The Atma of Politics
January 20, 2009 Restoring Faith in America!

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” -Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. August 28, 1963

I had the pleasure and the honor of being in Washington, D.C. on January 19 and 20 of this year to be a part of the celebration of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday on Monday and then Tuesday for the 56th Presidential Inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Hussein Obama.

The momentous occasion was even more glorified for me by the fact that I was witnessing a new era in American politics and history, the swearing in of our first African-American president, the first minority, the first person of color, to lead our nation.

One issue, which struck me as especially poignant, which one may not have been able to see on screen or realize by listening to the radio, was how everyone attending the inauguration seemed remarkably happy. In temperatures that were in the low 20’s and often times felt well below zero degrees, with roughly 1.8 million people all trying to get into the same general spot,every thing seemed calm. Everyone around me was so elated to be witnessing history being made that all other issues became meaningless. Somehow, in a city not often known for being relaxed under circumstances that are not often considered favorable, the swearing in of Barack Obama made the day perfect for those who were watching

I began to wonder why, this phenomenon had occurred? What was it about Barack Obama and the idea of his presidency that made this day so particularly special?

I began asking questions to everyone I could. I spoke with people who traveled from countries as far away as India, Brazil, United Kingdom, and Nigeria; people from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Seattle, Cleveland, New Jersey and New York. Although every one of these people had their own story to tell of why they came to the event and what the day meant to them, there was a resounding theme heard in everyone’s answer …. Barack Obama made them all feel hope again and feel that anything really could be done if we just ban together and work for it. Americans still needed to get involved and help our government in order to realize a promising future, but the President offered people inspiration. There was a sentiment that America would again rise up and be the leader that the world remembers it to be. it to be.

Over the past seven years or so, our reputation both domestically and abroad has been tarnished because of both, policy decisions and plain old bad luck. In the past two years, our economy has taken a “plague-like” dive, which is being represented as one of the worst economic times in 60 years. Barack Obama, with his background, his vision and his leadership skills, offers the American people and the world hope for the future. He contemplates a fresh agenda with new initiatives to better

our economy, our environment, our healthcare system and our education system. He also provides hope to rebuild diplomatic confidence in America by confirming to countries around the world that we care about the rule of law and we respect the sovereignty of other nations.

Under the Obama administration, the President offers a new approach to combating terrorism and keeping America safe. New generations of Americans are being cultivated to believe that anything is possible and that the “glass ceiling” can be shattered. These are the ideals that many in this country and the world have been hoping for; many have been waiting for the United States to rise up again as a leader that other nations can look up to and that its citizens can be proud of.

While it is true that the goals and maybe even some of the expectations are broad and seem almost unattainable, I think the spirit that Barack Obama espouses and the hope that he provides people, like ones who were standing/sitting out there in front of the capital building at the National Mall, is the hope of a renewed America, a brighter America, a better America. This, I believe is the reason that the weather on that cold winter day seemed a bit warmer and the space in the crowded sea of citizens all edgy to watch history seemed to have enough room for everybody. This is the hope for change that millions of Americans voted for back in November, they voted to restore their faith in the country that they believe in.

“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.” -Barack H. Obama, President of the United States January 20, 2009.

BY DEV B. VISWANATH