You have no idea how long I have waited to use that header.
President Obama (it’s a bit surreal to write that) gave a good speech, although probably not a great one. It contained few, if any, lines that will echo into the future. And that’s okay. Obama has already proven his skill as an orator and the unspoken symbolism of the day was more powerful than anything he could have said. But the speech’s content left no doubt that a new governing philosophy is in ascendancy. I can’t imagine Bush bothering to recognize nonbelievers in any public address. This passage leaves little doubt that Obama has fundamental differences with the previous administration:
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our
Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a
charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter
expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the
world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.
But this nonbeliever thought the most graceful moments of the ceremony came during Reverend Joseph Lowery’s benediction. It struck an optimistic chord while also being somewhat melancholy, as if he was trying to make us appreciate the blood price of so many lives lost in the long struggle culminating in this moment. And it was corny, but in a sweet way that you only find in the words of charming old men who have witnessed much.
Bush is really gone, right? He doesn’t have some super-secret skeleton key that will let him sneak back into the Oval Office tonight and smear Vaseline on all the drawer handles? Because I wouldn’t put it past the guy.
maybe this is nit-picking. but it doesn’t feel like nit-picking, because this is very important:
I wish, just once, that a politician would say “founders” or “founding fathers and mothers,” and acknowledge the incredible sacrifice and mobilization that also occurred on the part of Revolutionary women and women’s groups.
just once. then, maybe after that once, people would say it another time.
*sigh.* sometimes I feel like we still have so far to go, even though we’ve clearly (as evidenced by today’s inauguration) come so far.
Allie,
Nice point. I was impressed that at least there was reference to “all” being created equal, as opposed to “all men” being created equal. Still the omission of exclusion is not as strong as actual inclusion.
What struck me most – because it seems so strange to me -, is the profound belief of some of these American people listening to the prayers and benedictions. How piously they bowed their heads!
The speech Obama gave, made almost every American happy, I guess. Its beauty and the talent of president B.O. would get great appreciation of Cicero, if the man rose from his grave.
I hope Obama’s message of everybody’s personal responsibility will have got through and will never be forgotten.
I certainly made up my mind to behave better in more than one way.