We have a new President. It is a strange concept after 8 years, isn't it? This time, it was not the President I voted for, but he's got my support and encouragement. Last night, during pre-bed prayer time, the Morettes, More, Jr. and I prayed for the President and his family--as well as President Bush and his family.
I just got done listening to the inauguration speech--couldn't see it on T.V. for work reasons--and I thought it was quite good. There were a couple of points that I think merit a future post, but generally I think it'll be well received. And, as always, the President's oratorical skills were quite impressive.
As I began looking at news coverage of the day, I saw this article by Jonah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times. In it, he examines what President Obama means not just to America, but to Conservatives. One of his primary points, which I am quite excited about, is that it marks a new day--hopefully an end--in racial politics. From today on, it will be much harder for people to truly believe America is not the greatest land of opportunity. As Goldberg notes, though European elites may love to scold America about its backward ways (racially speaking), none of them will have a head of state of African descent any time soon.
Domestically, it should give hope to a generation (and more) of black--or any color, really--children. They now know that they can reach the highest levels of anything in this country. That is a remarkable feat. Before, it was theoretically possible. Slavery and Jim Crow were gone. But practically it seemed to many just a distant dream. No more. Now, all fair-minded people will see that anything is possible. Yes, some will argue that it still more difficult for the black child to be President than the white child--it is pretty tough for any child, considering there's only been 44 in history. But that argument is on its way out, I believe, just as the discrimination that created that view, and the reverse discrimination that still fans the flames.
In the Invocation for today's ceremony, pastor Rick Warren noted that America is not a nation of the same race or ancestry. What makes Americans American, is a common view point. That view point is summed up in the Declaration of Independence: "All men are created equal."
May God bless America, and our new President,
Thomas More
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