President Obama and ‘the work of remaking America’

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By
Alvaro F. Fernandez                                                        Read Spanish Version  

alfernandez@the-beach.net

“… That
we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is
at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our
economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and
irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure
to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Homes
have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is
too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further
evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and
threaten our planet.

These
are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less
measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across
our land; a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, that
the next generation must lower its sights.

Today
I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious
and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of
time. But know this America: They will be

met.
…”

—
President Barack Obama during his inaugural address

We
have a new president and his name is Barack Hussein Obama.

I
am not sure if Tuesday was the start of a dream or the end of a
nightmare. It felt like one of those days one remembers for the rest
of your life.

To
be sure, though, the nightmare is over: George W. Bush has left
Washington and is back in Texas. If we happen to see him again in
public, may it be in a court of law where he should be tried for
crimes committed while he was president. As for the former vice
president, he showed up at the Obama inauguration in a wheelchair. It
was reported that he had hurt his back the day before while carrying
boxes. I have a hard time picturing Dick Cheney carrying a box. As
for the man, even in a wheelchair, he looked malicious, scary —
downright vampirical.

I
may be out in leftfield with this but Cheney knows there are many who
would love to indict him (too) for war crimes, corruption and a host
of other crimes. The elder statesman in a wheelchair act may soften
some hearts, he may have thought. I doubt it. We’ll see how
President Obama handles these two and their coterie of mercenaries
and vandals.

On
the bright side, millions braved a sunny but extremely cold day to
share in the historical moment. Obama, as he is apt to do when he
speaks, did not disappoint. But there was much more to Tuesday then
the importance of electing the first African American president.
Between the smiles and tears and celebration one could sense the
catharsis. We had finally rid ourselves of one of the most horrible
eight years of our lives. In the country’s case, two of the worst
presidential terms — if not the worst eight years of any president
— in U.S. history. People seemed to finally breathe. The recurring
nightmare had suddenly been purged.

On
a personal level, I can admit to feeling nervous the night before the
Tuesday. I don’t know why, but I was. When I saw Obama and the
outgoing president together, I understood my moments of anxiety. As
President Obama raised his right hand and fumbled through
“… I will execute the
office of the president to the United States faithfully…” I
understood. The first thing that came to my mind was the Wizard of Oz
and “the witch is dead, the witch is dead, the wicked witch is
dead.” I then turned to my daughter who was watching with me and I
pointed to the TV screen and blurted out: “We finally got rid of
the son of a bitch.”

Now
it’s on Obama’s shoulders. Poor guy. As I’ve been telling
friends along the way, “You’ve got to be a little nuts to want
that job… especially under these circumstances.” The list of
problems to fix is large. More than any one person can handle. More
than a whole presidential team of the best and brightest has the
power to tackle. It is why he called for the help of the American
people in the rebuilding effort. His words as clear as the day he
spoke them:

“Starting
today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again
the work of remaking America. …

“For
as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith
and determination of the American people upon which this nation
relies. …

“What
is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a
recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to
ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly
accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is
nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character
than giving our all to a difficult task.

“This
is the price and the promise of citizenship…”