After placing the flag in its bracket on my front porch to honor Martin Luther King’s birthday, I started following the inauguration activities early this morning. CBS senior newscasters barraged us with inaugural esotery (i.e., it is 1.6 miles from the White house to that Capitol building, etc.), and presented excerpts from some of the more memorable speeches by FDR, Kennedy, Reagan, and Clinton.
After being sworn in, the president delivered a thoughtful speech that centered on the promise of America to its diverse citizenry and how personal responsibility and commitment to that promise will carry our country forward. He touched on many topics. Energy independence, the effects of climate change, foreign crises present and future, the principles of justice and tolerance, and the need to continue forging ahead to ensure that we all have a voice and stake in the future of this nation, were some of the issues addressed. Afterward, I felt very happy that I voted for him again. He’s a good man.
On a slightly sour note, except for those required by ceremony to be present, most current GOP officeholders and former president W were no-shows further underlining the dysfunctional climate in the capital city. Perhaps the days of the two-party system are numbered? Realignments within both parties suggest a nebula coalescing new sub-sets that will eventually become the parties of the future. To me, those new parties will be welcomed stars emerging from the dust.
