Jan 20 2009
Happy Inauguration Day!
Well, inaugural day is finally here! How is everyone feeling? I’m mixed. Of course, it’s a historic moment, with the first man of color being sworn in as President of the United States. Of course, I am always so proud when I watch the way my country changes power ever 4 or 8 years, peacefully, organized, with barely a hiccup in our routine. I always feel tears welling up when I think of this, and our other many blessings at living in this wonderful country.
Nevertheless, I do have serious concerns and doubts about President-elect (still) Obama, as well as our Congress under its present “leadership”.
First, Obama seems to have hinted at two different directions. If he stays more centrist, it may become a good thing. If he goes farther left — as his Congress and his voters (some of them) have already been trying to push him, our country will be barely recognizable in another year or two. Literally.
Some of the farthest left in this country have been pushing hard already, before even allowing Obama to take office, for him to “pay them back” for their support. Senator Harry Reid has already made clear he “doesn’t work for President Obama, but with him”, which is true, but was said in a fairly disrespectful manner. Obama is facing many challenges and some of these petty ideals don’t compare to war in two countries, a worsening recession, and global terrorism, do they? Yet, these groups seem to feel their agenda trumps all that!
So, no matter which way President Obama (to be in a few short hours) leans, he has a very hard row to hoe, and I don’t envy him that position.
I hope and pray he will do well — not well with an extreme liberal agenda. No, I pray he will do well for the US as a whole. For our future, our children’s future, and their children’s future and on.
I’m not happy with the amount of money spent on the Inauguration. Especially coming from someone who campaigned for change, and individual sacrifice. Obama has been very extravagant with money, celebrations, speech prep, etc, all along. It has never sat well with me. I notice that the same people who felt George Bush should not have any kind of inaugural celebration because of the war, now are silent as Obama prepares the biggest, most costly celebration in our history. Oh well.
My feeling is always the same. Couldn’t we do the same with much less, and use the savings to help people? Especially since that has been Obama’s mantra, worry for the poor and lower middle class. Yet, when he’s had it within his power to help them himself, he never has — at least not that I could find out.
I understand the massive feeling of celebration over this very historic moment. I mean, Obama’s coming to office is not even just a beacon of hope for Black Americans, but for all Americans — from his background to the highest office in the land, and in short time. It shows us all that anything really is possible in this great country. It should be a starting point for us to go back to our roots of being fiercely independent, self sufficient, and hard working. We were a nation who had pulled ourselves up by our boot straps, and we’re fast becoming a nation of dependent, self absorbed whiners, who want it all handed to us. That is NOT Barrack Obama’s legacy, so far. He has been disciplined and hard working all his life, and that is what got him where he is today. And it’s possible for all of us! No, we can’t all be President, but we can all work hard, and study, and make something of ourselves. Most of all, we can be proud of ourselves, our country, our history. Even the dark history we inherited of slavery and racial apartheid has a sort of silver lining: who would ever guess that any country could go from racially based slavery to President of the country in just around 150 years?! It shows the strength of Americans, and the strength of our values. We went from slavery to Martin Luther King in approximately 100 yrs. Then what, 40 years later, we have an African American President.
But people tend to focus on the bad. They don’t notice or respect all that we have gone thru to get to this point, and in a historically short period of time.
Instead, too many people dwell on the past, and relive it to the point of practically erasing the present.
God bless President Obama, protect him and guide him. God bless America.
