A new sheriff in town

I haven't written much about the upcoming inauguration, and to be honest, I haven't really been thinking about it that much. I'm feeling a little reflective today, though.

It's not like before the election, when there were many doubts about whether or not Obama could win. Those doubts have been laid to rest (although it might be more apt to say that they were beaten into submission), and it's just been a matter of waiting until he is sworn in. That day is almost here, and I think it's very appropriate that it takes place after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

I came across a rather disturbing column online, in which Obama is referred to as the "offspring of the sexual congress between an African black and an American white of European descent." I was even more disturbed when I saw that the author is black. He goes on to state that "Working whites don’t mind the relatively small portion of their own race on the dole so much, but they see the black race as (innately) parasitical and perhaps intellectually challenged. And this goes for those whites who voted along party lines for the black messiah. Whether they think this calls for coddling, deportation or extermination is an individual matter, but the perception is probably fairly uniform."

Wow. Dude. No, the perception is not uniform, and I find this really offensive. I also find it another example of someone with issues about themselves and an inferiority complex that they project onto others. I can assure you that I have never thought of blacks as either innately parasitical or intellectually challenged, and I've certainly never thought that coddling, deportation, or extermination was some sort of option. It's not even SANE.

By the way, I'm not even going to link to his bullshit or mention the guy's name, because I won't promote him or his nasty rhetoric. Get some therapy, buddy. Seriously.

I've made no bones about my support for Obama, but contrary to what some might believe, I don't think and have never thought that he was some kind of "messiah." He's quite human, and I'm sure he will make mistakes. But it also bothers me to hear the easy dismissal of him as all talk with nothing to back it up. One of my own relatives said that Obama is "stupid." You can call him a lot of things, but to call him stupid is...well, kind of stupid, and a gross underestimate of his intellect and talent. Do I expect miracles? No. I don't believe in miracles when it comes to the course of our nation and an attempt to turn around the sad state of our economy. I believe in hard work and research and good advisers, and I believe that there will be sacrifice involved on all of our parts. It could be a rough year, and Obama has said that over and over again.

But there's no need to rehash all of that, or debate it. On Tuesday, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, and I'll be watching. Despite the disgust I feel at reading things like the column I referenced above, I remain hopeful that this will mark a change in the way we deal with each other at home, and in how we're perceived around the world. I really don't understand anyone who wants Obama to fail in his endeavors as President. It's our country, and we should all believe and yes, HOPE, that good things can happen, that we can turn things around.

Now let's get this party started. There's a new sheriff in town. (If you want a chuckle, do a YouTube search for "blazing saddles new sheriff in town." It's a little rough, so I didn't put the video up here.)