Dear Mr. President Barak Obama,
First off thank you for all that you have done to help save the country from the mess it was left in by the Republican Party. I appreciate you doing many things like forcing a vote on health care reform and making government more transparent to citizens. It is very important that what happens in government for the people to be viewed by the people.
I hope eventually that lobbyist money and lifelong appointments to Congress and the Senate become a thing of the past. Some people just seem to live forever in office.
For some that is good, for many that is an inexcusable detriment to society. I also see what happens when government goes unchallenged in doing better than the status quo.
I see the billions spent on wars and wish it was spent on people within our country who suffer in poverty and quality of education such as in Utah. As for priorities in spending and research,that should be the spending on gang and drug deterrence in public school children starting in elementary school. I also hope that you reinvigorate the spending for national security starting on the street level with Law Enforcement, and public safety in general.
I request that you increase the requirements for public school children to help keep them out of gangs and substance abuse, violence.Mandate programs which have been proven successful.
I see the mess that government was in prior to your inauguration and I see also the many things that still need to be improved upon. I give you a high five for an outstanding job done so far considering how bad the economy and Wall Street had become prior to your election.
I have been in college for more than 5 years as a white working class member of society, I was fortunate to attend an excellent college but have massive student loan debt as part of the sacrifice. I have worked multiple jobs and gone without health care coverage for most of my lifetime.
I was raised in an upper class household and was blessed with incredible parents. I grew up as a child of prosperity.I also grew up around many working class poor people of many ethnicity's. Upon my marriage and subsequent later life I went without most of the quality things that I was acquainted with as a child. These things were simple, the ability to go to a dentist or doctor, or specialist without concern of the excessive costs. Life changed for me a lot after moving out of my parents’ home. Many people go thru similar circumstances.
I married young for all the wrong reasons and as many marriages the failure was imminent.The divorce was exceptional and very costly, it ripped apart both family,friends and relationships that were very important to me. It also was an exceptional learning lesson in how government is mismanaged and only doing the status quo at the State level.When you cannot overpay your child support to a State then there is a huge fundamental problem. That's right try to overpay your child support when you have excess, and get a "we do not accept over payments" letter with a refund. On the other hand the state will seize the federal refund if you are behind on payments! L.O.L. I would like to say that this stopped as an issue 16 years ago, it has not; this is an issue in 2010!
College education was the answer so I tried to focus on it with great hardship!Working multiple jobs at the same time just to financially survive, and trying to slowly complete college was a huge burden. I have a understanding for both working class, middle class and a taste of upper class lifestyles with my life and employment background.
I have worked for too many employers with low quality or unaffordable health coverage. For those Senators and Congressmen who gripe and groan about what an improved health care program can or cannot do for this country; I simply tell them to go without health insurance as a citizen and tax payer. I tell them to think of their extended family, the very poor working class extended family; then do the right thing!
I can prove that I was lucky to stay healthy and not have any pre existing conditions; I do not smoke either and even when skinny and physically fit could not get health insurance. Most of my life I have been without insurance. I was raised as a child of wealth, and after a failed marriage found out what it is like to go without what others take for granted.I am healthy at this time but could loose some weight for sure,those dress clothes do not lie!
A major ongoing grief is that I also cannot provide insurance to my daughter who now lives with her mother. I can suffer but it is not fair to my daughter and her quality of life. There are too many children whose parents are citizens and hard working going without what should be a fundamental part of the American Dream. Those who have health insurance sometimes work many extra hours to pay for it.If you get taxed heavily as I do (those living in Utah pay excessive taxes unless you have many children to deduct), and have been working for usually just barely above the single federal rate for poverty, then it really causes grief.
If the G8 Nations can do health insurance of good quality, then we in the United States should be the best at it!
I live in Utah but do not ski. The reason for example that I do not ski, is simple if I fall down and break a leg or hit a tree I do not have any health coverage. The family values State that I live in should also be ashamed of how they take care of their kids in the education spending, and without a doubt the health insurance coverage.
My extended family consists of caring for a quadriplegic elderly female and an elderly female struggling with cancer and dementia. For those who think citizens in Utah get excellent health care and have access to all the programs available; NOT! For those that think that health care for severely disabled people is straight forward and consistent with modern times, absolutely not. The cattle prod is the only way to get extended family members with health issues the appropriate care,the huge Health Care Management Organizations are ruthless!
I applaud your efforts also in promoting equality for all in the United States which are citizens. I am a gay male and not currently equally treated in society. I applaud the City of Salt Lake for passing non discrimination bill towards employment and housing. I can easily legally document my employment discrimination in the past based upon my sexuality.When you can document more than 10 heterosexual people in a company were treated much differently than you, then it is appalling that ones sexual orientation could be a basis of discrimination.
I have an incredible extremely well educated L.D.S. friend who lost a prominent position as the administrator of a college based upon his employer finding out he was gay. It is a sad day in America when you can excel in the church,go on a mission for your church,achieve very high levels of education in many areas of study,and when the same employer who gave you incredible reviews, students reviews finds out you are gay you lose your career!
I am outspoken in all aspects of the gay rights movement. I will quickly call out all who opposed gay rights, gay equality. I also remember that I am not the only one discriminated on in this country. For politicians that make ugly black baby comments and other comments they too are called out for being bigots and haters.If you do not apologize and well publicize the apology, then you have not changed your evil barbaric ways! I also call out those who generalize all into one lump category and promote hate. I will support only civil respect for one another and always oppose violence in any format.
President Barak Obama, I request that you repeal the Military don’t ask tell policy DOMA, many of my friends are past military and are gay. Many of my friends are currently LGBT and serving proudly.I respect that you have begun the review process on a policy that is needed to prove the respect that so many veterans and current people serving deserve.
I request that you work on federal hate crime enforcement and expansion of them into all applicable areas. I request that you work to the best of your ability to increase the quality of life for all in America by advancing equality for all citizens.America must be the leader in equality and democracy once again. We will by example show the rest of the world why America is the greatest nation.
I wish you the very best in longevity and a wonderful life with your family and friends.I have confidence in your abilities.
Best Regards!
Two 2nd Class Citizens in Utah
Sundance Film Festival 2010 WIG OF SHAME to be worn showcasing all who opposed gay rights! In the words of my beloved deceased Senator Edward Kennedy, “they can call me a liberal, if it means that I stood up for the rights of others!”
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Sundance Film Festival Twenty Ten WIG OF SHAME to be worn SHOWCASING those who Opposed Gay Rights
Friday, November 6, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Utah Govenor NO SPECIAL RIGHTS FOR GAYS!
I do not need special rights, but having the same rights as all other citizens in the United States would be an improvement!
Barak Obama 2009 Inaguaration Speech All Are Equal,All Are Free, And All Deserve Happiness
utah2bearsplaying @ 2:02pm - Thu Aug 27th, 2009
http://obamainaqurationaddressequality.blogspot.com/
When I was married and straight I had different rights within the law. I could see my loved ones in the hospital without question,I could not be discriminated on because I was male,female,white,black,hispanic,or old versus young.
Now comes a time in United States history and Utah history when all people should work towards improving our communities. Feeding and housing those suffering around us,making sure everyone is treated like human beings.We have already too much violence in our State. Now is a time for a great leader to unite all those to improve this country and the freedom it stands for! When you discriminate against one citizen you discriminate against all. When you deny people basic civil rights you take Utah back to 1963.
When people are treated seperately and differently as citizens,there is no justification. You may call me a «removed» I have many L.D.S. return missonary friends,gay military friends who serve this country. You can call me a liberal also! Please do so if by saying that the term means liberal a powerful voice for humanity like Senator Edward Kennedy. Our President said in his Inagural Speech: "We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
We as a GLBT Community of Utah will work towards doing what the churches should have done instead of wasting millions on proposition 8 Hate. We will be the best we can be in our State. We will take care of Our fellow man. We will work always towards peaceful resolution of disputes. It is sad to see the new leader of our beloved State acting much like Senator Chris Buttars and getting away with legal hate as an elected official. (See my Chrissi Land oH Licks Buttars speaks out at Buttar Palooza Speech) Ho No You Don't Senator Buttars, in regards to his black baby comment, and hate on gays and references to turning back segregation! 2nd Class Citizens in Utah
Utah And Americas Gay Rights Movement
I do not need special rights, but having the same rights as all other citizens in the United States would be an improvement!
Barak Obama 2009 Inaguaration Speech All Are Equal,All Are Free, And All Deserve Happiness
utah2bearsplaying @ 2:02pm - Thu Aug 27th, 2009
http://obamainaqurationaddressequality.blogspot.com/
When I was married and straight I had different rights within the law. I could see my loved ones in the hospital without question,I could not be discriminated on because I was male,female,white,black,hispanic,or old versus young.
Now comes a time in United States history and Utah history when all people should work towards improving our communities. Feeding and housing those suffering around us,making sure everyone is treated like human beings.We have already too much violence in our State. Now is a time for a great leader to unite all those to improve this country and the freedom it stands for! When you discriminate against one citizen you discriminate against all. When you deny people basic civil rights you take Utah back to 1963.
When people are treated seperately and differently as citizens,there is no justification. You may call me a «removed» I have many L.D.S. return missonary friends,gay military friends who serve this country. You can call me a liberal also! Please do so if by saying that the term means liberal a powerful voice for humanity like Senator Edward Kennedy. Our President said in his Inagural Speech: "We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
We as a GLBT Community of Utah will work towards doing what the churches should have done instead of wasting millions on proposition 8 Hate. We will be the best we can be in our State. We will take care of Our fellow man. We will work always towards peaceful resolution of disputes. It is sad to see the new leader of our beloved State acting much like Senator Chris Buttars and getting away with legal hate as an elected official. (See my Chrissi Land oH Licks Buttars speaks out at Buttar Palooza Speech) Ho No You Don't Senator Buttars, in regards to his black baby comment, and hate on gays and references to turning back segregation! 2nd Class Citizens in Utah
Utah And Americas Gay Rights Movement
ksl.com - Herbert: No special rights for gay people
Utah Still Living in the Stone Age! Gay Rights Movement in America. All Should Be Free Equal and Deserving of Happiness in this Country! ksl.com - Herbert: No special rights for gay people
Shared via AddThis
Shared via AddThis
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Utah Rep Jason Chaffetz NO TO BENEFITS
Chaffetz: No to Same-Sex Partners Bill: Rep. Jason Chaffetz says of legislation extending employee benefits to t.. http://bit.ly/3Ofy710 minutes ago from twitterfeed
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Buttar Palooza Drag Queen Chrissi Land oH Licks Buttars Speaks Out
http://www.qsaltlake.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1097:buttars-compares-gays-with-radical-muslims-will-take-down-america&catid=26:local
http://utahgaycommunityfreeequaldeserving.blogspot.com/
Who is Chrissi Land Oh Licks Buttars Gay Drag Queen of Buttars - Palooza , is it an alter ego of Senator Chris Buttars from Utah ?
Oh Ho No You Don’t Senator Buttars!
Senator You Deserve At Least Three Drag Queen Blitch Slaps:
(1)The Ugly Black Baby comments were despicable no group of people should be Hated On That Way!
(2)The comments made about School Segregation are also unacceptable.
(3) There are many Muslims who are excellent model citizens which were offended by your remarks, As a Christian I was offended that you made it sound like they were all terrorists. As a gay tax paying citizen I was offended. You attempt to judge me without knowing me, based upon my sexual orientation. You fail to recognize my model citizen background, Westminster College degree (over 5 years in college so far), as well as having at least two major government related background checks, as well as being a Christian, and outspoken social advocate for change in our country and peace in our community. Who the ()/ell, do you think you are?
You attempt to generalize all into one group by using outdated bigotry based stereotyping. When challenged on your hate, you give side stepped and meaningless apologies. You do not in your heart care for those that you have hurt. Your opinion is one thing; to be allowed to spout vile hate is another. I believe in Karma, what goes around comes around.
