Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Happy Inauguration Day!

This is the first year anyone has said "Happy Inauguration Day" to me. Several people have emailed me, called me, asked me if I was watching the events. This is remarkable. So many people are filled with a sense of Hope and Joy at the possibility of better days ahead.
An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's rule. The word comes from consecration, installment under good omens," from inaugurare "take omens from the flight of birds, consecrate or install when such omens are favorable."
Several Presidents have been inaugurated in my lifetime. The first I remember was John F. Kennedy. We had studied each candidate's backgrounds and issues they supported in 6th grade and my sister and I saw candidate Kennedy when he visited our state capital. He even sent me an autographed picture of himself. I was thrilled. But inauguration day, even for JFK, was not as anticipated or celebrated as was President Obama's. In fact, I don't remember the events for Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, or Bush I. I do remember Clinton's and do not remember Bush II's.
So far, today's events have been remarkable. It is estimated over 2 million people are in Washington observing/attending today's events. In addition to the millions watching the events in D.C., many millions are gathered in other locations across the country and the world, including New York's Times Square, Dallas, and movie theatres across the nation and the world to watch the address on jumbo screens. In fact, there is a massive flurry of activity across the blogosphere!
Today's Events include:
Invocation: Rick Warren: Calling America a "land of unequaled possibility," Warren's prayer invoked the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. and asked that Americans "remember they are united by a commitment to freedom and justice for all." and "When we fail to give the respect to all humans that they deserve, forgive us."
Song: Aretha Franklin: "America the Beautiful."
Musical Quartet: Isaac Perlman, Jo-Jo Ma, Gabriela Montero, Anthony McGill: Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones (I remembered this song from my church Choir - Very Beautiful)
President Obama's Inauguration Speech: (excerpts; read entire speech here)
On the steps of the nation's Capitol, just a short distance from where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, using the same bible Abraham Lincoln did for his inauguration. He spoke of challenges looming over the country — the economy, the current wars — while also invoking the legacy of King.
"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights...On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord..reaffirm our enduring spirit; ..to carry forward that precious gift, the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
Economy:..and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
World Peace: to all other peoples and governments who are watching today..know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more...We can meet .. new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect," Obama said. "To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."
HUMANITY: To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
AMERICA, OUR PLEDGE: ..we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains...For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate..
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance (as Patriots said) "Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Let's all wish President Obama and each of ourselves a Happy Inauguration Day, a Better day tomorrow and over the next 8 years. God Bless America!!


Inaugural Poem - by Elizabeth Alexander
Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names
of the dead
who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the
bridges, picked the
cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the
glittering edifices they would
then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise
song for struggle; praise song for
the day. Praise song for every
hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at
kitchen tables.
Some live by
"Love thy neighbor as thy self."
Others by
first do no harm, or take no
more than you need.
What if the mightiest word
is love, love beyond
marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool
of light. Love
with no need to preempt grievance.
In today's sharp sparkle,
this winter
air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on
the brim,
on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light.
Late Breaking News: During today's inaugural lunch, Senator Kennedy (76) and Senator Byrd (91) have both suffered some types of attacks at lunch (due to age and illnesses) and have been transported to Hospitals.

33 comments:

Dee said...

Our Great President's MOST PROFOUND Message from his inaugural speech:

"To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

Dee said...

Here it is:

"NOR CAN WE CONSUME THE WORLD'S RESOURCES WITHOUT REGARD TO EFFECT!"

This is EXACTLY what the PRO's have been saying from the Beginning!!

Defensores de Democracia said...

Dee :

Here are my Inaugural Light, Frivolous and Happy Prophecies :

The Fashion Magazines, People, and all the Magazines of Celebrities and Trivia are going to love this Family in the White House.

This is going to be like Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy ( Before Onassis ) and her sister the Princess Lee Radzwill. Only better and more colorful. Fashion was more serious in the early 1960s.

This is going to elevate the spirit of many Black and Brown Children around the World.

Sasha and Malia are going to be First Girls and have a First Dog.

Obama will be a Great President. The Historical Stage is set for a Great Presidency.

There are going to be many and grave difficulties but I do not want to mar such a beautiful day with prophecies that are not so sunny, cheerful, bright and warm.

But I continue watching the Future :

Prophesizing.com

Vicente Duque

Dee said...

Vicente,
I agree.
This will be a remarkable Presidency and we bloggers will be watching and reporting on it every step of the way!

Indigenous Xicano said...

Dee,

Happy Inauguration Day. What a great feeling. There is hope in the White House. There is hope for all Americans.

Dave said...

Thanks, Dee. Happy Inauguration Day!!!!

Anonymous said...

Right, every single white president was nothing but a loser, right? We had no hope until a half black/half white president took office. Are you one that thinks "for the first time in your life you are proud to be an American"?

ultima said...

