From the Inside Out

As tired as I am of all the inauguration hype, I would be remiss if I didn’t document in my blog this historic moment. Today millions watched as the 44th President of the United States took the oath of office. What made this celebration so different is that it was the inauguration of the country’s first African American President, Barack Obama.

A million and a half people flooded the National Mall for the inauguration of Barack Obama. Many cried and cheered — almost like groupies at a concert. Co-workers in my company’s California office halted work to stop and watch the celebration. No, this was not your average, run of the mill inauguration.

While I’m disappointed to see a Democrat back in office, I am pleased to see how far our country has progressed in terms of racial equality over the past 60 years. I can’t say that I’m excited to see Obama holding the reins. I think many who voted for him got caught up in the hollywood hype and marketing buzzwords of “hope” and “change.” Do the majority of people really know what type of change Obama wants and what his policies are? I expect that many didn’t bother to do any research beyond what they heard in the overly biased media, but I digress. The decision has been made, and only time will tell what type of President Obama will become. I am skeptical, but maybe he’ll prove me wrong.

One thing is certain, Obama will need our prayers. He takes office at a particularly troubling time in our country — the economy is tanking, terrorists still loom large, and international relations are strained. Much wisdom will be needed to make the right decisions. I pray that he seeks God’s guidance first and the opinions of man second. I pray for God to protect him and his family. I pray that our country grows stronger under his leadership. And finally, I pray that Obama changes his mind about raising my taxes.

You’ve probably heard it a hundred times by now, but we witnessed a historic moment as the people of the United States elected their first African American President tonight. It demonstrates how far our country has come since the early days of the civil rights movements led by Martin Luther King in the 1960s.

I am proud to live in a country that can move beyond racial discrimination — a country that can judge people by their beliefs, capabilities, and experience rather than the color of their skin. However, I am not proud of the country’s decision to elect Barack Obama. His political and moral beliefs are in direct opposition to my own. For example, I want to be responsible for taking care of myself, acquiring healthcare, and planning for my own retirement. I don’t want the government to do it for me and mandate how it’s done. I don’t want to live in a socialistic country that redistributes wealth to those who are unwilling to work. There should be fairness and equality for everyone regardless of how much they earn; the so-called “wealthy” should not be penalized for their success, dedication and hard work. We need less government involvement in our lives and fewer taxes — and don’t even get me started on the moral issues at stake.

Unfortunately, the lots have been cast, and we’re stuck with Barack for the next four years. I just hope he doesn’t do too much damage before we can replace him in 2012. Please keep our country and its new leaders in your prayers. They have major issues to tackle (economy, war on terror, foreign relations, to name a few), and they will need God’s guidance to make the right decisions.

Truth is not determined by majority vote. ~Doug Gwyn

We have plenty of confidence in this country, but we are a little short of good men to place our confidence in. ~Will Rogers