The Most Historic Inauguration

The Presidential Inauguration yesterday made history, for more reasons than just the fact that it was an inauguration.

• Myrlie Evers Williams gave the invocation; the first woman ever to do so.
• Kelly Clarkson (2) and Beyonce (16) together tied Aretha Franklin (18) for artists with most Grammy wins singing at an inauguration. 
• The first African-American president was inaugurated for the second time.
• Obama has now been sworn in four times, tying FDR's record.
• Richard Blanco wrote an original poem and read it yesterday; the first latino and openly gay person to be included in the inaugural ceremonies.
• The first ever gay and lesbian marching band marched in the inaugural parade.

And that doesn't even cover what President Obama said during the inaugural address: 

• "We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit." Touching on healthcare and the deficit in an inaugural address is rare and incredibly specific. It really brings home what he feels is important to work on in the next term, though, something people on both sides of the aisle can agree on.
• "We will respond to the threat of climate change...Some may still deny the overwhelming judgement of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling doubt, and more powerful storms." Wow. First off, I didn't know people still didn't "believe in" global warming, but I guess Obama just told them to get over it and get with the program! Love it.
• "The path towards sustainable energy resources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it." Oil companies, take note. This is something that is huge for this generation. We must lead ourselves to taking this step of getting our country to the next level in terms of sustainable energy.
• "We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war...we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war, who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends, and we must carry those lessons into this time as well." Well, this is good. Really good. We don't have to have war to have peace. Let's win the peace.
• "We will support democracy from Asia to Africa; from the Americas to the Middle East..." Yep. We're going to talk to the whole world and support them. Get on board!
• "...our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts." Equal rights for women! Everyone saying that Obama doesn't like women because of his cabinet appointments, stop. 
• "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law--for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well." WHAT?! Did anyone see this coming?? Not me, but this is AWESOME!!! Good for him. Marriage equality is on the horizon. FINALLY.
• "Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote." Voting rights? I'm on board. Keep talking.
• "Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country." Immigration reform, too?! My head is exploding!!! Obama's killing it!
• "Our journey is not complete until all our children...know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm." And a very subtle nod to gun control reform. This guy is good.
• "Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life...but it does require us to act in our time." Thank you. Someone has needed to say this for a long time. Just because we have these documents doesn't mean that we even can follow them word for word now. We need to change with the times and act accordingly.
• "You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country's course." Plug for "Organizing for Action": Organizing for America reformed!

I loved this speech. It was amazing. I have never heard a more progressive or direct speech at an inauguration. I am not super-emotional when it comes to other people that I don't know, but I have been really emotional over the last year with this president. First, I cried during Michelle Obama's speech at the DNC. Then I teared up at Barack's speech at the DNC. Next: election night. Cried. And then yesterday I teared up again. I think it's just that Obama does things other presidents would never do. He said in his speech that we should have marriage equality. No one else touched that. This is definitely one for the books.

I was watching the coverage on MSNBC for part of the day (my fiancé and I were switching around between ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, and MSNBC, for those of you who are going to attack me for being a close-minded liberal) and they asked "What do YOU want in the second term?" I tweeted, "I want women's rights, an assault weapon ban, marriage equality, environmental protection, reduction of the deficit, and more jobs. #msnbc." And it got put on air when Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews were talking! I was so excited!

Yesterday was an historic day for our country and I am sure that people on both sides of the aisle can agree on that. Using the word that President Obama used the most yesterday, let's move forward and work "together."

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Inauguration 2013

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