Obama keepin' it real

The presidential inauguration ceremony did not disappoint. Too often the president-elect is amazing during the campaign only to fall into old and tired political rhetoric on the day - trying to create that Hollywood snapshot of what Americans seem to think is appropriate for the world stage. There's no question that this day will be immortalized in that way - not by design but because it was so genuine and so significant.

Barack Obama was able to move the people simply by stating the way things are. Granted, he's an incredible orator but it was the words and the conviction behind them that determined the power of this discourse. He attested to the reality of the american economy, the peoples' accountability for environmental, martial and political issues. Without bitterness, he addressed the struggle of the people to achieve equality, included references to the founding fathers, to the immigrant population and even to their enemies, without that worn-out, american bluster. I laughed at this little bit of samurai swagger, "We are strong and we will defeat you", words that are exceedingly appropriate for this generation.

One of my favourite parts of the ceremony (there were many) was the benediction given by the Reverend Joseph Lowery. He spoke to the world but asked that Americans cling to the spirit of fellowship embodied at the inauguration. In essence, he petitioned the american people to walk the walk now that they had talked the talk. He finished with words that I haven't heard since the '60s and '70s but were common at the time, “...work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man and when white will do what's right” .

How wonderful for the people of the United States that they can hold their heads up again and be proud of themselves and the man that represents them in the community of nations.