Portions of Barack Obama’s Inauguration speech yesterday were censored by the state controlled Chinese Media.  Lines of the address where the President spoke of how Americans “faced down communism and fascism” and the lines, “To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” were replaced with quick cutaways to anchors on televised versions of the event or simply omitted from print translations.

It’s difficult to understand the Chinese authorities’ insistence on tight control over information without taking into account the troubled history of the nation.  Internal strife, uprisings, rebellions and civil wars have been so frequent in the the two millenia of the Middle Kingdom that the very definition of power in the minds of many Chinese involves the strictest safeguards against attitudes that might lead to civil unrest.  When taking into account the vast current economic inequities within Chinese society and the ubiquitous armed uprisings, hundreds of which take place every year across the country, often unreported, it’s easy to see why Beijing keeps such a tight hold on information.  But that doesn’t make it right.  Read the rest of this entry >>

This past weekend I was having a discussion with some friends about how sometimes we are terrified to bring kids into this world. While yesterdays inauguration was indeed a hopeful first step toward a better future, we’re still scared.

TV is oozing with trashy programing available to children. The Internet allows easy access to porn, violence, and cyber bullying, cyber stalking, and cyber creeps on the prowl for teens. There are kids having sex before they even get to junior high! And while I know many will argue it’s up to the parent to safe guard their children from these evils, parents can only do so much.

As my friends and I shared our fears, we noted that as social ills grow, it seems that art is disappearing. Many schools don’t even offer any arts education during the school day, meanwhile most people my age were raised attending weekly art, drama, music, photography, and cooking classes as part of their school curriculum. While the arts can’t prevent the threats technology brings, art may help inspire kids to make better choices. With creative outlets, maybe kids will spend their spare time painting, acting, and singing, instead of watching hideous celeb-reality dating shows, designing MySpace pages dedicated to making fun of a fellow classmate, or having oral sex parties at age 12.

Many other countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries, but the United States has never created such a position. So Quincy Jones has started a petition to ask President Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts because we need more arts in this country. takepart and sign this petition at
www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html and then pass it on to your friends and colleagues.

While having more art may not resolve all of the issues facing children in the US, more art certainly can’t hurt.

With all the inauguration hoopla at an end and everyone, including our new president, going about their jobs and other normal daily activities, I wanted to quickly look at my top 5 speech moments.  I know everyone did this yesterday but I wanted to sleep on it and wake up after the hype to really look at the what was said.  Of course there was almost too much hype (even today)  to even be able to look at the speech objectively - but there were some stand out things said whose importance can’t be denied.

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1) “We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers.” - Have non-believers ever been mentioned by a president?  I wonder.  This is HUGE.

2) “As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals” - WOW.  Being that Bush spent the last weekend of his presidency basically clinging to the idea that he kept “us safe” this is a pretty bold and pointed statement.  In just that one line he has rejected torture and a misleading war.  What came after that sentence was also pretty powerful -  “Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake”

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A Scene from the Inauguration

“And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.” - from President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address

The Inauguration of President Barack Obama today simply seemed like an incredible dream come true.  For years after hearing seemingly nothing but cringe inducing news about the actions of the United States government, finally, we got something absolutely right, and came roaring back in a big way.  After years of feeling simply ashamed of the policies of this country and the attitude projected onto the rest of the world, there is finally the true hope of something to be truly proud of in the White House of the United States - not from some Congressman from California, or Senator from Vermont, The White House.

But how is the rest of the world feeling about all this?  Are they sharing in the glow?  Basking in the triumph of “hope over fear” as President Obama termed it in today’s eloquent Inaugural Address?  Let’s take a look at commentators and columnists from around the world to hear what they have to say about it. Read the rest of this entry >>

President Obama’s Inaugural lunch received quite a bit of unexpected attention today, and according to Sen. Diane Feinstein the Lincoln-inspired lunch menu has been the most visited section of the Inaugural website. The popularity of the historic meal clearly shows that people are fascinated by what the President eats, and will hopefully extend to citizens demanding a reevaluation of our country’s food policies.  As I mentioned last week, there are several efforts to help transform part of the White House lawn into a food garden, which would likely encourage people to grow more food for themselves, and support local farms.

Obama certainly has a lot on his plate (sorry, couldn’t resist), but hopefully he will take the widespread interest in his food as an indication that the food that the rest of the country is eating needs some serious attention.  To encourage a national diet of organic, locally grown and fairly traded food, will benefit the economy, the environment, and the health and sanity of the country.

takepart by supporting the plan to create a White House Victory Garden.

photo: Steve Rhodes, Flickr Creative Commons

Inspired? Motivated? Teary eyed?  Excited? Want to be like Obama?  Well, we can’t all be beautiful, brilliant, exhilarating world leader’s but you can look like him. Well, sort of.  Now you can have your face imposed on the famous Shepard Fairey design. It might not land you in the White House, but it brings you one step closer to being as cool as our new First Family is.  takepart today.

