History in the making
January 19, 2009
You have to admit, no matter what your political views, that tomorrow is a REALLY BIG DAY for the United States of America. The inauguration of the first African-American President. The air is crackling with excitement. You can see sparks of it everywhere.
My family had traveled to visit MapMan’s Pittsburgh-born parents (who have since relocated South). We wanted to be together to watch the Steelers secure their ticket to the Super Bowl… more on that in another post- WOOHOO!!!!! On the way home we were traveling North-bound on the highway and passed loads of military & police vehicles headed to the inauguration. There was a full convoy of military vehicles, all of the soldiers dressed in camouflage. There was also a group of 8 police officers driving motorcycles and traveling in parade formation. They were already honoring the new President en-route, never breaking formality until they pulled up to a rest stop and heard the order “DIS-MOUNT!” It was very impressive, very exciting. Everyone at the rest stop was marveling at them.
Thomas and I walked over to the line of motorcycles and the officers were VERY friendly. One was even a WOMAN! You GO, girl! They confirmed that they were headed to the Inauguration, and I commented on the poor biking conditions. “NAH!” the female officer remarked, “This is a walk in the park on a spring day for us!”
As we headed into the restroom I was trying to teach Thomas a little about our country and the significance of tomorrow. Finally Thomas asked, “When are we gonna see that guy?”
“Tomorrow,” I replied.
“TOMORROW!?” Thomas wailed.
I was very confused as to why he was so upset. “What’s wrong?” I asked him.
“I want him to give us our present NOW! A present for our United States puzzle!”
“Oh, sweetie, not PRESENT… President. And the puzzle we have at home shows the place where we live, the United States. Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States. Not a present of a United States puzzle.”
I could hear someone giggling behind us, and an elderly African-American lady emerged. She was beaming and her eyes were twinkling, obviously tickled by our conversation. We chatted about Thomas’s age and the motorcycles outside. “This is an exciting time!” she told us, and was obviously pleased that I had been teaching my child about it.
Her excitement was contagious. It made me happy to see her looking so, well, THRILLED. It IS a thrilling time. It transcends party lines. It is HISTORY and it is EXCITING. The first African-American President. I pray that this can help create some healing and promote a greater sense of unity in our country. I also love the juxtaposition of Martin Luther King Day being celebrated just 1 day prior. How fitting. How deeply moving.
When we got home I showed Thomas some pictures on the computer to further explain the Presidents and a little bit about our country. I found out that Thomas had hoped ”that guy” was going to give us some new pieces to go with our floor puzzle of the United States. I told him that until something changes we will have to stick to 50 (for the 50 states, I know a lot of you are not American).
Later that night in the bathtub I heard him telling Percy about “O-barack Obama, our new President tomorrow.”
“BARACK,” my husband corrected him.
“NO, not THAT, silly!” Thomas laughed, “It’s O-barack!”
I guess I have a little more to teach him.
Postscript- 1/20/2009: So much for racial healing. I just heard the prayer by The Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery… “that yellow will be mellow, red will get ahead, and white will embrace what is right“. Did he really need to go there during the Inauguration Ceremony? I just felt all of the excitement sucked right out of me and I feel sick to my stomach.
Entry Filed under: children, family, for laughs. Tags: children, history, inaguration, Obama, USA.
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1.
frogger11758 | January 19, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Obarack. I’ve heard some kids around here saying that too. Quite amusing.
North from Pittsburgh. I have to ask, do you live anywhere near Meadville?
2.
Goldie | January 20, 2009 at 12:06 am
No, actually they are down south now. The family moved from Pittsburgh when my husband was a teenager. I edited the post to not be as confusing.
I have gotten to visit the area once… very pretty up there in PA!
3.
Kemi | January 20, 2009 at 12:11 am
What a cute story! Thanks for sharing.
4.
Goldie | January 20, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I just added this to the post. I am sad.
Postscript- 1/20/2009: So much for racial healing. I just heard the prayer by The Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery… “that yellow will be mellow, red will get ahead, and white will embrace what is right”. Did he really need to go there? I just felt all of the excitement sucked right out of me and I feel sick to my stomach.
5.
fightingwindmills | January 20, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Yeah, those rhyming verses were sad. Just shake your head and shake it off. Don’t let it bother you or make you feel sick, Goldie. I am humming, “it’s a gift to be simple; it’s a gift to be free . . .”
