Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The Inauguration, Almost Unbelievable

Students sat in class today and watched the inauguration of the 44th President. Throughout the day, I thought about what we watched, and then discussed. I tried to understand two million people who came to the National Mall to witness this historic day. I thought about Aretha Franklin singing. My Country Tis of Thee. I kept remembering faces shown throughout the Inaugural Address.

When I got home, and was watching Katie Couric on CBS it really all hit home. When Bob Scheiffer, who has watched the last 12 inaugurations said he had never seen anything like this, I realized a lot of people felt like I did. He said "It's impossible to overstate the atmosphere," Schieffer said. "There's this feeling of good will that seems to have settled over the capitol. I've never really seen anything like it. Nothing can really describe what we witnessed today."

Today wasn't about parties, or whom you cast a vote. Today was a celebration, and a hope for our country. Today was about the hope of a great future for our children, and our childrens' children. Today was about a country and the road ahead.

In the words of Barack Obama,
Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old.
These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

And then Beyonce sang the Etta James classic, "At Last" at the Neighborhood Ball. It was quite a remarkable day.

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Image from http://flickr.com/photos/mattborowick/3207635903/

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mr.McGuire,
When I stayed home that day my mom told me I had to watch the Inauguration. My mom kept saying that will never foget this day and I could tell my kids one day that I saw a part of history.

Jessika

Anonymous said...

I wish I was there to see history. But I wouldn't want to be outside in that COLD!!!!

p.s. I turned of my caps lock!!!

Anonymous said...

I wish I could have been there to see history. like Taylor said it was way to cold.

Mr. McGuire said...

Jessika,

I agree with your mom. There is no doubt this was a historical day.