BARACK Obama just renewed his oath of office, to serve as our president for four more years.
His second inauguration coincided with two important moments in history, made possible by two great men, who have been a big influence in Obama’s guiding principles and conviction as a leader — Martin Luther King and President Abraham Lincoln.
January 21 is Martin Luther King’s Day. This year is the 50th anniversary celebration of the civil rights leader’s march to Washington and his delivery of the “I Have a Dream” speech at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, which called for true freedom and equality among men, and the end of racism in America.
Earlier this month, America also celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation — commemorating President Abraham Lincoln’s declaration to end slavery and celebrating the United States’ perseverance and unity as one nation.
President Obama’s 2013 Inaugural Speech looked back at the two-hundred-year history of America and helped us see how our present generation is a big part of the continuum of this great nation’s journey, towards a more perfect union.
President Obama started his speech by defining what he believes makes us Americans exceptional — the American people’s allegiance to an idea articulated in the Declaration of Independence, made more than two centuries ago.
“We hold these truths to be 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, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Obama then proceeded to remind us that the task of realizing these truths about equality, freedom and our God-given inalienable rights rests on the people of every generation.
“For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth. The patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few or the rule of a mob. They gave to us a Republic, a government of, and by, and for the people, entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed. For more than two hundred years, we have.”
President Obama continued on with his inaugural speech, helping us navigate through this never-ending journey.
“But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.”
After declaring and re-affirming the principles he would live by, as the leader of this nation (the same values and principles fought for by our Founding Fathers that guided leaders of this great nation that came before him), President Obama then defined where we are in the continuum of our nation’s history, and who are as a people — right here, right now.
“This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun. America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together.”
His re-election has given him the mandate to steer the country to his vision of where America should be. President Obama then presented his map towards our road to success and prosperity, guided by the moral compass he would to follow in the next four years.
President Obama said: “For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed, when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.”
President Obama then urged the American people to be open to new ideas, innovations and means to achieve the unique challenges of our present time.
Obama reassured the American people: “But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American. That is what this moment requires. That is what will give real meaning to our creed.”
“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. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life; it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time – but it does require us to act in our time.”
President Obama then outlined what he believes should be achieved in the next four years, to fulfill the task of our generation in this never-ending journey of America toward a more perfect union.
Pres. Obama’s “to-do-list” in the next four years includes addressing the nation’s deficit problem, guided by the conviction that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. It also pushes equal rights for all — women and gay people getting special mention; the passing of a comprehensive immigration reform law, stricter gun control measures, and the fulfillment of our obligation to respond to the threat of climate change.
Making his case on the urgency of NOW, Pres. Obama said: “For now, decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay…We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and forty years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall.”
To conclude his inaugural speech, the president reminded us that the oath he took as President is not so different from the oath we take as new citizens of this country — nor is the message different from the pledge we all make to the flag of America. These words, he said, represent our greatest hopes.
The success of our nation in the next four years, therefore, is not just dependent upon the President, nor the other elected leaders of this nation. We, the citizens, all have a role to play in making this happen. Regardless of our political stripes and color, we need to act TOGETHER, as one people and one nation, NOW.
“You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course.You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time — not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals…With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.”
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