Senator Kennedy collapsed this afternoon at President Obama’s Inaugural lunch, apparently suffering a seizure.  Reports are still coming in, and are now saying that Senator Robert Byrd also fell ill during the luncheon.  While the reports are still developing, the incidents certainly cast a somber tone to the otherwise exuberant celebration.  Senator Kennedy, 76, has been a major proponent of improving health care and was recently diagnosed with brain cancer and Senator Byrd, 91, has had health concerns for the past couple years.

Reports are saying that both Senators are going to be alright, and we certainly hope so.

takepart by learning more about Obama’s plans for improving Health Care.

Photo: BarackObama’s Flickr Photostream (Creative Commons)

BL1961, Flickr Creative Commons

On a historic day when millions of Americans of all faiths, races and backgrounds braved freezing temperatures to witness one of the greatest moment’s in our nation’s history, it’s hard to not be moved by the magnitude of the moment, whether or not you voted for Barack Obama in the election. The arc of justice, leveraged at one end by Rev. Martin Luther King who changed history when he stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial over forty years ago. His movement and vision encompassed generations of Americans who lined the Reflecting Pool then and today and was buttressed at the other end at the steps of the Capitol with our first African-American president.

While listening to some of King’s speeches on the radio yesterday, I was struck by the similarity of his language and Obama’s–unity over divisiveness, justice to triumph hate and the potential for genuine personal and societal transformation. As I listened to the esteemed Rev. Joseph Lowery, one of the father’s of our civil rights movement quote passages from the Bible about peace, righteousness and “let justice will roll down like waters” (Amos 5:24) while seeing shots of other icons of the civil rights movement, such as Rep. John Lewis and the Tuskegee Airmen, I couldn’t stop nodding my head.  Generations of Americans have heard the cries for change and righteousness and it’s been a long journey by many brave people who have brought justice to the doors of our government on this momentous occasion.

I was surprisingly most teary-eyed during the musical performance by a group of  people who are of multi-generational, religious and ethnic backgrounds who reflect the diversity of our country; the strength and ingenuity of our nation and our unity. After listening to Obama’s forceful words of change, determination and extension to all of us to become soldiers in his journey to better our nation, how can one say no?

Now is the time for us to help our nation rise up from its time of darkness to bring it into the light to be the beacon the world has known us to be.  Join with millions of others to transform our country, whether it’s by starting at your school, neighborhood block, city, congregation or state, we all need to heed the call of our leaders to bring change now.

President Barack Obama!  At 12:01pm EST today as Barack Obama took the stage to be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, the presidential transition also took place digitally at WhiteHouse.gov.  The official presidential website is now home to Team Obama, and gone are the days of the temporary home at Change.gov.  I am beaming with excitement for the promise that this moment holds, and given how effective Obama’s online presence was leading up to his election, I am sure WhiteHouse.gov will be a frequently visited site throughout the presidency.  And in case you missed it here is Obama’s Inaugural address:

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Today is the day millions upon millions, billions even, have been waiting for for a very long time.  When Barack Obama becomes President Barack Obama at the massive inauguration ceremonies in Washington DC today at Noon, the hopes and dreams of so many both in America and around the world will have finally been realized after two terms of the Bush Administration and 28 years of de facto conservative rule in the United States.

Part of what makes this day so special is what a nightmare the previous administration was.  George W. Bush lied, cheated and stole his way into the highest office in the land and continued to lie, cheat and steal, for his cronies at least, once there.  The results are plain to see and will be a Herculean task for Obama and indeed everyone in the country to rectify.  But at least we are finally on the right track.  For once there is truly good news in an age where it is often hard to come by.

Obama’s rise and the conservative demise reminds me of a, perhaps counterintuitive, wish expressed by a friend of mine during the 2004 Presidential race between Bush and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry.  The friend, an avowed liberal, said he hoped Bush would win the election so that he could screw things up so bad that America might finally sit up, take notice and elect politicians that would actually serve their interests and do the right thing.  While I’m not happy about the screwing things up part, the fact that Americans have finally woken up and kicked out the bums who have been fighting so vigorously and effectively against the interests of everyday men & women, peace and environmental responsibility is a welcome change indeed. Read the rest of this entry >>