6.
Boo Sr. | January 20, 2009 at 2:59 pm
As we left preschool pickup today, lots of moms were watching the TV showing the inauguration– not sure how much the preschoolers were understanding, but mine was upset we didn’t get to watch “Obama TV.” So, she at least knows his name! As far as MLK Day, I thought it was pretty cool Noggin aired a little spot about him with Little Bill and his grandma putting together a scrapbook, and it was very much on their level. So maybe all you need to know you can learn in kindergarten– Dr. King taught people to share, to allow everyone to go to school and live together, and to help in their community. My sister’s friend from FL came up to attend, so I’ll find out from someone first hand what it was like– but I’m OK with just watching on TV!
7.
Boo Sr. | January 20, 2009 at 3:01 pm
PS We had a United States puzzle as a kid (my dad’s a SERIOUS geography nut, and had visited all 50 states by about age 30), and I always remembered where pink Connecticut was, since it was lost long ago!
8.
Goldie | January 20, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Boo, I love the positive energy of MLKjr’s message.
FW, there we go being soul sisters again… sometimes it’s creepy. I SING THAT SONG TO MY KIDS AS A LULLABY! It is one of the 3 I sing every night. i have no idea why, I just started doing it one night and the habit stuck.
“…’til by turning, turning we come out right!”
9.
Brian R. | January 20, 2009 at 5:44 pm
This was such a sweet post. It made me teary.
I remember wondering in 5th grade if this would happen in my lifetime.
10.
High hopes | January 20, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Goldie this was very touching!
I do agree with your comments about Rev. Lowery, IMHO this is very racist, divisive and furthers prejudice and does not promote healing. Good grief, you think they would have read what he was going to say and make him change it or take it out.
11.
Goldie | January 20, 2009 at 7:00 pm
well brian, it did! it is exciting.
HH, I was wondering if they knew what he was going to say. I truly hope not. I felt that the final words of the benediction detracted from the dignity and hope and unity of the day and took us BACKWARD instead of forward.
12.
mama mara | January 21, 2009 at 2:12 am
Why we invite any preachers to speech at inaugurations is beyond me. Isn’t this a governmental event? I have to admit, I didn’t really listen too closely to the second preacher. I was more attentive to Warren, who didn’t do anything terribly offensive, but made me laugh out loud when he said the names MaLIa and SAsha as if he were trying to rap.
And what was up with that plodding poem right before the Mellow Yellow guy? I’m thinking it was provided so people could take a long bathroom break.
13.
rhubarb | January 21, 2009 at 2:16 am
The citizens of the United States of America celebrate a very special day today. The replacement of prejudice with intelligence has produced many smiles all over the world.
14.
Goldie | January 21, 2009 at 9:40 am
Mara, lol, Mellow yellow guy.
Rhubarb, I will be very happy when prejudice is TRULY gone. Looks like we have some work yet to do.
FW, I now realize that they played that song at the ceremony and that is why youbrought it up. Duh.
15.
Goldie | January 21, 2009 at 9:44 am
I have read some interesting responses to Lowery’s prayer. I do NOT intend to harp on this issue for very long though, or I will also be guilty of focusing on past hurts instead of moving forward. But I thought the following was interesting. Not saying I agree with all of it, but it makes me think. They were made by someone called SemiahmooDude on a citydata.com forum:
To those who would dismiss those comments as mere sarcasm, or some form of racial inside joke, you are missing the larger point that some are trying to make with this unfortunate end to what was an otherwise reasonably uplifting ceremony.
Lowery’s comments were simply innapropriate – but that alone does not greatly concern me. The media’s attempted dismissal of the comments and others like it over time is what causes continued alarm. When such dismissal happens for some, (“leaders” within minority communities etc.) and does not happen for others (whites) it inevitably increases tensions between whites and all others. Instead of seeing ourselves as Americans, we continue to insist we are white, black, “yellow” (I had not heard that term since the Nixon years!) and on and on…
This liberal favortism fosters and further increases continued animosity. I am white. I was happily listening to today’s inaugural ceremonies until it came to that final section of Lowery’s benediction and I was stunned, then angered. All other attempts to paint it as something else aside, it was either a classless attempt at poor humor, or an outright gesture of pointed racism during an event that, at least in part, was a symbolic gesture of how far America had come beyond its troubled racist past.
