Tuesday, January 20, 2009

First Impressions of the Obama Inauguration Speech

The moment was overwhelming. The speech was not.

What a poignant and moving event it was. It speaks volumes to me about our country. Half a lifetime away from the blight of segregation, rampant racism and government-backed injustice, we have a black man taking the Presidential Oath of Office. Only the hardest heart would not take away something moving from what today's ceremonies meant.

The speech, however, left me underwhelmed. I expected a vibrant, enthusiastic, optimistic call to action. What I took was negativism and pessimism. The problems we face were articulated well, but I kept waiting for the "Yes We Can!" moment of how we are going to attack those problems.

I had high expectations for the speech and was disappointed. Let's hope his Presidency doesn't follow suit.

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