Inauguration Nation
Yesterday felt like a marvelous day indeed, and not just because of the copious champagne intake. I don't know about anybody else, but I could have watched Bush's helicopter take off a million times before getting bored. Obama looked magnificently Presidential and sounded confident, whilst his wife and kids looked equally happy ... even during that seemingly-endless and unnecessary parade nonsense. Cheney was obviously channeling Dr Strangelove and I know I wasn't the only one who secretly wished he could have been unceremoniously shoved down the Capitol Building steps.
Every new president represents a mark in history, but yesterday was obviously checked large. 1½ million people descended on Washington to witness it happen. Obama's poise and grace was preserved for future generations to watch on film or video, hopefully at a time when racism doesn't exist in any form and students can wonder at the ludicrous nature of a white/black divide. In that regard, I'm sure I was amongst the thousands scared stiff at the possibility of a gunshot ringing out when the pair of them got out of the armour-plated limo and walked part of the way down Pennsylvania Avenue on their way to the White House. Is it a fear that will ever subside? You know for a fact there were a few shaven-headed right-wing bigots who took out their TV's with a shotgun yesterday, horrified that "someone like that" could now be leading our country.
It's the first inauguration I have ever watched and with all due respect to Hillary I'm not sure even a woman becoming President would have held the same fascination. Mainly because Clinton seemed to represent 'old school' Washington politics, her hands in the lobbyist pot at every opportunity and her husband a veritable millstone around her neck. Obama, by comparison, does seem to be cut from new cloth, giving a brave and bold speech yesterday that was not only conciliatory to enemies but was inclusive even to people like myself of no religious faith. When was the last time a President mentioned "non-believers" except in a derogatory sense? It felt very daring to even consider flaunting this in the face of backward Republican ideals and it will be interesting to see if their response will be to move even further to the right or attempt to become more centrist before 2012. (I suspect the former... heavens forbid they should upset their crazy "god squad")
Obama really does have the weight of the entire world on his shoulders this morning and we have to hope that he can now move forward to right many of the wrongs inflicted on everyone for the last eight years. Its not in his nature to apportion blame but I hope he never lets the American people forget that the financial troubles and economic woes can be laid entirely at the GOP's feet, their love for 'unregulated' business creating the very mess Obama now has to clean up. America, and the word, have to hope he can find the mechanisms to do so.
There's already talk of him - within a few days - signing off on legislation that will not only close the Guantanamo torture base but also save women from falling foul of last-minute Bush laws could have prevented women from obtaining proper birth control.
From a purely selfish standpoint my hope is that he brings in universal healthcare legislation as soon as possible, simultaneously making the industry non-profit and working for the people instead of a few golf-playing billionaires. At the very least he needs to make it illegal and impossible for any hospital, healthcare business or pharmaceutical company to bankrupt any sick patient for non-payment of bills. The pharma industry needs to be strictly regulated again, the R&D budgets stripped to ONLY include R&D, rather than swanky desert island junkets for a handful of doctors and/or promotional budgets.
Government needs to have teeth again. I hope Obama continues to bare his. GOBAMA!!