History’s eve

Tomorrow, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the new President of the United States. There are times I thought we’d never see the end of the Bush-Cheney regime, and here it is.

It’s been a terrible eight years and I quite frankly can’t think of much of anything nice to say about the departing regime. In fact, to celebrate their exit, I was going to post a YouTube video called “Tanks In My Memory - Bye, George”, which contains some definitely not-nice words, but ones I’ve been thinking.

I was going to post that video, but I changed my mind. As glad as I am—ecstatic, even—to see the back of Bush-Cheney and the Republican Congress, I’m over them: I’m now looking forward to the promise of the new Administration and Congress.

I know for certain that there will be times I’m disappointed. There may be times when I’m angry at the Administration or Congress or both. But on their worst day, this Administration will be better than the best day of the outgoing regime.

This new Administration will restore the rule of law and the centrality of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights in American law. It will end torture. It will restore habeas corpus. And in doing all of that, it will begin to restore America to a position of respect in the world.

All too often, America has failed to live up to its creed by failing to ensure equality, freedom, liberty and justice. The past eight years have been a time of wholesale assault on those core principles of American democracy and now, finally, we are on the edge of having them restored.

So while there’s no such thing as a perfect president or administration, and even though I’m not expecting miracles from this new one, I’m nevertheless excited to see a restoration and renewal of true American values, the values that generations have fought to preserve.

Tomorrow we’ll see an African American sworn in as president for the first time: That’s truly historic, and something I never expected to see in my lifetime. It gives hope that maybe we really can be better than we have been and move forward together.

Democracy has brought us to this moment and it will carry us forward. That in itself is reason to be glad.

Tomorrow is also a big day for another reason, but that, as they say, is a topic for another day.