Inauguration Day - What Does This Day Mean to You?
January 20th 2009 marks a day in today's history that makes me proud to be an American, but more importantly, to be a human. Regardless of political viewpoints which may affect the true perspective that we should feel on this day, you have to feel proud of the abilities of us as Americans and where we have come in our short history.
It was just a year ago that I spoke with the father of an African American friend, who spoke of the hardships and racism that he experienced growing up in the 40s and 50s. How he fought in WWII for a country that would not even allow him to obtain a job upon his return because of the color of his skin. During that time, I felt a tremendous amount of both sadness, and respect for the man that I was privileged to meet that day. It was his perseverance that contributed to the society that we all live in today.
As I reflect on that conversation on the day when the United States swears in the first African American President, I would like to share with you a new perspective. A thought of pride in all Americans, and all humans worldwide. While the struggles and heroic efforts of individuals like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Robert Kennedy, and many others turbo charged the advances in the civil rights movement in America, it is the American society that was able to change and become a greater nation and contributor to the worldwide society of the human race that makes me most proud and fills me with hope.
If our society can make strides from an accepted social norm of segregation to a day when we have elected Barack Obama as the President of the United States in less than 50 years, then I believe that we as a society can accomplish anything. Hope! Hope is what I have for the future of this world, and especially for my children as they grow up in a society that has many problems, but also many solutions.
If humans can overcome the barriers that we as Americans have in the past 50 years related to the prejudices of our ancestors, then I believe there should be tremendous optimism throughout the world. Palestine and Isreal, Arab and Western worlds, all humans can come together, and today should symbolize the efforts of our society. Not just the Dr. Kings of the world, but the continuing open mindedness of parents, and our society to continue to educate our children on what is right in the world, the right things to do, and how every individual on this planet can achieve the society that we all want to be a part of.
I look forward to tomorrow, and the next day, to be privileged to bear witness to the greatness that the human race can achieve throughout the rest of my life, my children's life, and my grandchildren. I would like to encourage everyone today, regardless of your political viewpoints, to share with someone in your life, your thoughts about our societies accomplishements and what today symbolizes. Many of you will disagree with the viewpoint that I have stated here, but discussion and education have been great contributors to the reasons that we are witnessing President Obama's Inauguration Day today.
It was just a year ago that I spoke with the father of an African American friend, who spoke of the hardships and racism that he experienced growing up in the 40s and 50s. How he fought in WWII for a country that would not even allow him to obtain a job upon his return because of the color of his skin. During that time, I felt a tremendous amount of both sadness, and respect for the man that I was privileged to meet that day. It was his perseverance that contributed to the society that we all live in today.
As I reflect on that conversation on the day when the United States swears in the first African American President, I would like to share with you a new perspective. A thought of pride in all Americans, and all humans worldwide. While the struggles and heroic efforts of individuals like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Robert Kennedy, and many others turbo charged the advances in the civil rights movement in America, it is the American society that was able to change and become a greater nation and contributor to the worldwide society of the human race that makes me most proud and fills me with hope.
If our society can make strides from an accepted social norm of segregation to a day when we have elected Barack Obama as the President of the United States in less than 50 years, then I believe that we as a society can accomplish anything. Hope! Hope is what I have for the future of this world, and especially for my children as they grow up in a society that has many problems, but also many solutions.
If humans can overcome the barriers that we as Americans have in the past 50 years related to the prejudices of our ancestors, then I believe there should be tremendous optimism throughout the world. Palestine and Isreal, Arab and Western worlds, all humans can come together, and today should symbolize the efforts of our society. Not just the Dr. Kings of the world, but the continuing open mindedness of parents, and our society to continue to educate our children on what is right in the world, the right things to do, and how every individual on this planet can achieve the society that we all want to be a part of.
I look forward to tomorrow, and the next day, to be privileged to bear witness to the greatness that the human race can achieve throughout the rest of my life, my children's life, and my grandchildren. I would like to encourage everyone today, regardless of your political viewpoints, to share with someone in your life, your thoughts about our societies accomplishements and what today symbolizes. Many of you will disagree with the viewpoint that I have stated here, but discussion and education have been great contributors to the reasons that we are witnessing President Obama's Inauguration Day today.
Well put, Sean! It's especially heartening to see young people so hopeful and enthused.
KH
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