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President Barack Obama delivered his inauguration speech to the masses on Tuesday. I was in the library and it appeared as though time had stopped. There was a group of ten gathered in the media room. Wherever there was a television, there were people sitting in front of it watching. What were we waiting for? Some would say history, and others would say answers.
Interestingly, we didn’t get all the answers. The speech was a perfect mix of cunning and nostalgia. There was a calculated effort on Obama’s part to not only entice us with what is to come, but also what our country was in the past. He spoke of a “sapping of confidence across our land,” and “a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable.” I found encouragement in his words, yet I still have a couple of specific questions.
In his speech, he spoke shortly about schools. He stated that they “fail too many.” I would agree, but I cannot stress the importance of our nation understanding what was meant by that. Are there too many students that are failing, but should be sent through the ranks so they can simply graduate, or is the curriculum too tough? I think if the latter were the case, then the next generation would indeed have to “lower its sights.”
A statement in his speech that raised an eyebrow was the idea that we were not concerned about the size of government. One of the fundamentals of the Democratic Party is the idea that a nation can legislate a solution, and by increasing the size of the system, citizens can let someone else manage their problems. Obama said, “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works.” I think that the fundamental question being asked is tremendously important. However, the idea of an ever-expanding government doesn’t sit well with anyone. If Obama is to maintain the support of the people, this may become a big question for him within the first 100 days. This comes back around to the idea of personal responsibility and the need for our country to stand on its own – and for individuals to as well. We must be responsible for ourselves, as well as for the country. I think this is the point Obama was making.
The president is spot-on with many of his ideas. He commented on the market not being a force only for the rich, but to empower the country – an idea that has been muddled by many of the leftists in politics and grumbled about amongst the people. However, what was most exciting was the idea that there is a time for rebuilding, and the time is now. The speech was not designed to further prove which side was right, but rather, if both sides can work together. These are ideas that have to be taken seriously. In this one brief moment in time, he heralded “A new era of responsibility.” This is not only appealing to the supporters of this new administration, but also many middle-of-the-road conservatives like myself. “We will not apologize for our way of life,” but the importance of understanding what he meant -within what he said – is the key to making his ideas work.
Brian Curry is a senior forestry and environmental science student.
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