Inaugural Thoughts
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 at 10:20 am
It’s been a pretty remarkable 36 hours. Sometimes life delivers you what you need, when you need it, and even if you were totally ignorant you needed something. I needed to get out of New York City for a bit.
Yesterday I bore witness to history. I was a part of (at least one of) the largest gatherings of Americans in history. Everybody was represented. It was the most diverse audience I’ve ever seen.
Today I woke, and all though it was cold, the early morning sun was shining down on the Washington Monument, and it struck me what a beautiful city this is and why. It felt like the beginning of something. This city, even through its depravity and corruption, remains one of the few places on Earth specifically dedicated to liberty and justice and for all.
People think philosophy is some arcane paperback a grad school nerd is agonizing over in a café. That’s not the case at all. The minds that founded this country were philosophers, in a way that is not dissimilar to the sort of philosopher Barack Obama is. It’s not some sort of grandiose dogma. It’s not institutional, though it needs to work through institutions. It’s not religious, or some esoteric -ism.
It’s about bringing people together. Telling them what they don’t want to hear in an understandable and disarming way. Patching old grievances. Moving forward. Ending quagmire. Doing what’s right – and getting it done.
His accomplishment thusfar is remarkable enough. He’s gotten millions of people to move – to work – to commit. Think about the effort it probably take you to get a co-worker to look at an e-mail, or reachout to somebody, or finish something you need. Compare that to what President Obama has already achieved.
Yes, I know he has a young genius speechwriter. Yes, I realize I sound like I drank the Koolaid.
But everytime he talks about “the cynics,” I feel like he’s talking directly to me and the majority of this country. Cynicism is very dangerous. It creates a cycle of apathy that deteriorates and disrespects the effort and achievements of our predecessors. It’s also pervasive – it’s an attitude we carry with us in everything we do. It breeds a “me first” attitude of greed and selfishness.
So, I hope I don’t read this in three years and think I was hopelessly naïve. This country has almost entirely lost its sense of civics, something I’m interested in improving, but lack the time due to Market Publique. And though I’m concerned we are living a bit of Altas Shrugged, I do believe an Obama administration can improve this in the very least.
So, go out there, and be an Obama. A collective attitude adjustment would create much more change than legislation.
I also posted photos and video from the Inauguration (as seen from The National Mall).