Barack Obama - 44th President

Dear Emma and Taylor-
Yesterday was such an amazing day in American history. For it was the day that the first African American became president of our United States. What an amazing country we live in. We are simply blessed with so many privileges. I can’t wait to see how much more wonderful this world is when you two are my age.

Instated of rewriting this summary by myself I am just going to steel shamelessly, give credit to Rev. Rex for the below summary, and my kids can have a reminder when they are older. But I did also like Rev. Rex's take on this and his words really hit home, so I did want to save this for you two to read when you are old enough to appreciate this amazing event in American history.

“No matter how you may have voted in the Presidential election, the historic inauguration of the first African American to become President of the United States of America was quite an event. An estimated crowd of over 2 million people filled the Mall in Washington, D.C. to witness the historic event, and being just on the heels of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday observance, it made it all the more special. The historic significance of the 44th President Barak H. Obama being from the same state of Illinois as our 16th President Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery in this country, is very ironic and hopeful. The fact that President Obama chose to travel the same route that President Lincoln did to Washington, D.C. in 1861 and used the same Bible Lincoln used at his inauguration to take the oath of office, gives me reason for great pause.

I pray this will be a time for unity in our country. I know there are many against President Obama and some for purely political reasons. I heard a popular radio announcer just the other day say that he was disappointed that some of his party had already “caved” by wishing Obama success in the White House. The same announcer also said that no one in his party should wish Obama success. He went on to say, “I need only four words: I hope he fails.” I understand party politics in our United States, but I do not understand this line of thinking. I believe it to be mean spirited and divisive for the good of the country. What is the ultimate goal here—is it for a political party, any party, to be successful or for the country to be successful? Two party politics is certainly good for debate, but it is not good when it becomes the end all.

Then there are those who are purely against him because of the color of his skin. I, for one, am proud of our freedom to be able to vote and to express our views in this democratic nation even the ability to express different views as in those of the radio announcer above and the view I write in this newsletter—they are all covered under the freedom of speech.

I have been supportive of President Bush and have prayed for him as our leader. I am supportive of President Obama and am proud that he is the first African American to rise to the highest office in the land. I will pray for him and all our leaders as I have done so throughout my life. Without revealing how I voted in this election, I can honestly say that the candidates I have voted for in the past have not always won, but I continue to follow the Apostle Paul’s admonition “that prayers…be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions””