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For Obama's Inauguration, Echoes of Lincoln and Martin Luther King

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I think that race shouldn't have been an issue in the first place. You shouldn't judge anyone by their beliefs or race, but by what they bring to the table. Either Obama will do what he should and needs to do, or he'll make a mistake and learn from it. Give or take, I think we should all give the man a chance to show what he's capable of.
And Lincoln wasn't African-American and his inauguration was a historical event. The same with John F. Kennedy. I can't say the same about Martin Luther King Jr., because well, he's African-American. But just because he IS the first African-American president doesn't mean he's any more of a good president then George Washington was, or any of the other ones.
All in all, I think everyone just needs to calm down and let him do what he's been elected to do. He wouldn't have been elected or even ran for president if he didn't know what he was doing. Give him a chance.
And no, I am not African-American. I don't look up to racism just as much as the next person.

Stephanie of VA 3:50PM October 07, 2009

THIS WHOLE IS JUSST SO IMPORTANT TO THE U.S.....

jheyan of CA 5:00PM February 27, 2009

If there is no racial connotations to Obama's election then how come this inauguration is such an historic event?
Give me a break...the man is a true liberal (more in the mold of Bill Clinton and FDR rather than Lincoln or even JFK).

of PA 5:53AM January 21, 2009

The notion that President Obama's race essentially hasn't come up since the election is an ironic one to post in a "news" outlet. The media has never let us forget that he is the first African-American president. The American people may be ready to look past race (we'll never know, as long as the sensationalism continues), but the American media remains obsessed with race and its potential to generate revenue- (and award-) producing conflict.
Perhaps one day, America can truly get beyond race. Of course, if we ever do, the diversity industry and its various hucksters, rent-seekers and shakedown artists will suddenly have to find real, productive work. And the media will have to abandon its political efforts to elect Democrats and fuel tensions in favor of fulfilling its loudly-proclaimed (but less lucrative) role as a non-partisan gatherer of information. I'm not holding my breath...

Jem of VA 1:30PM January 20, 2009

were for a "United" United States - not the end of black slavery. Lincoln sought to end the American Civil War. The Emancipation Proclamation was merely a means to an end. And it did not "end" slavery. The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution ended slavery.

Holt Busbee of AL 1:16PM January 20, 2009

We elected you. Now it's time for us to help you, work with you, to make the changes we asked for. We will only succeed if we are a part of the solution.

of PA 1:00PM January 20, 2009

Good Luck!
Hope to see your success!
o(∩_∩)o...

Judy 9:16AM January 20, 2009

Wish you all luck Obama!

Kjell Halvor Landsverk 6:46PM January 19, 2009

We may pretend we are above racial discrimination, but we obviously are not above it. Why was Obama the only black US senator at this time? Why haven't we had ANYTHING but white, male presidents? Until we see approxiamately the same percentages of minority races and gender in public office and in roles of leadership in the private sector, we have a long road to haul. But one step at a time, and we have taken a big one. So yes, we will continue to discuss it and not pretend we are above it.

Sam of TX 5:15PM January 19, 2009

The most signifigant fact of all is that when MLK stated he wanted to be judged by content of character not by color of skin, America made the decision to follow those words during the 2008 election and not by virtue of law or coercion. The democratic process is the ultimate judge of any democracy as it is where the citizens can make their decisions final with anominity. It may have taken over 40 years to realize his dream but it has been realized by over 400 million Americans on inauguration day.

Ray Fisher of NM 11:19AM January 19, 2009