Barack Obama was sworn in Tuesday as the 44th president and called on the nation to put aside greed, irresponsibility and "our collective failure to make hard choices" and turn back the "raging storms" of war and recession."On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics," Mr. Obama said. "The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit, to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
Mr. Obama stood opposite the Lincoln Memorial where 45 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. called upon the nation to judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. A strong, biting wind had the waving American flag two balconies above the ceremony taut and the crowd shivering.
At exactly noon, by law, Mr. Obama became president, the first African-American to hold the office in history. It wasn't until five minutes later, that the new president placed his hand on the Bible once used by Abraham Lincoln, and using his full name, Barack Hussein Obama, swore to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
Mr. Obama, acknowledged the special significance of the moment for a nation where race has provided a historic and often painful subtext. Mr. Obama, the son of a Kenyan father who once herded goats, has often said that in no other country on earth would his life story be possible. On Tuesday, he linked his father's immigrant story to the legacy of segregation experienced by many of the thousands of African-Americans who came from around the country to witness his inauguration.
"A man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a sacred oath," Mr. Obama said.
"Because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace," he said.
Now that we have a new president, that stands with history. I really believe that "Change Is On The Way".
