The Inauguration of President Obama was an event to behold. Mr. Obama is the first presidential candidate since Kennedy to inspire me to hope and believe once again in our government. I wanted so badly to regain my lost hope in the Great Idea that is America. It seems that I am not alone. Almost 2 million people gathered in the freezing cold to be part of that historical moment.
I felt a connection with Barack Obama from the first time I heard him speak but I was unsure of how mainstream America would respond to him. My grandparents are from Iowa so when the good people of Iowa voted for him in their caucuses, I knew that he had a chance to win the election. It was the Iowa spirit that kick-started Obama’s victory, placed him favorably in the national spot light, and led to this Inauguration.
When race seemed to become an issue during the campaign, Mr. Obama faced it head-on. Mr. Obama’s historic speech put American racism in perspective with grace and civility. I could feel him speaking from his heart. It was then I knew that he was the breath of compassionate and intelligent fresh air that was needed for this country to move beyond stigmatizing people based upon their skin color. (read more )
