Amanda Gorman's Inauguration Poem - "The Hill We Climb"

One of the highlights of the presidential inauguration was the poem written and recited by Amanda Gorman (pictured).

Here is the transcript (from rev.com) of her recitation:

Mr. President, Dr. Biden, Madam Vice President, Mr. Emhoff, Americans and the world, when day comes we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade? The loss we carry asea we must wade. We’ve braved the belly of the beast. We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace. In the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always justice. And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow we do it. Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished. We, the successors of a country and a time where a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one.

And yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge our union with purpose. To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man. And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another. We seek harm to none and harmony for all. Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true. That even as we grieved, we grew. That even as we hurt, we hoped. That even as we tired, we tried that will forever be tied together victorious. Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.

Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid. If we’re to live up to her own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made. That is the promise to glade, the hill we climb if only we dare. It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit. It’s the past we step into and how we repair it. We’ve seen a forest that would shatter our nation rather than share it. Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. This effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated. In this truth, in this faith we trust for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us. This is the era of just redemption. We feared it at its inception. We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour, but within it, we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves so while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe? Now we assert, how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be a country that is bruised, but whole, benevolent, but bold, fierce, and free. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation. Our blunders become their burdens. But one thing is certain, if we merge mercy with might and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children’s birthright.

So let us leave behind a country better than one we were left with. Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one. We will rise from the [gold-limbed 00:04:49] hills of the West. We will rise from the wind-swept Northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution. We will rise from the Lake Rim cities of the Midwestern states. We will rise from the sun-baked South. We will rebuild, reconcile and recover in every known nook of our nation, in every corner called our country our people diverse and beautiful will emerge battered and beautiful. When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.

President Biden's Powerful Inaugural Address

 We have a new president. Joe Biden took his oath of office a few minutes before noon (EST), and at noon, became the 46th President of the United States. He then gave a powerful inaugural address. Here is the transcript of that speech (from abc7chicago.com.):

Chief Justice Roberts, Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Vice President Pence, and my distinguished guests, my fellow Americans, this is America's day. This is democracy's day, a day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve. Through a crucible for the ages, America has been tested anew. And America has risen to the challenge. Today we celebrate the triumph, not of a candidate, but of a cause, the cause of democracy. The people, the will of the people, has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded.

We've learned again that democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile. And at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed. (Applause)

So now, on this hallowed ground, where just a few days ago violence sought to shake the Capitol's very foundation, we come together as one nation under God, indivisible, to carry out the peaceful transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries. As we look ahead in our uniquely American way, restless, bold, optimistic, and set our sights on the nation we know we can be and we must be.

I thank my predecessors of both parties for their presence here today. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. (applause) And I know -- (applause) And I know the resilience of our constitution and the strength, the strength of our nation, as does President Carter who I spoke with last night, who cannot be with us today, but whom we salute for his lifetime in service.

I've just taken the sacred oath each of those patriots have taken. The oath first sworn by George Washington. But the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us, on we the people, who seek a more perfect union. This is a great nation. We are good people. And over the centuries, through storm and strife, in peace and in war, we've come so far, but we still have far to go.

We'll press forward with speed and urgency, for we have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibilities. Much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build, and much to gain. Few people in our nation's history have been more challenged or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we're in now.

Once in a century virus that silently stalks the country. It's taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War II. Millions of jobs have been lost, hundreds of thousands of
businesses closed, a cry for racial justice some 400 years in the making moves us. The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer. (Applause)

A cry for survival comes from planet itself. A cry that can't be any more desperate or any more clear, and now a rise of political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat. (Applause)

To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and secure the future of America, requires so much more than words. It requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy, unity. Unity. In another January, on New Year's Day in 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation. When he put pen to paper, the president said, and I quote, "if my name ever goes down into history, it'll be for this act, and my whole soul is in it."

"My whole soul is in it." Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation. And I ask every American to join me in this cause. (Applause)

Uniting to fight the foes we face, anger, resentment and hatred, extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness and hopelessness. With unity, we can do great things, important things.