"This is the price and the promise of citizenship."

"My fellow citizens."


"...the rule of law"

ultima said...

Dee wrote, ""NOR CAN WE CONSUME THE WORLD'S RESOURCES WITHOUT REGARD TO EFFECT!"

This is EXACTLY what the PRO's have been saying from the Beginning!!"

I don't believe it. Instead of reducing our consumption of the world's resources the anti-America folks would have us double our population, declare amnesty for all illegal aliens and in so doing create an incentive for even more. Guess what that will do to our total consumption of world resources?

Dee said...

Anon,
No one said anything about color or negativity except you.
We have had many great presidents. I often talk about JFK. I also loved Clinton. (and his wife)
Plus many more.

It is just that we have had a very rough 8 years under your ex prez and I think everyone has hope for a better next 8.

Anonymous said...
Right, every single white president was nothing but a loser, right?

Dee said...

Ultima,
Here is what you are missing.

Oil aside. From an immigration perspective, the reason Business has brought in the high rate of workers into our country (legal or illegal) is due to our consumption without regard to the impact on other countries.

We borrow. We have used global natural resources, all with little or no regard to the cost, consequences or impact on other countries or upon our future generations. Why do you think we are where we are?

As he said, we cannot consume the world's resources without regard to effect. Nor can we walk away from the devastation we have created without resolution. We cannot walk away from the $4T we owe China any more than we can walk away from the 12M we brought here to help build our nation.

We should reform our Immigration policies, including any worker policies, acknowledging what we consumed and the effect on the world. Bring the 12M out of the shadows into some legal status and allow them to apply for citizenship. We need to examine what we did, our responsibility, and not continue to blame a group of people that came here because they were asked to work and help build our nation.

ultima said...
Dee wrote, ""NOR CAN WE CONSUME THE WORLD'S RESOURCES WITHOUT REGARD TO EFFECT!"

This is EXACTLY what the PRO's have been saying from the Beginning!!"

I don't believe it.

Anonymous said...

"My ex-president? You sure like to assume, don't you? Bush was not "my" ex-president. I didn't even vote for him. How do you even know if I am a Rep or a Dem? Do you read minds?

Anonymous said...

No, American citizens should not have to pay for the mistakes of our government!!! We don't have a voice on a lot of issues. Let them clean up the mess THEY made but not by making we citizens pay for their mistakes by imposing people on us that have no right to be here. Nor should they have the right to stay.

ultima said...

Barbara Jordan, Immigration Heroine

Barbara Jordan graduated magna cum laude from Texas Southern University in 1956 and from Boston University Law School in 1959. She passed the bar exams in Massachusetts and Texas before returning to Houston to open a law practice, only the third African-American woman to be licensed in Texas.

Jordan campaigned for the Texas House of Representatives in 1962 and 1964. Her persistence won her a seat in the Texas Senate in 1966, becoming the first African American state senator since 1883 and the first black woman to serve in that body. Re-elected to a full term in the Texas Senate in 1968, she served until 1972. She was the first African-American female to serve as president pro tem of the state senate and served for one day as acting governor of Texas in 1972.

In 1972, she was elected to the United States House of Representatives, becoming the first black woman from a Southern state to serve in the House. She received extensive support from former President Lyndon Johnson, who helped her secure a position on the House Judiciary Committee. In 1974, she made an influential, televised speech before the House Judiciary Committee supporting the impeachment of President Richard Nixon.

Jordan was mentioned as a possible running mate to Jimmy Carter in 1976,and that year she became the first African-American woman to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Her speech in New York that summer was ranked 5th in "Top 100 American Speeches of the 20th century" list and was considered by many historians to have been the best convention keynote speech in modern history until the 2004 keynote by Barack Obama.

Jordan retired from politics in 1979 and became an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She again was a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 1992.

In 1995, Jordan chaired a Congressional commission that advocated increased restriction of immigration and increased penalties on employers that violated U.S. immigration regulations. President Clinton endorsed the Jordan Commission's proposals but failed to implement them and proceeded to undermine English as our national and official language by issuing Executive Order 12166 which required ballots, services and other materials to be provided in many languages at substantial cost and in contradiction to the expectation that no one would be granted citizenship without an understanding of the English language. That will be another part of his negative legacy.

ultima said...

Dee wrote, "...we can [not] walk away from the 12M we brought here to help build our nation."

It is a real stretch to say we "brought" them here. If that were the case, we wouldn't need the border patrol because they all would have entered only because we invited them,provided them with transportation and legal work status.

