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Whatever comes out of this summer's Democratic Convention, whatever happens on 4th November 2008, voters in the U.S. will make history. A curious history, but history nonetheless. Voters will either elect a black man or a woman to be the first black or first woman to be President of the U.S.

For the mighty U.S.A, this will be a bold step into the future. For the rest of us in the free world, and especially for us lot in Bermuda, the mighty U.S. will follow us and will go down a path that we've already trod.

More than forty years ago, in 1966, India had Indira Gandhi. In 1979, the U.K. caught up with India and produced Maggie Thatcher. In the 1980's Pakistan had Benazir Bhutto. Jamaica got Portia Simpson-Miller in 2006, and Germany currently has Angela Merkel. On the African continent, Liberia recently elected Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson as their president. Here at 32N64W, we've had UBP rear-guard Dame Pamela and PLP trailblazer Dame Jennifer. Us lot have also had far more black Premiers than white. For many people, it's even getting hard to remember who Bermuda's last white Premier was.

So midget Bermuda has already walked down both of the roads that mighty U.S. has yet to start upon. Nine months from now, on Tuesday 4th November, it looks like the USA will choose one - only one - of those two road journeys. Even as excitement in the U.S. builds - and I do find it exciting - I freshly recognize some of the many differences between our two countries. Differences that are so clear, that exist now, and that will remain far into the future.

I recognize that Barack Obama still has to overcome a wide and deep gorge of anti-black sentiment of the kind that enabled over 5,000 lynchings of blacks, and that led to the Jena Six protests and marches of July 2007. I recognize that Hillary Clinton has to overcome a still strong anti-female bias that is fading, but that still has not yet faded to the point where an American woman can take on any task without her gender becoming an issue.

Curiously, the newer countries of the so-called new worlds of North and South America have been slowest at making the kinds of change that us lot at 32N64W and that lot in old Europe, have made so quickly.  Just north of the U.S. border, perhaps pointing the way forward, in 2005, Canada took on a black woman - Michaelle Jean - as Canada's Governor-General. But Mme Jean was the third woman in that post. Argentina currently has a woman President - their second. The Caribbean Island states of Dominica, Barbados, St Lucia, have all had women as either Heads of State or as Prime Ministers.

In looking at this great American adventure, us lot who are watching them are seeing 225,000,000 American voters contemplate doing something that we have almost forgotten about and that we now take for granted.

Barack Obama's "Yes, We Can" speech in New Hampshire was an inspiring and uplifting campaign moment. It reminded me of the high moment that came when Dr. King spoke of his dream, and newly elected President J F Kennedy's call to "...ask not what you country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."  So far, Hillary Clinton has not produced a similar moment; but that doesn't mean that her moment can't or won't come.

Overall, us lot, perched out here in our 'business park' at 32N64W are privileged spectators. We are able to watch, and watch comfortably, as the giant next door rumbles and stumbles around and, through CNN and ABC and all the other media thinks out loud as he contemplates down which path he will walk.

Perhaps us lot should assure or reassure our giant friend. Perhaps us lot should tell our giant friend that either path is completely safe. Perhaps Premier Brown, on our behalf, should pen a letter to all 225,000,000 American voters and tell them that a vote for either Hillary or Obama will be a good vote. On our behalf, he should bid them welcome to this twenty-first century, and tell them that we're happy that they're catching up with the rest of us. n

Editor's note: In a January 25 commentary by Larry Burchall, an editing error occurred in a sub-headline about the number of boys graduating from high school. The correct figure was 30 per cent, as stated in the text of the column, not 53 per cent as it appeared in the sub-headline.[[In-content Ad]]

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