Happy MLK Day!
Despite whatever many of you may feel about the significance of this holiday, we can all stand in agreement that Martin Luther King, Jr. had a substantial and profound impact upon the Civil Rights Movement in American history. He led the charge in bringing blacks their rights as American citizens, rights given to them by God and denied to them by the government. I believe that it is safe to say that black Americans now have all of the same rights as white Americans. This can be evidenced by the current tenant of the White House, Barack Obama, America's first black president.
Speaking of Mr. Obama, his public inauguration was today. I watched it on C-SPAN, and I must say, I was impressed with most of it. I'll start off by saying what I enjoyed.
1. I loved the music. I found myself belting out the lyrics of all of the patriotic songs sung at the 2013 Inauguration. "Battle Hymn of the Republic" made me go ballistic. And Beyonce did an awesome job, as well. Poor Kelly Clarkson was shown up :(
2. I'm sorry, but seeing Bill and Hillary Clinton walk in together just made me chuckle. Whether they love each other or not isn't the reason. Seeing them hold hands and wave to the crowds is the perfect example of politicking at its finest. Good ol' Bill.
3. Most of Obama's speech was magnificent and nostalgic. Highlights include his acknowledgement of us as an American people unified together, his acknowledgement of a fair and free market, his talk about America as the "anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe," and the end, "May He forever bless these United States of America."
Ok, so there were also a few things I didn't like about the inauguration.
1. The booing of Paul Ryan when he showed up at the Capitol. Seriously, HOW DISRESPECTFUL. I don't care if you voted for him or not, you DO NOT boo the man when he comes to show his respect for the President of the United States. He was not booing when Obama gave his speech. And you couldn't hear any conservatives in the crowd booing, either.
2. The incessant chanting of "Obama, Obama, Obama." Seriously, this freaked me out a little bit. It sounded like something you'd hear in a Lovecraftian ritual sacrifice. Obama is neither Cthulhu nor a Great Old One. He is a man, just like any of us. He is not a god, despite what some people may claim. I have the upmost respect for the office of President of the United States. That is why you will not ever hear me chanting their name when they begin their speech. I respect them enough to let them talk. Plus, it's just plain creepy.
3. Elements of Obama's speech. I loved when Obama said that government is not the answer to all of society's ills. However, this is in direct contradiction to most of his policies over the past 4 years. I hope he truly believes this now. His part about "reducing the cost of health care and the deficit" was a little sketchy. After all, he has increased both of these things over his first term substantially. Let's hope this changes, as well. Also, I have no idea why he included the bit about climate change in his speech. Finally, his bit about "gay rights" was a little strange. Gay citizens ARE treated under the law the exact same as straight citizens. Marriage is NOT a right and the "gay rights movement" is not a movement about equal rights, but redefinition. It wants a redefinition of marriage. I believe that gay people love each other just as much as straight people. However, I do not believe that it is the government's job to define marriage.
Overall, I enjoyed Obama's speech. He's a great talker and I found myself hanging onto most of his words. Let's hope his speech was honest and he is going to try to fix the deficit, reduce the cost of health care, and help make America the greatest country again.
I'm not one of those crazy conservatives who is hoping Obama will fail, and fail miserably. I see all of these posts on Facebook condemning him on this day. I just sigh and shake my head. Here's my message to you, Mr. President:
This was your day. You made it through a difficult election and you've now 4 more years in the White House. Congratulations! I didn't vote for you, but I can't change anything. I want you to succeed. But listen to this. After tonight's parties are through, you'll still have all of these problems in your lap. You know what the American people want. It is your duty to bring us back to our former glory. I'm rooting for you and I truly truly hope you do well. As you said in your speech, today's efforts are for our posterity. I hope you mean that. I don't want my kids paying off America's debt. Good luck!
-Christian