We should not be indifferent to the problems we caused outside our borders. As Obama suggested, let's work beside Mexico's government by sending back most of its productive workers who are in this country illegally to help build a better economy in their homeland. We can help them to make their farms flourish, to clean up their pollution and trashy landscapes, curb their high fertility rate, and once again enable them to produce foodstuffs for themselves and that will be competitive with our own produce. We can do that by modifying NAFTA to assure we do not negatively impact our neighbors to the south and the ability of their people to make a living. They in turn must see too it that they do not negatively impact our country by dumping their poor and restless masses in our backyard. Just think of how much good Mexicans who have experienced the good life and some education in America could do in their own countries by insisting on better from their government and helping to achieve it.

Working alongside foreign countries should be a two way street, as they work alongside us to curb illegal entry and drug trafficking. Sounds like a fair trade to me.

ultima said...

Dee wrote, "We should reform our Immigration policies, including any worker policies, acknowledging what we consumed and the effect on the world. Bring the 12M out of the shadows into some legal status and allow them to apply for citizenship. We need to examine what we did, our responsibility, and not continue to blame a group of people that came here because they were asked to work and help build our nation."

More important than reform is the actual enforcement of existing laws. It is the absence of that enforcement that got us into the illegal alien mess.

As far as consumption and debt is concerned, they both are arm's length transactions in the finest traditions of the commercial code. No one is forced to sell to us or buy our debt. China buy our debt because it enables us to buy all of its products. Countries with natural resources for sale look for a buyer and find one in the U.S. It helps their economy and provides the goods we all value and buy.

Send the 12 million back to their homelands and help them to improve their economies and job availability by reforming NAFTA and any other onerous economic practices. Pay down the national debt as soon as we are able and stop living beyond our means. Balance the budget as soon as we can and require it to be so except in a national emergency recognized as such by the congress. Stop spending federal dollars on anything that is not needed to get us out of this recession. [
There may be few of those opportunities because the basic premise in recovering form a recession is maintaining or increasing the purchasing power of people to enable them to buy the things that will put others back to work. Illegal aliens right now are doing many jobs citizens need to survive. Reform, fundamentally, means we must recognize that simple fact.

Few if any of the illegal aliens, if you asked them at the border if anyone had asked them to come here, the honest answer would have to be "no". They came here on their own illegally and managed to find work by accepting substandard wages and foisting their medical cost on the unsuspecting public in emergency rooms as they solidified their position with anchor babies.

ultima said...

If I recall correctly, Obama said something about the Muslims along the lines of "you will be judged not by what you destroy but by what you build." I think it goes way beyond that if the clerics say it is okay to marry a ten year old, cut off the hand of a thief, stone a woman who looks at another man, etc. and whatever else in in the Sharia. Sure we want the violence to stop but is that all? Don't we want something more in the human rights arena? He let the Muslims off far too easy and gave them a far too prominent place in his speech.

Dee said...

Ultima,
My preference is to go back to what Obama actually said.
"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect"

AND

"we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

ultima said...

"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect"

That's all well and good but as I say there were some significant omissions relating to the human rights of all the people living in Islamic countries but especially the women and young girls who have no control over their fate. Don't you think that could have been added to the quote above or is he only interested in appeasing the Muslims regardless of some of their abhorrent practices.

ultima said...

I also thought the poet missed the boat. It seems to me she could have given some credit not just to those who work with their hands but the doctors who keep us well, the scientists who discover things to make our lives better, and the engineers who design the structures that could not be built without their knowledge and expertise, and, of course, the entrepreneurs and risk-takers who are willing to risk everything to accomplish something greater than themselves. I feel affronted for all those whose contributions were ignored.

pcorn54 said...

If you look at the crowd estimated at more than 2 million, and multiply that by 100 (representing Americans of a like mind) we are indeed looking at a new dawning.

Already, Obama is showing the direction he will govern with his salary freezes, restrictive lobbying rules.

And the anti's are skeered! Very scared! You can see it in their rants around the web!

Defensores de Democracia said...

Dear Dee and Dear Friends :

I have excellent news for the Obamists of the World :

I have been manipulating and reorganizing the Statitistics of the Elections and I found the needle in the haystack, the gold in the dirt of this river of numbers and emotions.

I rank the states for Early Voter Proportion that is a Ranking of Early Birds, and surprise !!!

The Early Voting will increase in the whole USA and the Early Birds are Democrats or are "Republicans" in danger of losing their Virginity !

Why ??? .... Because those states have lots of Minorities. Or are becoming "metro" that is educated, modernized, Most Cultured.

Do not open Pandora Boxes, Mr Obama !. And we have Democrats for a long long Time.

More Info and Data on Elections and the Ranking of Early Voting States here :

Milenials.com

Prophesizing.com

Vicente Duque

Dee said...

Vicente,
I agree the early voters did make a difference.
I like early voting.
If any issues occur, you can clear them up early and ensure your vote is counted.
Locations that previously had intimidators at the polls, it does not work for early voting. You can vote any time, day, night and the lines are shorter.

