On the occasion of Obama's inauguration

When I woke up this morning, I felt so good. A cool spirit moved through my soul. It’s hard to explain, but I felt reborn, rejuvenated. I felt revived. I felt as though today was the beginning of a new life for not only me, but for every black person in the world. For today was the day that I would witness true history: the inauguration of the first African-American president of the Untied States of America.

Many people have argued and debated on this day and the true meaning and reason of why so many young African-American youths, like me, are so proud and happy. I mean, we don’t know him, and we never even met him. He hasn’t even done anything great yet. But I beg to differ. He has accomplished something far greater than any black man I know!

But the real reason is just being able to witness a dream come true. Just shortly over 40-odd years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke about the dream. The dream that we as a nation would come together and fight for a common good. To walk hand in hand down the rough streets of segregation. To be able to eat, learn, work and be in the presence of one another, no matter our race. And most importantly, to be judged by the content of our character and not the color of our skin.

I can say that I have never experienced such a remarkable occasion ever in my short years of life. To witness a black man become president, I never in a million years would ever think that I would live in a time that this would happen. You always hear the saying that you can be whatever you want to be. I truly feel now that is true.

I hope every young minority American feels the same. It feels good to be an American! Finally!

Ormani Byrd
Holly Springs High School

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Our family watched the inauguration of our new president. Not my choice for president, but my president nonetheless. I have determined to pray for my president and my country like never before.  

In the time leading up to this day, I have reflected back to the last president I did not choose, President Clinton. In my speech, I never showed him any respect. I found myself unwilling to listen to anything he said.  If he came on the TV, I turned it off.  I gave lip service to praying for him, but slammed him to others.

I am a little concerned by where our country is heading. We have four years of a very liberal president who has already said he will do some things I do not agree with. But I will not live in fear. I know that my God is mighty and that He controls our president, whether the president seeks Him or not. In studying the book of Esther, I read a verse that talked about how Cyrus (found in Ezra) was controlled by God and did what God wanted for God’s pleasure.

God will work in our president as well. So I am asking that you, my friends and family, join with me.  Pledge to pray for our president and our leaders. Stay alert to what is going on in Washington. Contact your elected officials when you feel it necessary. Show respect for President Obama, giving him the respect the office of president deserves. Like him or not, agree or disagree, he is your president.

Rebecca Hargraves
Benson

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Some have characterized President Obama’s speech as “not a great speech.” Even Mark Shields, liberal commentator speaking on the Lehrer News Hour on PBS, declared “Not a great speech.”

I beg to differ.  

I listened intently. I was surprised when there was no applause when I expected applause. There was silence when I expected an uprising of enthusiastic appreciation expressed as whoops and clapping.

Now that I have listened to multiple replays of that speech, I cannot help but conclude that it was not our 44th president’s desire to generate thunderous applause or whoops of appreciation. In fact, those moments of silence that followed his penetrating exposures of our national psyche revealed the depth of those exposures.  

President Obama forced us to look at ourselves — and that was not always clearly evident to us in those fleeting moments, or easy to take when his words were, in fact, obvious.

Obama challenged us — when many of us are fearful of challenges. Political pundits have been exploring just how much one individual, meaning one president, can do.  

Our new president made it clear  that he alone cannot perform miracles. But he also made it clear that he, along with each of us — administration team members, yes, but each of us as individual citizens of these United States — can perform miracles.

Truly this was a great speech!

Linda Rimer
Chapel Hill

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We must remember that Barack Obama has white heritage as well as black heritage. In the understandable excitement to highlight one heritage, let’s not ignore the other.

Obama is a person equally of two proud races. He used his biracial status to build rapport with both races producing a uniting and winning effect. When he is called black, that does not designate that he is equally of another race. When he is called African-American, that implies he has roots in Africa and is an American citizen, but it does not specify that he is equally of another race or what the other race is. He is black and African-American. But he is also white and European American. He can choose any designation, but that does not negate the others.

However, the problem basically has arisen because society sees a person of white parentage and another race as never white. Ideas are slowly changing as many people now refuse to be identified as one race. But we can all truthfully say, welcome 44th president of white heritage, and at the same time proudly say, welcome first president of black heritage.

James Cole
Raleigh

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I neither rejoice nor celebrate. But rather I mourn for the tens of thousands of innocent children who would have lived and breathed and loved and laughed had another been elected president. Where is the nation who will defend them? Where is the voice who would declare never again on their behalf? Freedom of choice? What would the innocent choose if we chose freedom for them instead of for ourselves?

Ben LaCorte
Cary

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From Lincoln to Obama; from freedom to fulfillment.

Ann G. Mullin
Apex

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My slightly extravagant purchase has arrived! My imagination plays out this scene:

A stranger keeps vigil in the parking lot. He doesn’t know what I look like. But he is certain he will recognize me. I come into his field of vision. There can be no mistaking me, for my locked trunk opens with a high-pitched beep and I begin unloading groceries. There are no preliminaries. No “Pardon me, but I couldn’t help noticing” or “Hello, I was wondering.”

What does it mean?

It is my new license plate, which reads, “Festina?” Festina is Latin for make haste. The question mark represents a missing word: lente.

Should we make haste? Yes. How? Slowly. With all deliberate speed.
I’ve long been a fan of the phrase, which is poetic in its brevity and ambiguity.

President Obama, as you confront the broad and deep problems facing our nation, festina lente.

Joan McCool
Cary

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Perhaps “We Shall Overcome” should be changed to “We Have Overcome.”

William D. Bruce
Chapel Hill