Barack and a Hard Place

Inauguration Day 

Today was a momentous day, no doubt. No one can argue the achievement of being elected President of the United States of America by a poor black kid from a broken family with a name like Barack Hussein Obama. If ever there were an underdog with cards stacked against him, this is he. Add to that his youth and reputed inexperience and you must give credit to the man, the candidate and the entire campaign. If you stop to consider, not just his victory, but the staggering number of voters who turned out on election day, most notably the younger voters, who so often are not only uninformed but unconcerned, you should feel proud, regardless of your party affiliations or politics. 

Again today, an unbelievable number of Americans braved frigid temperatures to get a glimpse, to be a part of history. It was awe-inspiring. I wish I could have been there. Never before have I given a thought to watching, much less in person, an inauguration ceremony. 

The Real Job

Now the real work begins. Nothing that has been accomplished thus far has been easy. If anyone thinks, however, that the hard part is over, that the rest is downhill, that person has not been living above ground in the US for the last year or two. Mr Obama, himself, spoke of the challenges we face as a nation. We must approach the problems at hand together and with the same resolve and the same war cry that brought us to this point - "Yes, we can". We must build on this renewed vigor and remain united in the cause. Just as our Military needs our support to face their daily challenges, so our Commander-in-Chief will need to feel that support.

The Hard Place

It is inevitable that a person in a position of power, such as the President of the United States, will at some point make a mis-step, will mis-speak or will make a bad decision. Everyone does at some point, but few have to see it replayed in the news and on the late-night comedy shows. We should treat it just as we would if it were our friend. Laugh and point for a few minutes, then move on. Like every President before him, he is just a man, human and flawed. 

It is not only we who should remember this day, this campaign and this long, hard road that began with a dream. We, the people, are counting on President Obama to remember. With so much on a President's To Do List, it would be easy to forget, not just who you are and from where you came but who came before and from where. 

The newly sworn-in President mentioned his father in his speech, saying less than 60 years ago, his father "might not have been served at a local restaurant". He spoke these words standing across the Mall from the spot where, a little over 45 years ago, Dr King spoke those now oh-so-famous words about his dream. 

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

...And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And so I say to you today, Dr King, President Obama and my fellow Americans - Yes We Can!