January 21, 2013
OBAMA SAYS AMERICANS "ARE MADE FOR THIS MOMENT" & WILL "SEIZE IT TOGETHER"
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) Barack Obama was sworn into today beginning his 2nd term as the 44th President of the United States & then gave his Inaugural Address in which he said:
"My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, & we will seize it--so long as we seize it together."
Barack Obama
44th President of the United States
December 6, 2012
by Pete Souza
Official White House Photo
The President first talked about the tradition of the inaugural ceremony.
He said:
"Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy.
What makes us exceptional--what makes us Americans--is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than 2 centuries ago--'We hold these truths self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness.'"
Mr. Obama then addressed the challenge our nation faces in his 2nd term.
"We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care & the size of our deficit.
But we reject the belief that Americans must choose between caring for the generation that built this country & investing in the generation that will build its future."
The President continued...
"The commitments we make to each other--through Medicare & Medicade & Social Security--these things do not sap our initiative, they strengthen us.
They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risk that make this country great."
And in ground-breaking fashion, on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, President Obama talked about civil rights for all....
"We...declare today...that all of us are created equal (& it) is the star that guides us still just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls (women's rights), Selma (African-American rights), & Stonewall* (gay rights)..."
*The Stonewall Riots of July 1969 followed opposition by the gay community of Greenwich Village in NY City to a police raid on the Stonewall Inn. The incident led to the establishment of gay rights activist groups in the city.
Mr. Obama continued...
"Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia, to the quiet streets of Newtown** (Connecticut), know that they are cared for & cherished, & always safe from harm."
**Site of the recent elementary school shootings.
The President expects a tough battle ahead. He said...
"Progress does not compel us to settle century-long debates about the role of government for all time--but it does require us to act in our time.
Barack Obama concluded his remarks with these words:
"With common effort & common purpose, with passion & dedication, let us answer the call of history & carry into our uncertain future that precious light of freedom."
President & Mrs. William Jefferson Clinton attended today's inaugural along with President Jimmy Carter.
Mr. Carter was asked his opinion of the speech by CNN. He said:
"It was a very progressive speech. I was impressed with today's diversity (&)...good spirit."
REPUBLICAN TENNESSEE SENATOR LAMAR ALEXANDER TAKES PART IN INAUGURAL
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) Republican Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander*** introduced Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor during the Inaugural Ceremonies at the Capitol today.
Senator Lamar Alexander
Tennessee (R)
Justice Sotomayor administered the Vice-Presidential Oath of Office to Joe Biden.
In his introduction, Senator Alexander said:
"The late Alex Haley, the author of 'Roots,' lived by these 6 words: 'Find the good & praise it.'
Today we praise the American tradition of...reaffirming...power."
***Lamar Alexander is a native of Maryville, located near Knoxville, Tennessee. He graduated from Vanderbilt University & earned his law degree at New York University School of Law.
He was Governor of TN (1979-1987) & Secretary of Education (1991-1993). Alexander has served in the Senate since 2003.
