01/20/09 - How will you remember this day
By gtdonna
@gtdonna (1738)
January 20, 2009 6:58am CST
So today is the day when the USA Inaugurates its first black president, President Barack Obama. How will you remember this day? What are your plans? What will you be doing? 
6 responses
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
20 Jan 09
I wish I was in Washington DC, but I could not make the trip due to my daughter being ill recently. I will watch the inauguration on television with my youngest daughter. I am so excited that he won the election and I look forward to the next four years with him as our leader!
I am so thankful that our country finally came together and didn't allow skin color to interfere with who was best for our country. It is a very important day in our nations' history and in our country and I am thankful that I will be here to see it!
1 person likes this
@eyeh8f8 (44)
• United States
20 Jan 09
It is symbolic. It shows progress in our country. Not that long ago Black people couldn't play in the major sporting leagues or get into top colleges. Not long before that they couldn't vote. Travel back in time and imagine yourself being a slave andhow that would feel. Imagine if a slave were to travel forward in time, what changes would theysee?
We are the USA, we are not perfect but we are getting better. I just hope people don't think that he is going to be the perfect president. Because that is the last thing our country needs, people having too much hope but little motivatio to actually make things better in their own lives.
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
20 Jan 09
This is true, but ongoing desire (at least as I have seen it) is for blacks to be treated the same, for equality without regard to color - to see people for their abilities - to see them as the persons that they are. All of the hype surrounding Obama, however, has been very much about the color of his skin - more so than Obama, as a person because of his abilities.
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
20 Jan 09
"I am so thankful that our country finally came together and didn't allow skin color to interfere with who was best for our country."
So why all the hype around him being the "first African-American President"? If it's not supposed to be about skin color, why is that all it's about now that he's been elected?
1 person likes this
@baileycows (3665)
• United States
20 Jan 09
I will be working. But I will certainly remember a sad day in history and when all the scandals begin I will look back at this day, but even before that when people voted 4 times a piece so he could get into office.
1 person likes this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
20 Jan 09
So much of all of this is center around his skin color and not him as a person - it will be interesting to see if this continues or if he will begin to stand out as a leader who has the best interests of the American people in mind.
@eyeh8f8 (44)
• United States
20 Jan 09
Considering that many black people had a hard time with supporting him at the start because they didn't know if he was viable or not, I don't get how once can assume that it was all about his race. And it isn't like there were some on the right who were trying to get race out thee softly. Kind get it in your head, slowly.
Also, may I point out that a majority of blacks have usually supported the Democrats. Even if it was Hillary, most likely that african american who would have voted for Obama, would just have voted for Hillary. If you want to go by the numbers.
1 person likes this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
20 Jan 09
I highly doubt tat we wold have seen as much hype surrounding "the first woman President" as there has been surrounding Obama's election.
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
20 Jan 09
Hopefully as the day that all the hooplah was finally over with. The day the love fest on tv came to a close. CRIPE! We elected a president. It happens every four years. This one happens to be half black. Are we going to go through this nonsense every time we have another "first"? The first woman, the first hispanic, the fisrt native, the first asian, the first purple, the first whatever?
*blech
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
20 Jan 09
I have to agree - and I would have much more respect for Obama if he had "squelched" all of this "first" stuff and enforced that he is just an "American" like all other presidents (if he truly is - there's still lawsuits pending regarding that issue)
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
20 Jan 09
I will honestly be glad when it's over - I'm sick of all the hype around his election. It will be interesting to see what he can actually do once his feet are held to the fire.
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
20 Jan 09
Well, I'll try and catch it on TV. I would have never gone to Washington. Too cold, too many people, too stressful. This way I get front row seating and stay warm and cozy, lol. Besides, I have two kids in school and they don't get the day off, which is strange, because they get the day off for the governor's inauguration...
Anyhow, how will I remember it??? I really don't know. It depends on what he will do. I will remember the election and the hype around it. I will remember people's expectation and how giddy they are. The rest really depends on whether he will stand out as president or whether he'll just be remembered as the guy who was the first official president of a color other than white.
1 person likes this
@aristrocrat195 (282)
• India
20 Jan 09
well i remember the day when most powerful country in the world introduces a black man and he joining when the america is not so good in his financial today
1 person likes this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
20 Jan 09
Black may be his skin color, but his ancestral heritage is half white - he was raised by his white mother and grandmother and not by his black father or that part of his family. More important than his skin color is whatever abilities/strengths he can bring to the Presidency to actually do as he has indicated that he will do - to bringing the changes needed to our country.
