Today, a new President

Something incredible happened today.

Our country inaugurated a new leader… a new President.

The United States can claim the moral high ground for many things (not for others)… but among the most provable is our leadership succession. Barack Obama is our 44th president… His predecessors, from George Washington, who took office in 1779 represent more than leaders, they represent a philosophy, a common belief in how we govern ourselves. How we chose new leaders, how that happens, and how each new president comes to office.

In 230 years, we have had 44 leaders. The transitions have been for the most part peaceful, joyful celebrations. Unfortunately, four, Lincoln, Garfield, McKinney and Kennedy have been the result of assassination. Several more, Harrison, Harding, and Roosevelt (FDR), have died while in office, and one, Nixon, has resigned.

It is a 230 year record of mostly peaceful, always legally sanctioned transitions. based on a document, the Constitution, which guides we Americans govern ourselves, and choose our leaders. History shows we, (The people,) get it right more often than not.

Barack, our new President is special in several ways… our first black or mixed race president. This is significant in many ways… Most importantly, we, collectively, have decided that a black man is the best choice. I, a white man like to think that this is a watershed, a moment in time that says that yes, blacks, are equal with whites. This would also mean that latinos, native americans, asians, and any other identified ethnicity are all equal, by decision of the majority of the voters… a definable moment. (by the way, I have chosen not to use capital letters to identify race and ethnicity. In hope that ethnicity is now a footnote in describing people rather than a core identification.)

He is also a liberal, after 8 years of conservative government.

I am a historian. This is important. It is about how someone looks at history, how one documents his thoughts (it’s the dreaded footnote thing again, more on that in a future post) This is a historic occasion. I think of who has come before, what each man (so far only men, that too will change.) Men like Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe each brought to the office, including documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights… Each ar more than pieces of paper, just like our new president is more than a black man.

I don’t think it strange, that he has spent time enough in Hawaii, via his late grandmother, that, Hawaii can think him a native son. I have a close friend who, for something over 40 years has chosen to be a citizen of the state of Hawaii. He married a Hawaiian/Chinese woman. He has nieces, nephews, and relations who are a grand mix of the many races that make up the Hawaiian experience, the soup. My friend had long ago gone “native”. He talks of a world where when one has more than 3 mixed ethnicities, you just become “local” a term accepted wonderful mix of ethnicity and culture. He has many aunt, uncles, nieces and nephews who collectively span the Pacific.

There is hope. In so many places. In so many ways. Good luck President Obama, we Americans support you.

Goodbye, Randy