“As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.” Barack Obama

I have started a new job and did not think that I would be watching the inauguration today. My orientation syllabus had me working until the12:30pm lunch break and while I had mentioned on Monday that I had really wanted to watch it I had no expectation of being able to. When class started today the instructor informed us that her husband had commented on how surely she would be letting us watch the inauguration and that we would be taking our lunch break early.

We were sent on our lunch break at 11:45am and I quickly set out to find a TV set. I knew that the patient waiting areas had TV’s but I did not know exactly were these areas were. It wasn’t long before I heard the sound of thousands of people cheering and knew I had found a TV.

The waiting room I found was empty except for one patient waiting for an X-Ray. I went in acknowledged him and sat down to watch. Right after Biden was sworn in as vice president others slowly began to join us. We chit chatted while the music played. “What time is it” I commented “by law Obama has to be sworn in by 12 noon because that’s when Bush stops being president” shortly after that the TV announcer whispered that technically Biden was president because he had taken the oath office and Obama had not. Those of us in that waiting room waited patiently for our future president to be sworn in. We commented on how nice he and Michele looked. Aaaa’ed when one of the Obama girls squinted one eye shut while looking into the camera and sun. We were quietly enthusiastic. I had the sense that all of us were hopeful but not expecting much. We listened as Obama was sworn in as our president and then we listened to his speech. Those around me seemed to feel that the speech was well done. We then introduced our selves to each other, we would be working together at the same facility and hopefully would be seeing each other again and then I quickly made my way back to class. I may have gone quickly but I was still late. To be honest I don’t care that I was late; somethings are more important than making a class on time.

Ombam’s speech was good. I especially liked the paragraph that I have posted above. I agree that “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals” I have a bumper sticker on my Jeep that has a quote from Benjamin Franklin it says “They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” I put it there when the government said that not every one was entitled to habeas corpus. I will keep the sticker there because I believe in liberty ABOVE all else. I hope that the new powers that be can let go of the restrictions placed on that liberty by the past administration but I know that It is very hard for power to let go of power.