So some would ask why are the hate filled vile rants of these elected officials offending me? From those like (Eagle Forum leader Gayle Ruzicka, Chris Buttars , Lamar Christensen and others in office) It is because we live in America, a country which prides itself on diversity. A place where as humans all have worked so long to all be treated equally. Where immigrants could come and make a better life. America has always been a place away from the wars of oppression elsewhere.
We are famous for being the premier place for civil rights, and for treating citizens equally. I was born gay, I did not choose to be gay. I am who I am.
Our Nations history is noted with much advancement in civil rights. We as a nation stood together and said Slavery is not right, equal but separate is not right and we fought many wars to ensure the freedoms that life in the United States grants us. In the battlefields gay, straight, bisexual and transgender as well as many minorities fought side by side with Caucasians. Yes, I have many military gay friends, and many return missionary L.D.S. gay friends. There are also many gay parents like myself out there. My newly immigrant family fought in World War II because it was the right thing to do. We fought and eliminated Adolph Hitler and other dictators who suppress people.
We also do not as a nation condone HATRED. Hate is not acceptable in our society. Elected officials may not make threatening remarks about citizens; these elected officials may have personal opinions but are elected to govern for the people that are part of their districts.
The members of this minority group Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender People wish to have equality. We only want to be treated with equal respect and dignity, the same equal respect and dignity that are afforded to all nationalities, ethnicities of heterosexual people in this great country. We do not want to take away from the rights of heterosexual people to marry. Just as when I was allowed to marry earlier in life. We want to be allowed to show our love for one another and enter into a relationship which is legally binding under State and Federal Law. We want the same exact rights that protect you as a straight man from discrimination. The same legal protections that you take for granted every day.
When you as a Senator oppress one group you discriminate also against others in society that are not L.G.B.T. Under these same denials of equality, straight couples living together also do not have any equality either in many instances. The Laws of the United States as well as most States say that you must be married as a man and woman by an elected official or by a religious leader and have a marriage license. Some States allow a few equality protections for straight couples who are now “common law married” due to time together. Straight people living together are also treated as outcasts even though they are citizens and deserving of happiness.
We will attempt as a GLBT Community to show by actions and good deeds that we are decent and productive members of society. We will show thru our love for our fellow man that there are many struggles which face us as a great nation, which need to be overcome. We will show our Gay Community Love without lowering ourselves to the hateful racism and bigotry and insensitivity toward others thus shown by Senator Buttars. As an individual, I promise to work in improving my community inclusive of all humanity, and the Country in which I live. Until I am god with a capital G, I cannot judge others.
May God Bless America and Utah when it someday starts acting like a part of it!
Tom & Darin 2nd Class Citizens
This past year in Utah, two 7 year old beautiful Innocent Angels were taken from us by evil in 2008. They were some of the unfortunate child murder Victims in our Family Values State. Thru Love and Taking Care of Our Fellow Man, Good Will Overpower Evil! We will be inspired by their memory to do good in this world!
"I am but one man; united by friends I might be able to leave this world just slightly better than when I found it!"
I believe in the power within all of us to do good.
To all reading this; Please Support Community Improvement: Utah Food Bank, Big Brothers & Sisters, and after school programs as well as many other charities and programs which need us more than ever before.
From the website, http://www.equalityutah.org/calendar/
Buttars-Palooza!
When: Sat, February 28, 1pm – 3pm
Where: Utah State capitol South Lawn (map)
Description: Utahans are fair and just people who strive for a better society. We believe “in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. We also believe in free speech. However, State Senator Chris Buttars crossed the line drawn by a fair and just people by stepping on a minority with offensive and demeaning language. Through his defense of the Senator from West Jordan, Senate President Michael Waddoups is equally complicit in this defense of the Senator. By their actions, Senators Buttars and Waddoups do not value or respect that sense of fairness and justice of the majority of Utahns. Senators Buttars and Waddoups did not just demean the LGBT community. They demeaned all Utahns striving for a fair and just society. By recently claiming the "the gays" as the ""biggest threat to America", the Senator ignored climate change, economic disparity, racial inequity and xenophobia, and the other big challenges faced by America, Utah, and our cities and towns. All Utahns are invited to come the Capitol on Saturday, February 28th at 1pm to party for truth and justice. The event will be a lively and fun celebration of our diversity and inclusion of all in a fair and just society. The event will be MC’d by Troy Williams of KRCL and there will be great speakers, music, and other fun. Come celebrate with us!!!http://jointheimpact.com/
http://therainbowdragonnetwork.blogspot.com/
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=5726314
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11809451 pictures of Drag Queen
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-video-hundreds-turn-out-for-buttars-palooza,0,2887605.worldnowvideo
http://utahgaycommunityfreeequaldeserving.blogspot.com/
Who is Chrissi Land Oh Licks Buttars Gay Drag Queen of Buttars - Palooza , is it an alter ego of Senator Chris Buttars from Utah ?
