???It's hard to know what to write at this juncture.
On one hand, it would be easy to revel in this day. Many have waited for Jan. 20, 2009 for years, and there is a palpable sense of a change in era, from guaranteed division to the possibility again of unity.
???On the other hand, what is there to say at this point, so immediate that there is very little to offer an opinion on? What has happened that begs notice and judgment?
???Maybe nothing new needs to be said. Maybe, in keeping with the spirit of our new president's inaugural speech, we have not learned enough to warrant a new message.
???Many people in the face of common sense and reality cling to the belief that President Barack Obama, who seems so different from every other politician to grace the Oval Office, is a messiah, a savior. In truth, this is a regressive statement.
We can no longer be the nation that allows important decisions to be made based on faith, without our input, because that faith was betrayed. We must be the nation that works as a collective for the advancement and betterment of ourselves and of others.
???Obama represents, at least in his ideology, a return to the America that was destined for greatness. This is not to say that he will make us great, but only that his attitude more reflects the can-do spirit of hard work and integrity that have been missing in this country for decades longer than George W. Bush was in office.
???Go beyond the momentous fact of the black son of an African citizen being the 44th president of the United States. Obama was not elected for his race, no matter what detractors might say. He was elected for the appeal of his ideas, because every American citizen regardless of party lines knows fundamentally the greatness of America, even if that greatness has been tarnished by half a century of resting on laurels.
???Most of Obama's messages and plans can be boiled down to one truth, simple enough that it could be a mantra: No matter your accomplishments, never stop trying to accomplish more. It's time to keep working.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
