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Dear Jason,You are upstairs taking a nap right now, as Barack Obama exits the Lincoln Memorial after being sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. I thought you might someday like to know your Mommy's thoughts on this historic day (keeping in mind I don't have the benefit of hindsight). First of all, it is freezing cold. Aside from my strong distaste for people and crowds, the cold weather would certainly keep me away from today's festivities. Can you imagine? Twenty degrees, nowhere to pee, and packed like sardines at the biggest terrorist target in modern history. Ack. No thank you.Anyhow, we spent this frigid morning with Judah and Mrs. B, attending the the Barnes & Noble story hour (you boys were very well behaved) and visiting the playground (indoor playground...again, not interested in freezing my hiney off). We dined on mac & cheese, hot dogs, and oriental chicken salads while watching Vice President Biden take his oath of office on an Applebee's television. By the time President Obama's oath rolled around you lost interest and were frantically grabbing for a red Applebee's balloon. You did manage to stay awake for about five minutes of the inauguration speech before falling asleep in the car. I'm not quite sure how to describe the atmosphere. A word many television personalities are tossing about today is "buzzing"...as in "the country is buzzing." I don't know about that. I'm not buzzing. I'm not crying, but I'm certainly not buzzing. I can't imagine the 47% of Americans who didn't vote for President Obama are buzzing. Yet, to turn on a television, the world has been saved. Competence has arrived. Rah rah. It is an interesting and bizarre phenomenon, and one that has deepened my disgust with today's "journalism." It is like one big Op Ed newspaper page broadcast on 542 television channels.So. If I'm not buzzing, what do I feel? I don't really know, sweetie. I feel both hope and fear. Pretty much the same as any other day. I'm very results-driven. I like numbers. I'm not easily inspired. So I don't really know what to think of our new President, considering there isn't much concrete information for me to evaluate. Listening to the inauguration speech, my thought was that this man has the same hopes and dreams for his daughters that I have for you. He wants them to grow up in a time of security, peace, prosperity, opportunity, health, freedom...and not just for the United States, but for the whole world. I want that, too. Desperately. I truly believe history's other American Presidents shared that same vision. They all had different plans to get there, and they all made their own contributions toward that goal. And as with those other 43 Presidents, only time will tell what results this administration's execution of policy will bring. As you would say...Mr. President, "Ready. Set. GO!"
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And my response:
"Heather, thank you for taking the time to present this day to your son. I, too, have contemplated how to describe the day's events to my daughter. I'm always at odds because I don't particularly like Mr. Obama, especially not his ideals. I have wrung my hands and gritted my teeth throughout the entire election process. It's not that I am against an African-American president. In fact, quite the contrary. I think it's extremely important, I just think there are many more qualified candidates to fill this position of the first African-American president. I get scared, too, that as an ultra-Republican, I have no voice. Each time a Republican critizes Obama, others call me unpatriotic or Racist. How can that be when the most important feature of our democracy is to always question our representatives and to ensure they always put our best interest (and not their own) first? (Please read the Declaration of Independence or the US Constitution for more on this fact) I also am whole-heartedly against many of the policies of Mr. Obama on the issues of abortion, government spending, national defense, diplomacy, energy, and earmarks. Plus, I am against FOCA and the Fairness Doctrine to the point that I am physically ill thinking of either of those 2 pieces of legislation being passed. But what I truly hope that you and Riley get from this blog/opinion is that you cherish how passionate your mother and I are when it comes to Democracy and your prosperity. We live in a nation that allows and encourages debate on these issues. Never simply accept the news one-liners, the latest political trends, or especially what celebreties have to say about politics. Make your own mind up on what is important to you and your family and then speak as loudly and colorfully as you please becuase that is what it means to be an American!"
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