President Barack Obama's Second Inauguration is a New Beginning

January 20th, 2013

Every year I have had a blog, I have always honored Martin Luther King today and his "I Have a Dream" speech which he gave on August 28, 1963, because his words he spoke are still true today when we are inaugurating President Obama for his second term:

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." 

It is striking that on the Martin Luther King holiday we are inaugurating President Obama who is black to his second term.  He won the last election with over 5 million votes including votes coming from Republicans like me who joined Republicans for Obama last year.  Some of finally took our blinders off and saw a man filled with strength and humility who loved America and wanted only what is best for every American not just a select few.  Over the last year since realizing that I could not support the Republican nominee, I have begun to realize that President Obama is not a liberal but in so many ways he is like my hero Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan who recognized we are all one people.

The hate on the right has to end starting today and it is mandatory that Republican leadership take today to start anew and recognize like Senator McCain did today that the American people elected this President and they need to take a new tone.  President Obama like Presidents before him deserves our support and prayers today and for his 2nd term.  Doesn't mean that you cannot disagree with the Obama agenda but it can be done in a civil manner.  We expected Democrats to respect President George W Bush so now it is time for those on the right to respect that Barack Hussein Obama is our President and treat him with respect.

As I watch members of the United States Senate file in for the ceremony you see John McCain and Diane Feinstein walking in together.  Maybe we can have a new beginning where in the Senate the Democrats and Republicans start working together for the American people instead of putting Party over Country as we have been seeing in the first term by some Republicans in the Senate.

This day has always brought tears to my eyes no matter who is being sworn in as President and today is no different as every four years the Country gets a restart.

God Bless the President, Vice President and Members of Congress as we start the second term and with all of our prayers that with our elected officials that Country comes before Party.

God Bless America sung by Martina McBride at the Rose Bowl is one of the best renditions of this wonderful song I have heard.


Martina McBride singing "God Bless America" at the 2002 Rose Bowl Parade.