We can right wrongs. We can put people to work in good jobs. We can teach our children in safe schools. We can overcome the deadly virus. We can reward -- reward work and rebuild the middle class and make health care secure for all. We can deliver racial justice and we can make America once again the leading force for good in the world.

I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy these days. I know that the forces that divide us are deep and they are real. But I also know they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we all are created equal, and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long torn us apart.

The battle is perennial, and victory is never assured. Through civil war, the great depression, World War, 9/11, through struggle, sacrifices, and setbacks, our better angels have always prevailed. In each of these moments, enough of us -- enough of us -- have come together to carry all of us forward, and we can do that now.

History, faith, and reason show the way, the way of unity. We can see each other, not as adversaries, but as neighbors. We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stop the shouting, and lower the temperature. For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury.

No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward. And we must meet this moment as the United States of America. If we do that, I guarantee you, we will not fail. We have never, ever, ever, ever failed in America when we've acted together.

And so today, at this time, in this place, let's start afresh, all of us. Let's begin to listen to one another again.

Hear one another. See one another. Show respect to one another. Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire, destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn't have to be a cause for total war. And we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated, and even manufactured. (Applause)

My fellow Americans, we have to be different than this. America has to be better than this, and I believe America is so much better than this. Just look around. Here we stand, in the shadow of the Capitol dome, as it was mentioned earlier, completed amid the civil war, when the union itself was literally hanging in the balance. Yet, we endured. We prevailed.

Here we stand, looking out on the great mall where Dr. King spoke of his dream. Here we stand where, 108 years ago at another inaugural, thousands of protesters tried to block brave women marching for the right to vote. And today, we mark the swearing of the first woman in American history elected to national office, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Don't tell me things can't change! (applause)

Here we stand, across the Potomac, from Arlington Cemetary, where heroes who gave the last full measure of devotion, rest in eternal peace. And here we stand, just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground. It did not happen. It will never happen. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

Not ever. (Cheers and applause) To all those who supported our campaign, I'm humbled by the faith you've placed in us. To all of those who did not support us, let me say this. Hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart.

If you still disagree, so be it. That's democracy. That's America. The right to dissent peaceably. Within the guardrails of our republic, it's perhaps this nation's greatest strength. Yet hear me clearly, disagreement must not lead to disunion. And I pledge this to you, I will be a president for all Americans, all Americans. (Applause)

And I promise you, I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did. (Applause) Many centuries ago, St. Augustin, a saint in my church, wrote that a people was a multitude defined by the common objects of their love. Defined by the common objects of their love. What are the common objects we as Americans love, that define us as Americans?

I think we know. Opportunity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honor and, yes, the truth. (Applause) The recent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lies, lies told for power and for profit.

And each of us has a duty and a responsibility as citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders, leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation, to defend the truth and defeat the lies. (Applause)

Look -- (Applause) -- I understand that many of my fellow Americans view the future with fear and trepidation. I understand they worry about their jobs. I understand like my dad, they lay in bed wondering, can I keep my health care, can I pay my mortgage. Thinking about their families, about what comes next. I promise you, I get it.

But the answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those who don't look like -- look like you or worship the way you do or don't get their news from the same source as you do. We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus -- rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.

If we show a little tolerance and humility, and if we are willing to stand in the other person's shoes -- as my mom would say -- just for a moment, stand in their shoes. Because here's the thing about life: there's no accounting for what fate will deal you.

Some days, when you need a hand. There are other days when we're called to lend a hand. That's how it has to be. That's what we do for one another.

And if we are this way, our country will be stronger, more prosperous, more ready for the future. And we can still disagree. My fellow Americans, in the work ahead of us, we're going to need each other. We need all our strength to preserve -- to persevere through this dark winter. We're entering what may be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus.

We must set aside politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation, one nation. And I promise you this. As the Bible says, "weep, ye may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." We will get through this together. Together. Look, folks, all my colleagues that I served with in the house and the senate up here, we all understand, the world is watching, watching all of us today. So here's my message to those beyond our borders.

America has been tested, and we've come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again. Not to meet yesterday's challenges, but today's and tomorrow's challenges. (Applause)

And we'll lead not merely by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. (Applause) We'll be a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress, and security.

