YES We did!

[bewitched]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Speaking of prayers...."when white will do what is right"....???????

Originally Posted by Stan4dSteph

He was rhyming. Were you offended by "so the red man can get ahead, man?"

Originally Posted by scaeagles

The whole theme of that rhyming scheme was that everyone else is beaten down but the white man needs to do what is right. I don't care about references to color....it was how it was themed.

I believe, but cannot find the source, that these lines are a quote from a blues song. When he said them, they sounded familiar but it's kinda like having someone's name on the tip of your tongue...I can't remember what song.

Originally Posted by SacTown Chronic

Has Gitmo been shut down?

As one of his first acts, Obama has ordered Gitmo to suspend prosecutions for 120 days

[wendybeth]

Thank you, Lashstoat. A very good reminder that who we elect affects more than just ourselves as a nation. Obama was right- we really need to grow up and start acting like adults in this country. We have a responsibility to ourselves, our children, and the other inhabitants of this planet.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Hearing our president talk like an adult made me cry.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Speaking of prayers...."when white will do what is right"....??????? I actually had to find it online to determine if that's what the guy really said because I was sure I didn't hear it correctly. Rev. Joseph Lowery? No idea who that guy is.

Wow.

I found that to be quite offensive.

That caught me too. Here we are, hearing beautiful words of unity and hope on a beautiful, unifying and hopeful day, and then that. It didn't offend me (I don't offend easily) but I did immediately file him under "Mega Douche." Sorry, I don't have any white guilt and have always embraced what's right, so frack off old man.

Originally Posted by flippyshark

You have nabbed onto an easily available interpretation (the white man sucks), but I really think Lowery was trying to emphasize unity, and may simply have been too clever by half. In any case, it is an incredibly insignificant part of the whole event, which certainly hit on the theme of unity and non-divisiveness again and again. Will you allow that this is even a teensy bit inspiring, scaeagles?

I hope that your interpretation, that of being too clever for his own good, is correct, but regardless, it was douchey and insulting. Emphasizing unity by slipping in a dig at the largest group in attendance? Give me a break. When you're speaking in front of a world wide audience you don't get snarky or cute. You honor your audience and the occasion by being respectful and classy. This guy seemingly took Public Speaking as a subset of DOUCHEBAG 101.

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

Hearing our president talk like an adult made me cry.

Totally. Listening to him, I was suddenly pulled out of the moment with the thought, "Oh my God! My President, is an orator again!" How fracking cool. And he wrote his own speech too! Just his ability to speak so eloquently will buy us huge amounts of goodwill internationally. Say what you want, good or bad, about Bush, but his speaking skills were on par with an autistic third grader. No problem if you are an autistic third grader, big problem if you're the leader of the free world.

[Strangler Lewis]

Hmm. Let's consider the alternatives.

"when white will say 'let's grab a bite?'"
"when white won't be fooled by pyrite?"
"when white will mend a kite?"
"when white will refract into a thousand points of colored light?"

Ah hah!

"when white will shine bright!"

Doesn't seem apt. If a white person is going to embrace the moment on a level beyond, "Excellent, we have elected a competent man who happens to be black-ish," I think we have to be prepared to eat a little for the sake of history.

[SacTown Chronic]

"when white will say Dy-Na-Mite!"

[Not Afraid]

I love old hippie-speak, but I'm old enough to remember it the first time around.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

I'm waiting for the lawsuits about how he's not really president.

The oath of office is pure formality. According to the constitution, he was President the moment it hit 12PM eastern, oath or no oath.

[JWBear]

Does anyone else think Cheney wasn't really confined to a wheelchair due to an injured back? Bill and I thought he looked like he'd had a stroke.

[Ghoulish Delight]

He always looks like that.




Besides, it was a metaphor.