Dee said...

PCorn,
You are right. Many of the ANTI sites are just ranting and ranting about Obama.
Limbaugh is stirring them up! I am about to write a blog about this.

Dee said...

PCorn,
You are right. Many of the ANTI sites are just ranting and ranting about Obama.
Limbaugh is stirring them up! I am about to write a blog about this.

Dee said...

Ultima,
I like her poem. I think she spoke of many people who suffered sweat and tears in building our great nation, many of whom have not been recognized before
We should all take this time to wish our new President well and think of ways we can all support him.

Anonymous said...

Dee,

I like her poem, too...it reminds me a little of Walt Whitman's poetry in the way it exalts the ordinary man and woman.

I was so excited by the events of the last couple of days that I didn't have time to blog about it. But I want to extend all the love and support I can to President Obama...he will need it. I was just thinking how many of us have invested our hopes and dreams in this man for real change...and how difficult it may be for him to live up to the burden of all these expectations. So, we all have to work for change - this means, each of us doing our part to help in the nation's recovery. At times, this may mean that we will also have to engage in a little creative protest, especially when his policies are misguided (sadly inevitable). However, this does not negate our deep love for the man nor for this beautiful country. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr said...

“We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for the victims of our nation and for those it calls ‘enemy,’ for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers.”
...
"So it is that those of us who are yet determined that 'America will be' are led down the path of protest and dissent, working for the health of our land." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

All caveats aside, I trust that he can and will be a great president. I am looking forward to see what we can accomplish in the next few year under the Obama administration. We can turn our dreams into reality...and yes, I'm thinking comprehensive immigration reform. Yes, he did...and yes, we can! Si, se puede!!!

Analisa

Defensores de Democracia said...

Dear Friends :

I continue being elated and happy with the new Administration.

Obama closed Guantanamo in day 2 .... This was a prison of torture like in the days of the Inquisition. Evidence obtained by torture like in the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages and the Flying Witches, the Incubus and Sucubus under the skin of witches, and the parties with the devil in the woods. I hope that Black Cats are not prosecuted.

Great Artist Fernando Botero has been in the best Museums of Europe with his exposition "Abu Ghraib". If you like plastic arts, then you can see all about these prisons and the goring art in RACIALITY.COM

Guantanamo Base and Fox News

Last Night I watched Fox News and I saw our common friends
Bill O'Reilly and Laura Ingraham showing their Great Culture, Great Civilization and Great Humanity, and above all their Supreme Intelligence.

And this pair explained how Torture was Necessary and that it was the best method to keep America Safe. And that it was good because it worked and had been the best method to obtain information.

And how "expediency" was the best policy always and should be the guide for foreign policy.

So they are very angry at the closing of Guantanamo Base.

Raciality.com

Mr Obama is following the Machiavellian advice of acting and doing things, not being idle, but being a man of action and energy. I have Niccolo Machiavelli, Siddharta Buddha, and others giving political advice to Mr Obama in my site :

Prophesizing.com


Vicente Duque

Dee said...

Analisa,
It was so nice to hear from you again.
I agree.
We do share so much hope in our future as we support our great President!

And I know there will be times we will disagree with changes he enacts. So it becomes our responsibility to positively disagree while still supporting him. Challenging but a must.

Analisa said....
At times, this may mean that we will also have to engage in a little creative protest, especially when his policies are misguided (sadly inevitable). However, this does not negate our deep love for the man nor for this beautiful country.

Dee said...

Vicente,
2 days. Amazing!
This in spite of what the zealots like Limbaugh say!
It took bravery for Obama to take this stand, but he had the courage to make it in the face of adversity.

Anonymous said...

Wrong! I know many Democrats who are ANTI illegal immigration and they voted for Obama. The stereotyping in here is unbelievable. So all Republicans and ANTI'S are swayed by Limbaugh and such individuals? They haven't studied the issue themselves to form their own opinions? Could we say the same for the PRO side that they listen to Geraldo, Janet Murgia and such individuals to form their own opinions? None of us on either side of this issue are kool-aid drinking zombies. We have all formed our opinions based on our own beliefs and emotions.

Dee said...

Anon,
I was just on the NYPost forums bantering with the rightwingnut Limpy supporters. They say you are wrong. They all love Limpy and all he stands for!

Anonymous said...

That doesn't mean that they were swayed by him. It just means that he mirrors some of their own views. There is no one so powereful or compelling in this country that can sway others who have had the intelligence to form their own opinions and views. Were you swayed by Geraldo? Probably not, it is just that he mirrors your views therefore you champion him and like him. You are trying to argue from the point of view that we are all kool-aid drinkers who lack the ability to think for ourselves and that just isn't true. You lose again.

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