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Changing of the Guard
“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.”
—Barack Obama, 44th U.S. president, 1/20/09
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Today in History
2004: Recording industry sues 532 computer users for distributing songs over Internet; 1994: Lorena Bobbitt acquitted in assault trial; 1990: John McEnroe disqualified from Australian Open; 1977: President Carter pardons Vietnam-era draft-dodgers; 1976: Concorde’s first flight; 1950: Alger Hiss convicted of perjury; 1924: Vladimir Lenin dies; 1916: Nudity banned in films; 1861: Five Southerners, including Jefferson Davis, quit the Senate; 1793: France’s King Louis XVI guillotined for treason
How many presidents have invoked curiosity as a founding value of this nation? It's a change I can believe in.
ReplyDeleteI believe Louis XVI was guillotined in 1793.
ReplyDeleteI am absolutely fascinated by Barack Obama. Not only is he an EXCELLENT public speaker, he gives a lot of people hope for the future of our country. Of course a lot of people have their doubts, and it will take time to get America back on its feet, but there's no better person I trust with the job than Barack Obama. Talk about a historic day!!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that some critics have dismissed Obama's inaugural address as stiff and disappointing. It is true that it was a tough speech, and not the uplifting rah-rah that we're used to from the campaign, but I found it brutally honest and clear-eyed: Part I--We're in trouble boys an girls; Part II--We're breaking from wrong-headed policies from the recent past; Part III--Come together, children: We have lots of tough work to do. Effective and honest, IMHO, and (as "anon" says above), he also invoked personal responsibility and participation, like basic human curiosity. Roy Peter Clark's take on Obama's rhetoric here: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=157304
ReplyDeleteParenthetically: How good was the imagery of the crippled outgoing administration to have Darth Cheney in a wheelchair? Second only to the shoe-throwing Iraqi journalists, which I think says it all.
Finally: Thanks to the other "Anon" above; I've fixed the date typo on Louis XVi's beheading.
I listened to the Yo-Yo Mah(?sp)ensemble performance at the inauguration... the piece was listed as a composition by John Williams... did anyone else notice that the middle section was "Lord of the Dance" - not sure of its correct name, but the lyrics go something like this:
ReplyDelete"Dance, dance wherever you may be, cos I am the lord of the dance, said he, and I'll lead you all, wherever you may be, and I'll lead you all in the dance, said he"...
I thought it was very clever and possibly sneaky! Big grin....
I think that his speeches have been amazing. He is a fabulous public speaker and he is our new president who I hope we al support.
ReplyDeleteThis is monumental and something that people can try to break down as much as they want but one can only hope that even if we disagree we can respect him for who he is and what he has done to our nation.