I cannot fail to mention the inauguration of Barrack Obama as the 44th
President of the United States in this blog. This is not as parochial as it may
seem. It is not about the historic nature of being this country’s first
African-American Commander-in-Chief. It is about the enormous worldwide upsurge
in hope and optimism for the future of humankind.
The inauguration released so much energy from all parts of the world,
even more so than the November elections. Perhaps this was due to it being more
of a media event, perhaps because some people wondered if he’d ever make it
into the White House.
Regardless of the reasons, the inauguration was a global event, watched
by hundreds of millions, if not a billion, who joined in the celebration along
with the two million people who stood in line for hours to watch the event in
person. And lots of young people! (see Ocean Robbin’s video)
If ever there appears to be a time when the climate might be primed for
major social transformation, it would appear to be now. Obama seems resolute on
rectifying so many of the mistakes we’ve made in recent years. , He also seems
resolute in restoring the world’s trust in the U.S.A. as partner not a
dominator, as a leader not a bully.
For the first time in my life I am hearing a genuine acceptance by the
American citizenry that this is not a time to sit back and critique how our new
President performs; instead it is a time to get involved, to roll up our
sleeves and pitch in. People are wanting to get involved suggesting an end to
the passivity we have seen over the years among our citizenry, particularly with
the younger generation. Time will tell how well all this talk will translate
into action perform but many have come to realize just how susceptible a
democracy can be if the citizens grow too passive and too complacent,
abdicating their responsibilities to Washington. There must be room in our
personal lives to be proactive citizens and that doesn’t merely mean voting and
serving on an occasional jury. It means paying attention and holding our
elected officials accountable for their actions
As America’s 26th President Theodore Roosevelt said, “The first
requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able
and willing to pull his own weight.” Americans have not been pulling
their own weight for quite some time, possibly since World War II when the
times called for us all to pitch in to some degree or another. We have been consumed with ourselves at the exclusion
of our beloved country and somewhat oblivious of our world and all the other
inhabitants of planet earth. Perhaps now we will begin to be more responsible
for the whole and all that sustains us.
Finally, let this hope we are hearing so much about transcend into a new
faith in our ability to do this, to meet the challenges Obama so articulately
describes. Let us not waste time hoping that he does well but have faith in
ourselves that together we can do this.
