I spent much of yesterday at the Sabathani Community Center in south Minneapolis. They hosted an event for the inauguration of Barack Obama. I watched his inauguration in a room full of people from many different backgrounds and origins. It was a very emotional experience for many of us and I heard many shouts of approval and saw many tears of joy. After the inauguration finished, an open forum was held in another room. The forum was meant as a place for sharing the importance and emotion of the day. Many stepped up to the microphone and spoke. Their topics varied from stories about their origins and life experiences to pleas for help in advancing what they deemed to be important issues.
It was at this forum where I came to realize that, with the inauguration of Barack Obama, we are entering a new paradigm. Many of the people in that room, either into the microphone or in conversation, expressed the need for the people to be active in the decisions being made in government. This is the first time in my lifetime that I can remember people realizing in their souls that We The People ARE the government. The government is not OTHER it is US.
They spoke using words like Humanity, Community, Vigilance, Hope, Celebration, and Redemption. Through this shared experience many of us have realized the hope the founding fathers had and are prepared to do the work required of the people in a self-governed republic to keep the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness alive through difficult times.
January 21, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Nicely expressed. I’ve bookmarked your blog.
January 21, 2009 at 11:17 pm
I worked, yesterday.
I can only hope that his leadership skills will unite the country. I am bothered about he plans to HELP everybody. What did Kennedy say: Could I have another Scotch? … no the other one: Ask not what your Country can do for you, but what YOU can do for your County. I hope he didn’t mean that I can pay more TAXES for my County.
I am confident that we will be successful.
Here is a quote I just found earlier this week: “The government cannot give to anyone anything that it does not first take from someone else.” and “A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have” Thomas Jefferson (even your freedom)
January 22, 2009 at 2:12 am
“This is the first time in my lifetime that I can remember people realizing in their souls that We The People ARE the government. The government is not OTHER it is US.” With each increase in size and scope of the federal government, governance moves farther from the people.
“If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one, subject to particular exceptions.”
- James Madison
“Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated.”
- Thomas Jefferson
Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution lists 18 things the Congress can do. Most of what President Obama has proposed is not on that list. The Constitution can be amended. It should not be ignored.
I’m glad you’re blogging. I’ll enjoy venting here.
January 22, 2009 at 2:20 pm
deTocqueville, I think it was, observed that for a democaracy such as that in America to thrive–or even survive–the citizens, the electorate, must be educated about their nation. They must be willing to participate in the affairs of government; recall the New England Town Meetings, in which all voters came together to discuss and come to agreement on the decisions of local importance.
The same is as important today, but perhaps much more difficult, due to poor civics education; confusing media and lack of ethics in the press; and an ingrained apathy toward political activity going back several generations. (Yes, there was a great deal of political activity by young baby boomersin the ’60s, but ultimately the average post-war suburbanite family paid as much interest to local, state and national government as they did to the Arts, African genocide, or British high finance.
And we also have developed the liberatarian mindset toward government, wherein the individual member of society wants maximum freedom from any contact with, or burdening by, or responsibility toward government. While freedom is the hallmark of democracy, that freedom cannot survive in a system where the citizens are apathetic or worse, hostile, toward government. Freedom is an umbrella that protects a democratic people from authoritarianism, but it must be held upright and firm against the winds by the hand of government–which in a democracy IS the will of the people governed.
This may be the most important effect of the Obama presidency: rank and file voters–call them “Joe Sixpack,” “Joe the Plumber,” or whatever (preferably, anything else) may become more active in the affairs of government–and their society’s needs in general–and more educated about political policy, personalities, and the inner machinations of the system which represents them.
I hope you keep going with this, Ken.
January 24, 2009 at 11:25 am
I don’t find much to disagree with in your post, Chuck.
“And we also have developed the liberatarian mindset toward government, wherein the individual member of society wants maximum freedom from any contact with, or burdening by, or responsibility toward government.”
From the above quote, I would only ask for a bit of clarification. I think it’s important to distinguish between the levels of government. I have recently found more and more aspects of the libertarian mindset that agree with my positions. However, this applies mostly to the federal government.
An example would be in the control of educational systems. I believe this is best handled from the bottom up. I would gladly accept greater control and even higher tax rates from the level of my state and below, if only the federal government would take less. I’m in the camp that believes there should be no federal dept. of education, or the nationwide regulation that goes with it.