a new era of hope for our country

Yesterday, the entire country – nay, even possibly the world – stood transfixed as the nation’s 44th president was sworn in.

Though much has been made of the fact that President Obama reflects the positive results of decades of changes due to the civil rights movement, I honestly think it goes beyond that. For me, it’s not that he’s our nation’s first bi-racial president, though that is a wonderful thing. It’s that this is a man who truly seems to be dedicated to be inclusive rather than exclusive.

He gets that we may not all see eye to eye but that we all need to work together if this country is to be rebuilt.

As he said yesterday during his inauguration:

“For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.”

And it’s true. Our nation now stands on the brink of a very large crossroads. The only way to truly make it through and make America strong again is to put aside our political differences, our racial differences, our religious differences…to embrace that we are all unique individuals who need to work together to affect the change needed to make our country the strong nation it once was.

It won’t be easy. But I truly believe, as I think do others who witnessed the dawning of a new era in the Whitehouse with the swearing in of President Obama, that we have taken the first step in the right direction to make the change happen.

And I believe that President Obama just may have it in him to bridge all of these divisive gaps and bring us closer together as a nation.

Only the next four years will tell if we are right, but for now, it feels like there is a new era of hope for this country. One which I’m glad to see.

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About zengrrl

I'm Michelle Snow, the writer and creator of Zengrrl. I write about travel, entertainment, women's issues, health, body positivity, and more, both for this blog and freelance. I have also authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. If you aren't already following me, the links are below, as well as on the top right of this page. Thanks!