Look, you all know, we've been through so much in this nation. In my first act as president, I'd like to ask you to join me in a moment of silent prayer to remember all those who we lost in this past year to the pandemic, those 400,000 fellow Americans -- moms, dads, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. We'll honor them by becoming the people and the nation we know we can and should be.

So, I ask you, let's say a silent prayer for those who have lost their lives and those left behind and for our country.

(MOMENT OF SILENCE)

Amen. Folks, this is a time of testing. We face an attack on our democracy and on truth. A raging virus, growing inequity, the sting of systemic racism, a climate in crisis. America's role in the world. Any one of these would be enough to challenge us in profound ways. But the fact is, we face them all at once. Presenting this nation with one of the gravest responsibilities we've had. Now we're going to be tested.

Are we going to step up, all of us? It's time for boldness, for there is so much to do. And this is certain. I promise you, we will be judged, you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era. We will rise to the occasion, is the question. Will we master this rare and difficult hour?

Will we meet our obligations, and pass along a new and better world to our children? I believe we must. I'm sure you do as well. I believe we will. And when we do, we'll write the next great chapter in the history of the United States of America, the American story, a story that might sound something like a song that means a lot to me. It's called "American Anthem." And there's one verse that stands out, at least for me.

And it goes like this: "The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day. What shall be our legacy? What will our children say? Let me know in my heart when my days are through. America, America, I gave my best to you." Let's add. Let's, us, add our own work and prayers to the unfolding story of our great nation.

If we do this, then when our days are through, our children and our children's children will say of us, they gave their best, they did their duty, they healed a broken land. My fellow Americans, I close the day where I began, with a sacred oath before God and all of you. I give you my word, I will always level with you. I will defend the Constitution. I'll defend our democracy. I'll defend America.

And I'll give all, all of you, keep everything you -- I do in your service, thinking not of power but of possibilities, not of personal injuries but the public good. And together we shall write an American story of hope, not fear. Of unity, not division. Of light, not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness.

May this be the story that guides us, the story that inspires us, and the story that tells ages yet to come that we answered the call of history, we met the moment. Democracy and hope, truth and justice, did not die on our watch, but thrived, that America secured liberty at home and stood once again as a beacon to the world. That is what we owe our forebears, one another, and generations to follow.

So, with purpose and resolve, we turn to those tasked of our time, sustained by faith, driven by conviction, and devoted to one another and the country we love with all our hearts. May God bless America and may God protect our troops. Thank you, America.

Insurrection's NOT Over - They are Planning To Do It Again

Most Americans were horrified at the mob riot (insurrection) by right-wing Trump supporters  as they forced their way into our Capitol Building, endangering elected officials.

But the far right was not horrified. They were proud of it. It has emboldened them, and they are planning to do it again. It was just the opening salvo in a war the far right has been planning for years.

And the next round is not far away. They are calling for another round of insurrection around January 17-20 -- and may well try to turn the inauguration into a battle. And they're planning to come with weapons this time.

Consider this from NBC News:

In the wake of Wednesday’s riot at the Capitol, Trump supporters with extremist views feel emboldened and are vowing to return to Washington for the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on January 20, using online platforms to rally each other.

“Many of Us will return on January 19, 2021, carrying Our weapons, in support of Our nation's resolve, towhich [sic] the world will never forget!!! We will come in numbers that no standing army or police agency can match,” wrote a popular Parler user who frequently posts about QAnon, and is being tracked by the Anti-Defamation League.

Parler, Telegram chat rooms and the platform TheDonald.win were all used to plan and coordinate the Jan. 6 rally that turned into a riot. Posters explicitly stated their intentions to “occupy” the Capitol. QAnon conspiracy theorists and people associated with militia groups had a visible presence in Wednesday’s crowd.

“Round 2 on January 20th. This time no mercy. I don’t even care about keeping Trump in power. I care about war,” an anonymous person posted on the platform TheDonald.win, which is filled with comments posted by people who lauded those who rioted Wednesday as “heroes.” . . .

According the National Park Service, which handles permits for rallies in D.C., there are seven First Amendment permit applications in process that overlap with the inauguration date, one of which is clearly for Trump supporters.

