Inauguration Day in These United States

Today I saw bits and pieces of the inauguration of Barack Obama, heard bits and pieces of it on the radio. I did not vote for Barack Obama. Some who did not vote for him will now call themselves members of the loyal opposition.

Today I'm not going to go into my complaints about the Democratic party, its platform, its policies, or its choice of president. I can save any of those things for another day.

I will only comment on the amazing transition of power in our nation's capital. It happens every four or eight years. One president gives way to another. Sometimes with few words and bitterness.

In general, Barack Obama's election should now mark the death knell of "racism" in the United States. Whether or not you voted for Barack Obama, a majority of other "races"-if that's how you wish to look at different ethnicities-voted for a "black" man. Some even voted for him in their reasoning "because" of his skin color.

I think the color of one's skin is a pretty silly reason to vote for or against anyone. After all, anyone who is of darker skin simply has more melanin in his skin than those of "lighter" color. For that matter, a person's gender doesn't make any difference in my eyes either. I want the candidate I think is most qualified, and represents our nation's interests the best to be the man in office.

The people of our nation spoke, and they essentially chose Barack Obama.

President Obama embraced Pres. George W. Bush before the former president left the stage. This owes to the grace of two people. The new Democrat President and the former Republican President. They could have shunned one another, even though I'm guessing they would heartily disagree on a lot of things. They did not.

We wish the new President good luck. When he does things which are truly right for our nation and all of us-I hope that there will be plenty of those occasions-I hope he succeeds. And where any policy may bring the potential for great harm, may it be averted, or should it be signed into law, may its harmful effects be minimized. That is my great hope for his presidency. May the God who reigns over all, look upon our nation with favor, and our Heavenly Father's will be done. -Cal Samuel August. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.