Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! I am watching the coverage of the 56th Presidential Inauguration right now. It's so exciting: the history, the fashion, everyone coming from all over the country to celebrate together. But I'm having a little bit of trouble getting into the right mood.
This morning I saw Andrew Kaczynski's retweet about Fox and Friends calling today "the most depressing day of the year." David Muir was talking earlier on Good Morning America about the fact that the "battle lines are drawn" for Obama's second term. It feels very divisive. I was happy to see The Today Show's tweet that was a quote from David Axelrod: "This is not a partisan day. This is not a day for one man's celebration."
Today is about celebrating our country, the United States: our history, our government, and, most importantly, our unity.
Our country is more divided now than it has been since the mid-1800s. Eight and twelve years ago, when George W. Bush was sworn in, I'm sure that MSNBC was saying things along the same lines as what Fox is saying today. Back then the Bush supporters would have been horrified at that and called the dissidents "unpatriotic." They would have said that the Democrats had lost an election and need to get over it and get behind the president. Now, they're calling it the "most depressing day."
We need to remember why we are the United States. We all agree on so many things; we just want to take different paths to get there.
Today, no matter which "side" you are on, stop pushing your agenda, sit quietly, and listen. Those of you who know I am a moderate Democrat are probably saying that this is "pushing my own agenda." I guess since my "agenda" is all of us working together and putting aside our differences, sure I'm pushing it. But just try. Please. Our country needs all of us to give up our radical ideas and come to the center so we can accomplish the things our country needs the most.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi
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