Scotland Bars Trump From Entering Their Territory

 There has been a lot of talk about where Donald Trump would be on the day Joe Biden in inaugurated as our 46th president. In the past, most out-going presidents have attended the inauguration as a symbol of the peaceful transfer of power in our democracy.

But Trump is unlikely to do that. He doesn't have the class required, and after his repeated lies about a rigged election, it would be both inappropriate and embarrassing for him.

So, where will he be? He has refused to say, and all of his White House aides say they don't know.

However, we may have a clue about what he was planning. Scotland has been notified to expect a U.S. Military 757 to land on their territory on January 19th. This is a plane that Trump has used in the past, and it is speculated that Trump was going to Scotland to spend Inauguration Day playing golf at his golf club in that country.

Why a military plane instead of the presidential plane? Because at noon on the 20th (the next day), he would no longer be in office -- and the presidential plane would need to be available for President Biden.

But it now turns out that Trump will NOT be in Scotland on Inauguration Day. That's because the Scottish government has barred him from entering the country. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland is not allowing anyone to enter except for an essential purpose -- and she doesn't consider playing golf to be an essential purpose.

So, we are still left to wonder where Trump will be when Joe Biden takes the oath of office. Will he just fly to Mar-A-Lago the day before, and hide out there?

President Obama's Inauguration Day Letter To Trump

Last January, as he vacated the White House, President Obama left a letter for Donald Trump with some good advice. Sadly, it looks like Trump has ignored most of it.

From CNN, here is that letter:

Congratulations on a remarkable run. Millions have placed their hopes in you, and all of us, regardless of party, should hope for expanded prosperity and security during your tenure.

This is a unique office, without a clear blueprint for success, so I don't know that any advice from me will be particularly helpful. Still, let me offer a few reflections from the past 8 years.

First, we've both been blessed, in different ways, with great good fortune. Not everyone is so lucky. It's up to us to do everything we can (to) build more ladders of success for every child and family that's willing to work hard.

Second, American leadership in this world really is indispensable. It's up to us, through action and example, to sustain the international order that's expanded steadily since the end of the Cold War, and upon which our own wealth and safety depend.

Third, we are just temporary occupants of this office. That makes us guardians of those democratic institutions and traditions -- like rule of law, separation of powers, equal protection and civil liberties -- that our forebears fought and bled for. Regardless of the push and pull of daily politics, it's up to us to leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found them.

And finally, take time, in the rush of events and responsibilities, for friends and family. They'll get you through the inevitable rough patches.

Michelle and I wish you and Melania the very best as you embark on this great adventure, and know that we stand ready to help in any ways which we can.

Good luck and Godspeed,

BO

The Official Park Service Photos Embarrassing For Trump

Right after the inauguration, the mainstream media posted their photos of the crowds at the Obama and Trump inaugurations -- and those photos showed a much larger crowd had turned out for Obama's inauguration. Those photos caused our narcissist-in-chief to blow a fuse, lose his cool, and throw a tantrum. He could not accept the truth.

He was convinced that the media was lying, and his crowds were really larger. So, he ordered the National Park Service to release their own official government photos of the crowd sizes. The NPS has now released those photos, and they are pictured above.

Obama's crowd is on the left, and Trump's is on the right. Both were taken shortly before the candidates were sworn in -- and to add to Trump's embarrassment, the Obama photo was taken an hour earlier than the Trump photo (so the Obama crowd probably grew even larger).

Our loser-in-chief doesn't know when to quit. If anything, the official government photos look even worse than the media photos.

Trump's Inauguration Watched On TV By Over 7 Million Less Than Viewed Obama's First Inauguration

Trump got his feelings hurt by the media reporting the truth about attendance at his inauguration -- than far fewer attended it than attended Barack Obama's first inauguration. He lashed out at the media and lied about attendance (giving "alternate facts"). That's no surprise. It's exactly what we should expect from a narcissist.

Now it turns out that attendance was not only much lower, but the TV viewership was also significantly lower than that of Barack Obama -- about 7.2 million viewers lower (according to initial Nielsen ratings). Obama's first inauguration had 37.8 million viewers, while Trump's had only 30.6 million.

