Brand New World

I feel like I need to post something about the monumental change that happened in our country this week. With Barack Obama being sworn in as Commander in Chief, it’s interesting to see how far the country has come, and, for me, it’s a little scary to ponder what happens next.
I’m torn. I fully admit that Obama is a charismatic man and that the fact that a black man is now holding the highest office in the country is an awesome achievement! I really do look forward to the day when equality reaches the point that no matter what color a man may be, we can hire, fire, elect, admire, like and even dislike him just because of who he is and how he treats us and not because of his race. I think Barack Obama being our president is a huge step towards that equality and color-blindness, and I’m all for that!
I do worry though that some of Obama’s stands, and some of the people he has surrounded himself with will open us up to …well…a sort of chaos. I don’t mind changes, but when someone gets into power by promising to change everything about the status quo without saying HOW those changes will happen, or even what he expects to change them TO…that makes me a little nervous. Change isn’t always good change…Hitler promised change…but blind swinging at anything that isn’t what’s current isn’t necessarily the best answer.
Maybe it sounds like I’ve been listening to too much talk-radio…but I don’t think so. There really are only about two voices in the media that have been negative about Obama, compared to the millions that STILL trash McCain and Palin…and those two voices only seem to balance things for me, not sway me totally to one side of the political spectrum or the other. Imagine what might have happened with this election if the media were truly equal and unbiased? Hmm.
In the end, despite my reservations and concerns about Obama’s motivations, I do think that in his own mind he’s working to better the country, and I’ll continue to hope and pray that his desire for a better future will more often lead him down the paths I agree with than down those paths that scare me. I know he’ll try his best to be a worthy leader, and I’m going to support him in that effort and be optimistic about the next four years!
Here’s to our new president!

~ by bylorena on January 22, 2009.