Did you get goose bumps this morning as the 44th President of the United States was sworn in? I did.
Today is the first day of a better America; out with the old and horrible, in with the new and promising. As much as our country aches for instant improvement we must be patient, as nothing this broken can be fixed overnight. Let us stay positive and full of hope, for through hope comes change.
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So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
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Read the full transcript of President Obama’s inaugural speech at Hollyscoop.
During the swearing in ceremony Michelle Obama wore a sparkly gold number. Check it out at FameCrawler.
Senator Ted Kennedy had a seizure during the inaugural luncheon. So did Senator Robert Byrd. Get the details from BumpShack.
Michelle Obama wore a white Jason Wu gown to the evening’s inaugural balls. Check it out and share your opinion about it at Pop Crunch.
At the last of the 10 inaugural balls this evening, President Obama (I love the sound of that!) told the crowd that is wife, First Lady Michelle Obama (I love the sound of that too!), had been doing everything he was tonight, except backwards and in heels. Do you know who originally said that? I do. Leave me a comment and guess the right answer, and I might just give you a prize.
