Political Comment

Last night I went to a party to benefit the local Humane Society. It was also an inaugural party, and we watched a big-screen replay of the oath of office and inaugural speech from earlier in the day. I can honestly say that I have never, in person, seen such a large group of people so happy over something political, especially given that Obama's speech was clearly more a call to work and sacrifice than a jingoistic litany of patriotic platitudes. I had heard some radio and TV commentators bemoaning the fact that there were no grand historic turns of phrase in the speech, no "nothing to fear..." or "ask not what your country can do...." That sure didn't matter to the folks I was with, whose evident happiness was, if anything, fueled by the realistic approach promised by the new president. To me, his invocation of our history, of the immense struggles already overcome by the people of this nation going back to the Revolution, and involving people of all walks of life and all econonomic and social classes, native and foreign born, was the most inspiring part of the address. I'd like to think that message will resonate enough to generate grass-roots activism across the country in support of conservation, education, economic innovation, social justice, etc. etc. I know that's a tall order, but I also think that the only way those things can be accomplished is if we all act as responsible citizens and recognize that government is merely one tool for change, but we have the responsibiltity to see that it functions correctly and in our service. I think that Obama understands that (as a former community organizer, he should), but now the rest of us have to demonstrate that we are prepared to play our part in realizing the nation's shared goals.