Three Cheers for a New President

It's hard to believe it's over. Imagine, we'll never have to look at W.'s monkey face behind a podium again! His public appearances will be limited to state funerals, inaugurations, and maybe a profile in Parade magazine about his ranching activities down in Texas. To him I say: good riddance; to Crawford and Dallas, god bless.

I ended up watching most of the ceremony before I left for class today. Luckily, Obama's address ended just minutes before I needed to be out the door to catch the train. I was impressed by Yo-Yo Ma and the other musicians' ability to play their instruments so flawlessly in such cold weather. Aretha Franklin's performance, on the other hand, was rather underwhelming. I tend to dislike popular arrangements of old standards, especially something so iconic as "As Country Tis of Thee." What's wrong with just singing it the way it's always sung, the way people are familiar with? Why must singers wring every last ounce of vibrato from such a classic?

Anyway, Obama's speech was well-crafted, stirring, and intelligent, as we've come to expect. I was particularly impressed by his mention of non-believers together with the major faiths of the U.S., a welcome nod to both atheism and secularism in the middle of a very religion-infused ceremony; his reference to returning science to its rightful place; and finally, his insistence that we need not sacrifice our ideals to the promise of safety. The proof of how far our nation has come from the pre-civil rights era was also moving. Though it was important to hear from those who remember the days when they were second-class citizens, I was the most inspired by what one of the commentators said as they panned over schoolchildren sitting in Independence Hall in Philly watching the first black man take the inaugural oath: for these kids, a black president will always have been a reality. This presidency is truly a game-changer.

I don't want to heroize Obama or expect that he will magically right all that is wrong with this country, but today I was proud of America for having made the better choice.