As I sit here watching the inauguration coverage, I am reminded the true gravity of the events taking place tomorrow on the front steps of our nation’s capitol. President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in on Lincoln’s bible as the first African-American President of the United States. I am humbled and privileged to witness this landmark event.
Over a century ago, our nation waged a bitter war that divided brother against brother in a struggle against racial prejudice and bigotry. Though it was a catalyst for change to come, it was not until the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified in 1865 that slavery officially became abolished. It began here on paper, though the hearts of men were less readily changed.
From that historic day we, collectively as a country, have come a long way. I can only read about the days when blacks and whites were separated based on their skin color. It is a sobering reminder to the power of deception to sway popular opinion. Yet, even still, popular opinion can be changed by a resolute minority of individuals who challenge the status quo and risk arrest and imprisonment to achieve their goals.
On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2009, it is a fitting precursor to set the stage for the inauguration taking place less than twelve hours from now. The first gentle, peaceful step that Dr. King took on his quest to prove that all men are created equal laid a slowly-forged path for our great country. We now stand at a precipice in history; a nation once divided over skin color can now stand united in a presidency thought not possible but fifty years ago.
Indeed, it has taken a few good men to bring us to the point at which we now find ourselves. From Lincoln and the abolitionists of the 19th Century, to Dr. King and the NAACP of the 20th Century, and finally to the inauguration of a black president, our nation has indeed come a long way. Yet there is so much more. The change we have cried for is upon us, within us! Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is our job to continue the path of these forerunners of history and continue their cries for freedom and justice in the world. For future generations, for country, and for God.
Very objective commentary. It reiterates the fact that no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, our voice is important and our determination to make it be heard is what generates change. May our basis for change be based upon the inerrant, unchanging Word of God.
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