"WHEN FASCISM COMES TO AMERICA IT WILL BE WRAPPED IN THE FLAG
AND CARRYING A CROSS." -SINCLAIR LEWIS

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

President Obama's Inauguration Speech

The adults are back in charge:


[Update: when I first read this speech this word really jumped out at me:
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers.
When have you ever heard a president so readily acknowledge this country's atheistic citizenry at an inauguration before? That's change, baby.]

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm assuming you got my message about that...

JBW said...

I did one L but I forgot to charge my phone last night so it was out of juice for a while before I noticed. I didn't see your message until your wife texted me. Good looking out, brother.

Anonymous said...

This was certainly historic too. Has another president ever included the non-believer in his speech? I doubt it.

I too jumped when I heard this.

Anonymous said...

Just wondering: If he had NOT mentioned "non-believers", would you have been offended? Or is it such a foregone conclusion to expect to NOT be included in that sort of statement that you either wouldn't notice or wouldn't care?

JBW said...

I would care but I wouldn't be offended. As I said, the word jumped out at me; I wasn't searching for it. And no, I wasn't expecting it either. Religion is such a big part of so many people's lives that many of them seem to just assume that everyone thinks that way.

Obama has done the same thing with homosexuals as well, including them in phrases like, "Rich or poor, black or white, straight or gay..." Now, does he empathize with and understand where non-believers and gays are coming from? I think so. Is it possible that he says these things merely because he has some very media-savvy speech writers? Of course, but since both groups are small minorities not much liked by many in the huge Christian majority in this country I would expect a jaded politician to find it easier to just ignore us. But maybe I'm wrong.