More whites voted for Obama than all other races combined. And yet, this speech disregarded that fact, ending the entire occassion on a note imbedded in the past, that no longer applies to the present, nor the future of this nation – that is, unless such comments continue, and those within the mainstream media persist in defending them.
If this had been a white man, who had stated a similar rhyme about how blacks needed to finally see that white is right, there would have been a justifiable outcry of such scope the individual who spoke those words would be so greatly diminished as to never recover. It is a double-standard that simply cannot continue as it will only lead to further damaging the significant gains made in American race relations over generations.
If you attempt to make light of Lowery’s comments, you make light of the true history of Black America. You make light of the history of the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement – a history that would not have been possible without the persistent and brave support of White America.
Martin Luther King spoke of a hopeful nation when he stated he looked to a day when people were not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. In essence, an America that no longer saw color among us, but rather the potential in each of us. Lowery’s remarks were in stark contrast to King’s vision. Lowery chose to utilize race as a means of dividing and demeaning on a day that was to be the culmination of actual unity.
Shameful.
16.
High hopes | January 21, 2009 at 1:11 pm
I agree. Obama’s speech was inspiring and letting the world know that there is work to be done and to acheive prosperity everyone in the US and world collectively have to work to get it done.
I watched the event after work last night, I tivo’d it and watched Rev. Lowery’s remarks a couple of times and was stunned. It seems that old attitudes still prevail and it is ones like that which will continue the injustices of the past. This type of thinking will not let people move forward as a nation, and society as a whole.
Lets hope that Mr. Obama can continue to bridge the gap and that we stop looking at him as the first ‘black’ president, but instead as a good hard working president.
Yes it was very historic, the moment has been marked in history and it is extremely significant , but it is now time to stop defining people by the color of their skin. In the end it is irrelevant, in the end it will be Barack Obama the man who will be judged by his actions and deeds as president.
17.
lynnes | January 22, 2009 at 12:06 am
I’ve been thinking about this a bunch. I personally think the last part of the prayer was a reminder. We’ve come a long way, but it’s the beginning of the next era more than the end of the last. We can’t just point at one man and say, “See, it’s not an issue anymore!” Systemic racisism is still a significant problem and if we’re not vigilant, we’ll lose ground. While it was an historic occasion that an african american man was elected president of the united states, we can’t just assume he won’t be the *only* african american ever elected president.
18.
Goldie | January 22, 2009 at 8:02 am
Amen, Lynne & HH! Now it is our job to be vigiliant, not forget the lessons of the past, & move forward to try & help do our part to make the world a better place.
19.
gr8tful | January 22, 2009 at 11:40 am
Well, the Rev. prayer was, for me at least, VERY much inappropiate!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Black is back, yellow will be mellow, white will embrace what is right!! That SHOULD NOT have been said. That right there is racist! If anyone doesn’t agree with me oh well…….that is MY opinion!
Obamas speech was good, now let’s see action from it!!!!!!!!!!!!1
20.
highhopes1 | January 22, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I agree with many. We have to stay vigilant, we have to reach our hands out in peace. We have to make the changes needed and work hard. It is not just the US that has to work hard it is the entire world. We have to tackle the global economic crisis, terrorism and helping those who are less fortunate at home and abroad.
We need to keep mindful that President Obama is just a man and one man can lead the way, but we have to be willing to follow and do the work.
21.
Boo Sr. | January 22, 2009 at 4:38 pm
All the other comments go along with my opinion on the subject. I just wanted to note that Jesse Jackson was asked right after the event what he thought of the prayer, and he just laughed it off and said he was asked to help the guy write it in rhyme! OMG. Also, I saw an interview with MLK from 1965, and when asked if he thought a black man would ever be president, he said so much had happened in the past few years, he could see it happening in 40 years, then he amended it to 25. He was closer with the 40 year prophecy, and as it turns out, his words did come true. I also believe Obama was elected not because of people trying to make a statement about his race, but because he’s a smart, charismatic guy who can really get people from all walks of life behind him. Just hope those he has chosen to work with him are equally as smart, enthusiastic and ready to make some pivotal changes.