Trump also had fewer viewers than Jimmy Carter (34.1 million) and Ronald Reagan (41.8 million) -- both of which presided over a smaller general population.

I expect we can see another tantrum coming from Trump over this -- and a lot of tweets filled with "alternate facts" (lies).

Nielsen Numbers For Inauguration

We already knew that the crowd that showed up to see the president take his oath of office last Monday was down from four years ago. There were only about 800,000 this year (as compared to well over a million in 2009). But Democrats shouldn't feel bad, since crowds are normally less for a second term inauguration -- and the crowd was still nearly twice as big as George W. Bush could muster for his second term.

Now the Nielsen rating service has released the preliminary numbers for those watching the inauguration on television. Those numbers were also down (but still above the numbers for Bush). Here are the numbers:

NBC....................5.08 million
ABC....................4.57 million
CBS....................3.67 million
CNN....................3.14 million
MSNBC................2.27 million
FNC....................1.32 million

We've Come A Long Way

While watching the inaugural parade yesterday, I was struck by the broad and wonderful diversity of this country. This country is made up of all kinds of people coming from all kinds of cultures. And while some may not believe it, that is the true strength of this nation -- that so many different races and cultures can come together as one. And President Barack Obama has brought together a diverse coalition as no other president ever has.

It was important that President Obama was elected in 2008 -- but his re-election in 2012 was even more important. It showed that 2008 was not a fluke, but the wishes of a broad coalition of all kinds of Americans. We have talked in the past about this country being a "melting pot" -- but that has never been more true than it is today.

We have come a long way in this country -- from the days of slavery and then Jim Crowism, from the time when women couldn't vote or own property, from the time when homosexuality was a crime, from the days of a terrible genocide committed against the Native Americans, from the time when workers had no rights and were completely at the mercy of greedy corporate moguls, and from the time when the only acceptable belief was christianity.

This does not mean we have completed our journey toward equal rights and justice for all Americans. There is still a long way to go before that is accomplished. But the re-election of President Obama by a broad and diverse coalition of Americans does show that we have come a long way from the bad old days.

Let us now renew our determination to complete the journey to equality, justice, and freedom for all.

We, The People. . .

I may be prejudiced, but I thought President Obama gave an excellent speech at his inauguration yesterday. If you want to read the text of his entire speech, you can go here. But I found one part of that speech particularly inspiring, so I post it here on this blog. He said:

We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn.

We do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, these things do not sap our initiative, they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great. 

We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms.

The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition, we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries, we must claim its promise. That’s how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure - our forests and waterways, our crop lands and snow-capped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.

We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. Our brave men and women in uniform, tempered by the flames of battle, are unmatched in skill and courage. Our citizens, seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty. The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm. But we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war; who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends - and we must carry those lessons into this time as well.

We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully –- not because we are naïve about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear. 

America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe. And we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation. We will support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice –- not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity, human dignity and justice.

We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths –- that all of us are created equal –- is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.

It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law –- for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity -- until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia, to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm.

Inaugural Poem

One of the moments in the president's second inauguration that I loved the most was the reading of his original poem by poet Richard Blanco (pictured above). Here is the full text of that wonderful poem:

"One Today"

One sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,
peeking over the Smokies, greeting the faces
of the Great Lakes, spreading a simple truth
across the Great Plains, then charging across the Rockies.
One light, waking up rooftops, under each one, a story
told by our silent gestures moving behind windows.

My face, your face, millions of faces in morning's mirrors,
each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our day:
pencil-yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights,
fruit stands: apples, limes, and oranges arrayed like rainbows
begging our praise. Silver trucks heavy with oil or paper—
bricks or milk, teeming over highways alongside us,
on our way to clean tables, read ledgers, or save lives—
to teach geometry, or ring-up groceries as my mother did
for twenty years, so I could write this poem.

