Inauguration Day

Today I saw a shirt that said "I think...therefore, I'm Republican."

Are you serious?

I mean seriously. Seriously?!

Political soapbox for just a second. This is your warning. If you don't want to hear my spoutings, stop reading immediately.

Hello to the rest of you.

My bottom line about politics: if it was all as simple as some people make it out to be, we would have figured it out a long time ago! That's the point: politics is complicated. It involves all kinds of moral, economic, and social issues that don't have clear "right" or "wrong" answers-how can you possibly claim that your mere "intelligence" is going to solve age old questions people have been mulling over and discussing since the beginning of time? You're telling me that any intelligent, mentally sound person would come to the same conclusion you have if they just "really thought it through"? Munch on that for a while.

I would have been just as upset if the shirt would have said "I think...therefore, I'm Democrat." Don't insult people's intelligence by claiming that "your way" is the God-given "right way" and should never be questioned. I could go on about this forever, but I think that should suffice for now.

Despite that ignorant kid's T-shirt, Barack Obama became the president of the United States today. I don't care who you are, this man is inspiring. But moreso than that-he is our president. It doesn't matter if you agree with his policies or not-your time to speak was November, sweetheart. He's the 44th president of the United States of America, so you better support him with all you've got.

In his speech today, he hit on things I believe in deeply.

"Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage."

"For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies."

We didn't get to be the most powerful nation in the world from piggybacking on a perfect system. Wow, we already know about the holes we can and have created in that. We got here because of the faith and determination of the American people. That has to be the bottom line.

We have to be committed to the belief that we make the difference. We can't depend on our parents, our friends, or Obama to solve our problems and change America. We have to do it.

I don't agree with all of his ideologies. I voted for him because I agreed with his policies moreso than any other candidate.

There is one other reason I voted for him, and it's what was confirmed to me tonight watching his speech. I believed he could inspire the hope that is necessary to help America. We've got to have hope to change-hope in ourselves, hope in the ideals of this nation, and hope-God forbid-in our leaders. And already, he has! He's gotten people interested in politics again. People have started to care again. How many people my age watched Bush's inauguration speech? How many people wore Bush's face on a shirt on January 20th to show their support? All the T-shirts and buttons and musical interpretations may be hype and popularity, but for every person that supports him because of his popularity, there is someone who supports him because he symbolizes something more than our individual petty lives. He symbolizes the realization of the American dream, the beauty of our melting-pot nation coming together under God.

I believe in hope. It's what makes this nation great, and I stand by anyone who can inspire that in America.