential Election. It’s probably safe to say, however, that a great majority of us were.

Admittedly, I haven't always been in that majority of which I speak. I have associated myself with the all too common societal group of "moderates who lean to the right" for the better part of my voting life.

But since the announcement of his entry into presidential politics, the man and the message that is Barack Obama appealed to those liberal, and dare I say, more honorable fibers of my experiential fabric. And as we saw last night, the same can be said for most Americans.

His demeanor, intelligence, and steadiness are all qualities that I espouse. His minority status serves to elevate all of us of color. His message of change, a call to arms to be "our brother's keeper,” and to be inclusive and not exclusive resounds and demands all to reach for something better and brighter, both within and in our fellow citizens.

YES WE CAN.

The man and the message enticed me to attend my first ever political rally, on the lawn of the statehouse in Columbus, Ohio this past weekend, and to vote for change yesterday. But not for the change that might seem so readily apparent.


The change I voted for yesterday was less of a referendum on the failures of the past eight years, than on the failures of past generations. As New York Times columnist, David Brooks, recently commented, “Despite decades of [private] affluence, longstanding [public] issues of health care, education, energy and entitlement debt have not been adequately addressed.” Coupled with the numerous social and civil rights issues that Brooks fails to mention, our country’s agenda has continually confounded the most logical and pragmatic among us.

YES WE CAN.

Barack Obama holds within him the promise for a transformational change that Americans have yearned for, while we hold within us the unwavering and tireless spirit to bring that change about.

Unfortunately, the world of professional cycling is without such a transcendent figure; one that could bring the sport out from under a pervasive unethical “win-at-all-cost” culture. But, that may also be good thing. Instead, cycling has chosen to roll forward on unpredictable wheels rather than wait for the "wheels of inevitability" to carry us to a cleaner and more beautiful sport. And in that, we can all be proud.

YES, WE CAN!

NOTE: If you like the design above, a series of CHANGE t-shirts are now available in the CRANK Shop.

Photos: Leonard Basobas