“…We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.”[1]
Having lived through the discrimination against ethnic Chinese in Indonesia, racism was foremost in my Chinese father’s mind when we emigrated from The Netherlands to America in 1966. He even made the last-minute decision to settle his family in San Francisco instead of New York City because he heard that San Francisco had the largest Chinese population in the nation. I recall having watched the turmoil of the American Civil Rights Movement on our television in Amsterdam. After our arrival, we witnessed the assassination of those who gave their lives defending the inalienable rights promised in the Declaration of Independence.
Today, I am bursting with pride that my adopted nation has not only survived the bloody turmoil of those years, but that now the headlines around the world will shout out that Barack Obama is our president!
I am also proud that this is the beginning of a new era:
Thank you to Dakota Angel and her husband for sharing this historic moment with us.
Did you watch the inauguration? Where were you and what were you doing?
_________________
[1] A full transcript of the prepared address is here.
6 comments:
I was outside, in the fresh air of morning, with what seemed like a bazillion other people. There was no time for breakfast, but it was a wonderful start to my day!
It was 11:00 o'clock here in Missouri. I was in a classroom, surrounded by second graders, making sure they did not miss this historic moment. Pictures on my blog.
I was in a patient's room watching him on her TV. I was thrilled.
I watched it on BBC and CNN. And since it was past 6 p.m. Paris time, we had champagne to celebrate. It's a new day and I'm thrilled beyond measure!
Dear tangobaby,
A wonderful start indeed and you were warmer than those in Washington DC.
Dear Relyn,
Oh, I love the image of you and your students witnessing history. I will pop over to your blog to see the photos.
Dear Yoli,
It was a thrilling day. I hope the patient feels better.
Dear Tara,
It was only 9 a.m. here in California and we celebrated with champagne too! We endured eight long years; our patience was well rewarded.
Now that's the most beautiful buffet, I have seen in quite some time. ; )
Post a Comment