All of us as vital as the one light we move through,
the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day:
equations to solve, history to question, or atoms imagined,
the "I have a dream" we keep dreaming,
or the impossible vocabulary of sorrow that won't explain
the empty desks of twenty children marked absent
today, and forever. Many prayers, but one light
breathing color into stained glass windows,
life into the faces of bronze statues, warmth
onto the steps of our museums and park benches 
as mothers watch children slide into the day.

One ground. Our ground, rooting us to every stalk
of corn, every head of wheat sown by sweat
and hands, hands gleaning coal or planting windmills
in deserts and hilltops that keep us warm, hands
digging trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands
as worn as my father's cutting sugarcane
so my brother and I could have books and shoes.

The dust of farms and deserts, cities and plains
mingled by one wind—our breath. Breathe. Hear it
through the day's gorgeous din of honking cabs,
buses launching down avenues, the symphony
of footsteps, guitars, and screeching subways,
the unexpected song bird on your clothes line.

Hear: squeaky playground swings, trains whistling,
or whispers across café tables, Hear: the doors we open
for each other all day, saying: hello, shalom,
buon giorno, howdy, namaste, or buenos días
in the language my mother taught me—in every language
spoken into one wind carrying our lives
without prejudice, as these words break from my lips.

One sky: since the Appalachians and Sierras claimed
their majesty, and the Mississippi and Colorado worked
their way to the sea. Thank the work of our hands:
weaving steel into bridges, finishing one more report
for the boss on time, stitching another wound
or uniform, the first brush stroke on a portrait,
or the last floor on the Freedom Tower
jutting into a sky that yields to our resilience.

One sky, toward which we sometimes lift our eyes
tired from work: some days guessing at the weather
of our lives, some days giving thanks for a love
that loves you back, sometimes praising a mother
who knew how to give, or forgiving a father
who couldn't give what you wanted.

We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight
of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but always—home,
always under one sky, our sky. And always one moon
like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop
and every window, of one country—all of us—
facing the stars
hope—a new constellation
waiting for us to map it,
waiting for us to name it—together.

David Van Os On "Freedom Day"

Today after President Obama addressed the nation my father, Seymour Van Os of Tyler, Texas, called me to share his exultation over the end of the Bush regime and the beginning of the historic Obama presidency.

I asked Dad which part of Obama's speech he liked the best. His answer was "every word of it". So I asked my dad, "Well how would you sum up the meaning of the speech?" Without hesitation he replied, "We're free of Bush and Cheney; free at last, great God Almighty, we're free at last!"

Then my dad, age 86, told me he's never been this happy and excited about a new president in his whole life. I asked him, "Is it just because Bush is gone?" He said, "That's half of it, but it's also because of who Barack Obama is, what he stands for, and what he said to us today."

To be sure, there are issues on which I already disagree with President Obama's tactics, and there will be more disagreements as time goes by. But there is a huge difference between having disagreements with Barack Obama over policy choices and experiencing daily revulsion over George Bush's relentless ignorance of our Constitution and unending disdain for the ideals it represents.

There is no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama understands and believes in the fundamental vision expressed in our founding documents, and that he has entered service to the nation in the presidency for the purpose of moving us as a people in a forward direction toward realization of that majestic vision. There is also no doubt in my mind that we must work hard to push upward on him to make the best choices; however that is not a criticism of the moment, but rather a recognition that in democracy power is supposed to move upward from the people, not downward from a glorious leader.

When President Obama is not doing enough we must press him vigorously to do more, and when he is wrong in policies or tactics we must endeavor to correct him, and as intensely as the moment may demand; but knowing that we have a president who actually believes in the historic legacy and ideals of this country - and whose personal story demonstrates tangible pieces of the vision - is in itself sufficient cause for the jubilation that so many billions of people all over our planet feel today, which I share, at this wonderful moment in history.

By electing Barack Obama, we the people of America constructed a magnificent moment of opportunity for our country and its future. It is up to us to utilize this opportunity. Tomorrow we must roll up our sleeves and go to work to remake America alongside our vibrant new President, agreeing with him when he is right and correcting him when he is wrong.

And from now on, taking a cue from my honored and beloved parent, I will think of January 20, 2009 as a new Freedom Day in the history of our country. Happy Freedom Day, America!

Sincerely,

David Van Os