I watched the inauguration of our 44th President yesterday morning, and I saw things play out that my children will read about in their history books one day. I only hope that the things that are written will not include the hateful and arrogant words that were said under the disguise of opposition. I hope that my children will understand the reason behind why democracy grew from a burning fire to a roaring furnace. I hope that the writers are kind to our former President. He made mistakes during his two terms, but I think that he did the best with what he had to work with.

After all, my credit card debt is not his fault. Foreclosures on homes due to shifty loans or loans that couldn't be afforded in the first place are not his fault. Terrorism is not his fault. Crumbling economic structure due to a lifestyle of over-spending and over-indulgence is not his fault. The impending failure of the American Automaker due to years of compromise in order to not anger the union is not his fault. Job losses are devastating, and they have contributed to good people paying for the mistakes of irresponsible people. I seriously doubt that the people that were scamming people out of money with shifty loans even considered the collateral damage of the working American citizen. I was let go from a company that I worked for after 9-11, and my pregnant wife had to work two jobs because I couldn't even find one. I personally have experienced the agony and hurt that goes with being un-employed, but I don't think we can place all of this blame on President Bush. People that own companies don't always do the right thing, and speculation in the stock market helps to crumble financial stability. To help the picture be clearer, I intend to help my kids understand what they read about in their history books by relating the history that I have seen play out in my lifetime.


I was born in a rural town in Northwest Mississippi, just a few hours from Memphis, Tennessee. In the first few of my 30 years, much of the history that I would learn would come from the lips of my parents and grandparents. I would be taught lessons of tolerance and intolerance from people that had seen integration and depression. History books that were written by perfect strangers would seek to re-direct the lessons that I had learned from the people that I respected the most. They may have taught lessons that shouldn't have been taught, but the lesson that was the most important is the one that I hold on to still today. It is the message that makes me proud to see that President Obama is where he is today. It is also the message that allows me to have hope for our country, despite my opinion that President Obama is probably not the right man for the job. Living in the compassion and mercy of Almighty God affords me this hope.

I didn't vote for President Obama, but I believe in what his election stands for. I am proud that today is a new day for racial equality in America. I am hopeful that people will be seen as creations of God instead of people of a particular race. I know that this won't happen overnight, but I do think it has started to happen. I myself have never been slighted because of being "white," so I can't fully understand the plight of the "black" American citizen. With this said, my lack of understanding does not blind my eyes to the tears of joy and celebration that I saw yesterday. I am happy because people that felt oppressed are happy. I am relieved because the chains that some wore around their souls were broken yesterday. Belief in the love of God teaches me that all people should be loved and appreciated - no matter the color of their skin. That makes me proud of what was accomplished yesterday.

I don't think that any man (or woman) can faithfully execute the office of...faithfully execute faithfully the office of Pres...be the President of the United States of America without divine intervention (round of applause for getting through that one.) I pray for President Obama the same way that I prayed for President Bush (43 as the newscasters refer to him) and President Clinton. Despite her faults and failures, we still live in the best country on this planet. Yesterday did not end with the murder of our current leader, and the inauguration was not shrouded in controversy. There was no militant takeover of government by an extremist section of radicals. There will be no persecution of my practice of religion come next Sunday. I will be able to meet and praise God in public, without fear of death. I can go to Wal-Mart and purchase a bible, bread, milk, and anything else that I need to sustain life. I may not be able to go the bank and get a loan for an expensive new luxury car, but there are base models to choose from - I just have to roll the window up instead of push a button.