Standing at a moment in history and being aware of the fact.
In this age of telecommunications we have an ability only dreamt of 100 years ago: we are privy to details of events going on literally all over the globe in the span of a day, sometimes even in a matter of hours or minutes. Unlike many of our ancestors we possess this wonderous gift of being able to stand in recognition of the fact that what we are seeing is history in the making. While most history pops up on us without warning and is easily missed, today’s events have been heralded for weeks and we can be witness to them from wherever we are.
Following the procedure detailed in the Constitution, we will inaugurate our new President today. Barak Obama will be sworn in at noon at the Capitol. His supporters need no encouragement to view the day with pride but even those of us who opposed his election should not allow the disappointment we felt in November to blind us to the magnitude of what is happening today. First, as with every President before, we are witnessing the democratic process of the peaceful transition of power from one administration to another. Even more amazing, as the history of such things go, is that this transition is from one party – one philosphy – to their opposite number and it’s happening without war, death, or riot.
Second, this is the first black man to ever step into the highest office of our land. Regardless of whether that matter was an issue for your consideration during the campaign or not it is most certainly historic. A barrier has been breeched and our country will never be the same as a result. Skin color should never be a determining factor in whether “you can make it” and, now, it’s clearly not a factor where the White House is concerned. Whatever congratulations flow today, some of that should go to us all as a nation for that.
There is time enough to stand in opposition of the policies and actions Barak Obama will champion. (Depending on how he spends his day, that time might come before sundown.) But for now, I offer my congratulations to President Obama even if I’m a few hours early. Good luck in your term, sir.
