The moment of truth has finally arrived! At 12PM eastern time on the steps of the capital building, Barack Obama will become the 44th President of The United States Of America. As an African-American I am filled with pride at this moment, I couldn’t even sleep in anticipation of this historic once-in-a-lifetime event. This is one of those defining moments in history that shows America as great country it is. Personally, I really thought there would be a woman President before there was an African-American President.
The old guard is rapidly fading into the background and America is evolving. People are starting to realize that judging a person’s character and capabilities by the the color of his or her skin is wrong. The vast economic problems we face today transcend race and the American people voted as such. People are looking for the person who will do the job and help relieve the enormous economic burden that has been placed on all of us. Barack Obama appealed to the masses and he was heard. Now his actions must follow his words. I didn’t vote for Obama because of his color. I voted for him because I thought he could deliver on most of his promises. I voted for him because America needs a change and I voted for him because he is brilliant!
Today, after all the pomp and circumstance is done the fact remains that President Obama has a difficult job to do. For ALL of our sakes he has to successful. Regardless of party affiliation we all face a crisis that has not been seen since our grandparents were youngsters. We have to rally around our leader and help him to do the best job that he can. I’m an ardent Obama supporter and I’m sure at some point I won’t agree with some of his decisions, but as long as he has a clear vision, a sound agenda, and competent plan he’ll have my support. He will have to make hard decisions that will call for sacrifices by all but it will be worthwhile if we can get America back on it’s feet.
Change has come to America and we must embrace it. I’m not just talking about a change in the color of our President I’m talking about a shift in philosophy that will be beneficial to all Americans. I’m talking about reasonable education costs, affordable health care for all, decent paying jobs, less dependency on foreign oil, less outsourcing of jobs, sensible foreign policy that does not position us as the world police etc. I have very realistic expectations. President Obama won’t be able to get all these things done. Invariably, he will encounter resistance because, in general, people are resistant to change. Change make us uncomfortable. Most of us welcome routine. But, at this juncture, America has to change because the world is changing. We must adapt, also, if we want to remain the preeminent super power.
Right now, as I type this post, Ray Charles’ rendition of “America The Beautiful” keeps playing in my head. “Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain…” (we all know the rest sing it for me one time). To me this song represents what America is all about. Today let’s welcome President Obama. Let’s savor this historic moment and let’s celebrate the greatness of this country. But after that, let’s all get to work. There’s a job to be done and we each can contribute in our own way.
