A New President

January 20th, 2009

This morning, I woke up, made myself a cup of tea, sat down on the couch, and turned on the TV. This is not my usual routine; in fact, I rarely turn on the TV at any time of day, much less first thing in the morning. But today was an unique day, a day when Barack Obama was sworn in as 44th President of the United States of America. I have cared enough about politics to write letters to the president at least since I was ten (see below!). I have cared enough about politics to vote, for my entire life as a voting-age citizen. I have cared enough about politics to volunteer, to make phonecalls, to donate money, for at least the last five years. I have never cared enough about politics to watch an inauguration ceremony, until this year. I wish I could have been in D.C.

There are a lot of reasons why I was excited about today. Admittedly, I was ready for the kind of hope and energy that Obama brings to office - I think hope is a good thing, as is appealing to the best parts of people’s personalities. And I hope that Obama will find a way to heal our country and our place in the world. I hope that Obama will truly tackle climate change, health care, human rights, and all of those other issues that need addressing in addition to the economy. I think he really has a chance to do it, despite our country’s current understandable preoccupation with the economy. I wish him the best of luck.

But in addition to all of that, it really was remarkable to see the first African-American inaugurated as president. I thought I might see it in my lifetime, but certainly not this soon. I can’t imagine what it must be like for people who lived through the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

Two quotes stood out for me, as I watched Obama give his speech. As a scientist, “We will restore science to its rightful place” was a particularly welcome phrase to hear. And as an American, I was moved by this: “This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.”

This morning, I drank tea, watched the inauguration, and cried when Obama was sworn into office. Tonight, I find myself anticipating hearing what his policy announcements will be tomorrow. What an amazing part of history to be a part of.

Below, just for the fun of it, is my first recorded (i.e., saved on my computer) letter to a politician. I was ten.


November 28, 1988
Vice-President Bush
Washington, D.C.

Dear Vice-President Bush,
Congratulations on winning the election!
I think to pay off the debts we owe without raising taxes, you could take part of the money, like 1/2 or 1/4, that is paying for research on weapons and use it to handle the deficit.

Why do you oil drill along the coast? It kills a lot of animals that live on our coast line and destroys habitats. One of these days we will run out of oil and nobody will know what to do. I think you should start doing more research on solar power and other things.

I think you should stop sending weapons to Nicaragua. You could keep signing peace treaties to destroy some of our weapons and slow down the arms race. I think it would be neat to have a world full of peace. Then we wouldn't have a lot of danger of some place being blown up. If we keep working our way to peace we will have a kinder and gentler nation just like you wanted!

Sincerely,

Cristie Boone
5th Grade