Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The Inauguration of President Barack Hussein Obama


I tried. God knows I tried. I was swept up in the moment there for awhile. I thought about the sacrifices made by those who lived through and experienced the Civil Rights movement. I thought about what a wonderful country we have where all that could be put behind us - a country where someone who's father was a 1st generation black African and who's mother was a white American could be elected President of the United States. Talk about tolerance. We've come a long way, baby. In my lifetime. I remember seeing black/white drinking fountains, bathrooms, and swimming pools. I remember my own father and grandfathers using the "N" word in everyday language. I remember the riots. I remember Martin Luther King's assassination. So watching Obama's inauguration, I teared up because I was proud of our country for getting through all that. I was proud - for a few minutes.

Then I heard about the "na,na,hey,hey, good bye" chant that began among the Obama supporters when President Bush appeared on the platform. And I realized again Obama was not elected for his leadership abilities, or his knowledge, or his faith. He was elected because he's "cool" and not George Bush. If the people who participated in that chant had any intellect at all they would have never done such a classless thing. Nothing like it has ever occurred in the history of the Republic. A great moment in our history was defiled by those imbeciles.

I'll never forget President George W Bush assuming the mantle of REAL leadership on that pile of rubble at Ground Zero and his many inspiring words following the tragedy of 9/11. I'll never forget the prosperity and 30 (corrected to 100%) quarters of economic growth provided during his "watch". I'll never forget the fact there were no more terrorist attacks on our soil following 9/11. Or that millions of people in the Middle East are tasting freedom for the first time in their lives. Most importantly, I'll never forget the grace he has always shown when confronted with the shriekers and whiners who could never forget the election of 2000. Thank you, George Bush, for your service and leadership during one of the most challenging periods in our history.

I wish President Obama well. Today's problems were not caused by George Bush. They were caused by systems gone awry. Systems that President Bush warned us about and was unable to convince anyone to fix. But today they're President Obama's problems. Today it's Obama's economy and Obama's stock market, and Obama's energy policy, and Obama's foreign policy and Obama's intelligence agencies, and Obama's military. They are all President Obama's to deal with. And if he is unable, then he is a failure. It's time to "man-up" and walk the walk, Mr. President. We know you can "talk the talk". I can guarantee you one thing. You'll never hear me or any other conservatives chant, "na,na, hey, hey, goodbye" when Obama leaves office irregardless of his perceived performance.

8 comments:

J Dub said...

Well said (although Bush was not President for 52 quarters).

I love that we live in a country where a man like Barack Obama can become president. Where a woman was very close to becoming the Democratic nominee and where another woman was almost the vice president.

But what makes this country great for those reasons is also what allows those people to chant inappropriately. The peaceful transfer of power was amazing (as it always is), but no less amazing is the fact that no one tried to arrest or otherwise shut up the disrespectful ones.

I am willing to give my life for your right to disagree with me. That's what makes being in the military in this country so special.

Brodad Unkabuddy said...

Oops! Typo. 44 quarters.

J Dub said...

44/4 = 11.

Wouldn't it be 32? Not that it changes the point of your post though.

Brodad Unkabuddy said...

Geez . . . Let's see, there are 4 quarters/year X 8 years = 32 quarters. There were two quarters w/out growth, the 1st and the last. So that would equal 30 quarters (I think). So, my final answer is 30. And I'm sticking with it.

Mike West said...

Way to ruin the post Justin - gosh.
Great post! Good Vance bait. I can't wait to see what he's thankful for.

Brodad Unkabuddy said...

I'm doing math like a Democrat.

vwatt said...

I agree the chanting was clearly inappropriate during such a historic moment. No matter the depths of their discontent-and it must be pretty deep to be unable to control it at such a moment-that was not the time to vent. However, I would say that no matter what political party controls the White House, if you feel that the government was looking out for you(the little guy) and was well run, you would have some warm feelings for whoever was leaving. Not so yesterday, as evidenced in this NYT editorial exerpt from Ann Coulters' best buddy, Maureen Dowd:

"As W. ceased to be president, he flew off over the Capitol and across the Mall en route to Andrews Air Force Base, and then back to Texas.

I’ve seen many presidents come and go, but I’ve never watched a tableau like the one Tuesday, when four million eyes turned heavenward, following the helicopter’s path out of town. Everyone, it seemed, was waving goodbye, with one or two hands, a wave that moved westward down the Mall toward the Lincoln Memorial, and keeping their eyes fixed unwaveringly on that green bird.

They wanted to make absolutely, positively certain that W. was gone. It was like a physical burden being lifted, like a sigh went up of “Thank God. Has Cheney’s wheelchair left the building, too?”

The crowd was exuberant that George Bush was now an ex-president, and 43 himself was jovial “the way he always is,” according to his last press secretary, Dana Perino.

Brodad Unkabuddy said...

Maureen Dowd is and has always been an idiot. Those people chanting are in for the emotional crash of their lives when they realize the government is not going to be able to afford to heft their overweight, lazy, butts off the roof again.