As we remember and celebrate the life of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and mark the presidential inauguration today, thoughts of nonviolence and justice are on the minds of many.
In Washington, D.C., CEA President Sheila Cohen and CEA Vice President Jeff Leake were among the thousands of people who witnessed U.S. President Barack Obama take the oath of office.
Cohen said, “How appropriate that this inauguration, this particular year, coincides with the celebration of the birth of a great man who fought for equality through peaceful and nonviolent civil disobedience.”
In his inaugural speech today, President Obama sounded the theme of faith in America’s future urging “fidelity to our founding principles” He said, “When times change, so must we.” The president called for “new responses to new challenges.”
President Obama said, “Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.”
He continued, “That is our generation’s task – to make these words, these rights, these values – of Life, and Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – real for every American.”
CEA President Sheila Cohen with Connecticut Lt.Gov. Nancy Wyman at President Obama’s inauguration in Washington, D.C.
Click here to read the text of the complete speech.How did you react to President Obama speech?
What did you think when he said that happiness is not reserved for the few? How did you feel when he reminded politicians that name calling is not reasoned debate? Are you hopeful about the future?
“We, the people,” was referenced five specific moments in President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech, plus forty-seven other times that the collective “we,” was uttered. His call for collective action in the preservation of our freedom and the improvement of our daily lives should be a clarion call that we, the people, have a vital stake in the destiny of our nation.
Lloyd Stableford
Trumbull CT