We know we’re pretty late in reporting on this, but DANG, did you guys check out the Inauguration? Actually, I woke up late and had to watch it on youtube. But wow. All botch-ups aside, that was a pretty sweet ceremony. Especially the speech, which illustrated another form of Obama and his 27-year-old speech writer’s brilliant rhetoric.
A riveting point:
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.
It’s encouraging to hear the new president talk about individual responsibility and the importance of every member of society to internalize those American values. Whereas we elect the people in government to do the work of organizing and managing people’s lives, they are merely extensions of us. You can’t be apathetic about politics, especially in this time! With our tumbling economy, a promise of policy upheavals and changes, and a shifting political ideology of the country… it’s silly to think that you can just happily go through your day to day life ignorant of what goes on in Washington DC.
So for all our folks out there reading this blog: Pick up the newspaper. Start a dialogue. Do something. Don’t you dare be indifferent.
“Especially the speech, which illustrated another form of Obama and his 27-year-old speech writer’s brilliant rhetoric.”
I’m glad to hear you acknowledge this point. He delivers a fine speech when it’s written for him. That doesn’t mean he’s a great leader. Time will tell when it comes to this. As far as personal responsibility, it’s tough for me to accept that sort of talk from him when he campaigned on the idea of big government taking care of us. I don’t expect much follow through–instead, I expect him to tax and spend and grow more government.
This is a bit ironic, but Obama was born on the Year of the Ox. Google up the characteristics of the ox, I don’t want to focus my post on this.
Ruffle Bikini:
What do you propose then, then?
He has a tough job ahead to deal with this economy, and while I can sometimes play the side of small government, I don’t know if this is the right time to do that.
obama has done a great job lots of people supported him , coz this people see some potencials on obama. and now that ibama is the president of america people is watching him on how he will handle the government and its people
The Word,
I’m just skeptical of spending money to solve a deficit problem. California is broke for instance, and the Governator wanted a very expensive bullet train??? Personally, when I am broke I don’t go out and spend money to fix it. Like California, those on Capital Hill seem to think throwing money at this problem will fix it, while it would seem shrinking the cost of running this nation might be a better choice. I’d love to sit back and say, let’s give the man 4 years (which he deserves) and see what he does, but this is a very volatile time in America and God help us if he’s wrong.
So far, the stimulus from the former administration didn’t work either. Americans are pocketing the money instead of buying goods to stimulate the economy. I don’t see the plan working thus far.
Lastly, only 3% of the near trillion dollar budget will be used in 2009, so why the rush to push it through? Why not sit and hash it out and make the best decision?
I’m not so sure that the American public is any less indifferent now than it was under the former president. Part of Obama’s challenge as a leader will be to energize citizens, polarize them so they believe and take action on topics.