The Many Themes of Obama's Speech
by Mike KrumboltzJan 20, 2009
Barack Obama is now the 44th president of the United States of America. His highly anticipated inaugural speech touched on a variety of themes and a host of issues facing Americans and citizens of the world. The speech included calls for sacrifice as well as a promise that change is here. Some of the highlights:
Sacrifice
Mr. Obama asked his fellow Americans to remember and honor the brave soldiers in the military "who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains." The president asked citizens to remember their "spirit of service" and take inspiration from their "willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves." Mr. Obama also said that we have "duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly." The president acknowledged that there will be tough times ahead, but he also hammered home the theme of...
Change
Change, as Mr. Obama often said during his campaign, doesn't come only from the leaders. It comes from everyone making the choice to do more for their communities. That also includes the politicians in Washington D.C. Mr. Obama said, "we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics." In other words, it's time to end the bickering and get things done.
Personal responsibility
During the course of his speech, President Obama alluded to "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." This was a reference to the current financial crisis and how we, as a country, we must not choose greed. As the president put it, "a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous." But that doesn't just apply to Wall Street and the private sector. Government needs to be held accountable as well: "Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account."
Unity
The new president reached out to "the Muslim world" for "a new way forward." "To those who unclinch your fist," the United States will extend a hand. Mr. Obama also pledged to work with the citizens of poor nations so that their farms may flourish and clean waters may flow. There was a theme throughout that we're all in this together, and what is good for the poorest citizen in the smallest village 8,000 miles away, is good for all of us.
And, of course, hope
Times are tough. But things are going to get better because Americans are resourceful, tough, and eager to work. Rather than paraphrase the passage, here it is in its entirety: "With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."
