Inaugration Day Post
I wrote this for LiveJournal. It’s a rare political post for me, and even though it’s public over there, I thought I’d share here, too.
Yes, I’m glad today is Inauguration Day. I’m hoping this means we can all get back to relative normal.
It’s going to sound harsh, but I’m looking forward to Obama having his first screw up. When the honeymoon is over, and he’s simply the Guy in the Job. I’m looking forward to the jokes starting.
Yesterday was MLK day, where we heard the “I Have A Dream” speech off an on all day. The one thing I really WOULD like to see is this line:
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
And that’s the day I’m looking forward to. When Obama is no longer the “First”, no longer the “black” or the “african-american” – he’s simply “The President”. I look forward to the day he’s “Just” a politician, a world leader, and the butt of jokes. That’s what will make him great. President Obama has cracked that barrier. He has proven it’s possible to elect someone diverse – it’s no longer a “given” that a race or gender is “unelectable”, that it DOES come down to the PERSON.
I don’t want to belittle his historical significance, but wouldn’t it be a GREATER tribute to our country, society, culture if his color actually DIDN’T matter?
I wish President Obama all the best. He’s got the WORST job in the world, and unfortunately, with his historic status, he has that much more scrutiny. He’ll be under a higher power microscope. He’ll be on a much higher pedestal. God help him when he does prove himself merely human.
Good luck to you, President Obama. You are going to need all the prayers and luck you can get to deal with this crazy world we live in and still keep your sanity and your family intact.
I’m actually looking forward to the guys Obama opens the doors for the 2nd, 3rd, etc President of Ethnicity – because THERE will be the person who’s elected for qualifications and personality alone and NOT on any “historical” factor.
So, as I have the TV on during the Inauguration today, I pray for our country, our new President, and I look forward to the day when President Obama has no adjectives modifying his title.