An Inaguration Post

As I said before, I had a ticket to watch the swearing-in of President Obama (which will take a day or two to get used to saying!) today. After Sunday’s concert, I was hopeful and excited and figured the inauguration would be an overwhelmingly positive experience. While that held true for what took place on the steps of the Capital, the same cannot be said for what occurred in the crowd.

I was embarrassed and ashamed by the overwhelming lack of respect for the office of the President and the rudeness and immaturity expressed toward President Bush when he was introduced. Throughout his transition, Obama has spoken of reaching across the aisle; we’ve all heard the line about being the “United States” no longer divided by partisanship. While he has taken steps toward this end, it was very clear by the loud “boos” and singing of “goodbye” that the majority of his followers have no interest in doing so themselves.

After the ceremony, I discussed this with some friends of mine who have been strong Obama supporters. These individuals are by no means Bush supporters – they have overwhelmingly negative opinions of his policy and presidency – however, as patriotic Americans they have respect for the office of our President and Commander-in-Chief, regardless of who holds the position. The inauguration is a State event, not a protest; it is a tradition that our country holds in high esteem and one that deserves the respect of all Americans.

To that end, the newly inaugurated President Obama gave a great speech. He was inspirational and hinted at what Americans, as well as the rest of the world, can expect from his presidency. Unfortunately, the part of his speech that was most memorable to me was when he referenced the Scripture, saying “the time has come to set aside childish things.” At this point, most of the individuals who had been acting disrespectful and childish only moments before cheered. I couldn’t help but think: “Seriously?! Do these people not realize that this applies to them as well?!”

I sincerely hope that the behavior I witnessed today does not set the tone for the next 4 years. While individuals have the right to question their leadership, one has to wonder: if we as Americans don’t respect our own elected leaders, how is the rest of the world supposed to respect them?