Oh Ho No You Don’t Senator Buttars!
Senator You Deserve At Least Three Drag Queen Blitch Slaps:
(1)The Ugly Black Baby comments were despicable no group of people should be Hated On That Way!
(2)The comments made about School Segregation are also unacceptable.
(3) There are many Muslims who are excellent model citizens which were offended by your remarks, As a Christian I was offended that you made it sound like they were all terrorists. As a gay tax paying citizen I was offended. You attempt to judge me without knowing me, based upon my sexual orientation. You fail to recognize my model citizen background, Westminster College degree (over 5 years in college so far), as well as having at least two major government related background checks, as well as being a Christian, and outspoken social advocate for change in our country and peace in our community. Who the ()/ell, do you think you are?
You attempt to generalize all into one group by using outdated bigotry based stereotyping. When challenged on your hate, you give side stepped and meaningless apologies. You do not in your heart care for those that you have hurt. Your opinion is one thing; to be allowed to spout vile hate is another. I believe in Karma, what goes around comes around.
So some would ask why are the hate filled vile rants of these elected officials offending me? From those like (Eagle Forum leader Gayle Ruzicka, Chris Buttars , Lamar Christensen and others in office) It is because we live in America, a country which prides itself on diversity. A place where as humans all have worked so long to all be treated equally. Where immigrants could come and make a better life. America has always been a place away from the wars of oppression elsewhere.
We are famous for being the premier place for civil rights, and for treating citizens equally. I was born gay, I did not choose to be gay. I am who I am.
Our Nations history is noted with much advancement in civil rights. We as a nation stood together and said Slavery is not right, equal but separate is not right and we fought many wars to ensure the freedoms that life in the United States grants us. In the battlefields gay, straight, bisexual and transgender as well as many minorities fought side by side with Caucasians. Yes, I have many military gay friends, and many return missionary L.D.S. gay friends. There are also many gay parents like myself out there. My newly immigrant family fought in World War II because it was the right thing to do. We fought and eliminated Adolph Hitler and other dictators who suppress people.
We also do not as a nation condone HATRED. Hate is not acceptable in our society. Elected officials may not make threatening remarks about citizens; these elected officials may have personal opinions but are elected to govern for the people that are part of their districts.
The members of this minority group Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender People wish to have equality. We only want to be treated with equal respect and dignity, the same equal respect and dignity that are afforded to all nationalities, ethnicities of heterosexual people in this great country. We do not want to take away from the rights of heterosexual people to marry. Just as when I was allowed to marry earlier in life. We want to be allowed to show our love for one another and enter into a relationship which is legally binding under State and Federal Law. We want the same exact rights that protect you as a straight man from discrimination. The same legal protections that you take for granted every day.
When you as a Senator oppress one group you discriminate also against others in society that are not L.G.B.T. Under these same denials of equality, straight couples living together also do not have any equality either in many instances. The Laws of the United States as well as most States say that you must be married as a man and woman by an elected official or by a religious leader and have a marriage license. Some States allow a few equality protections for straight couples who are now “common law married” due to time together. Straight people living together are also treated as outcasts even though they are citizens and deserving of happiness.
We will attempt as a GLBT Community to show by actions and good deeds that we are decent and productive members of society. We will show thru our love for our fellow man that there are many struggles which face us as a great nation, which need to be overcome. We will show our Gay Community Love without lowering ourselves to the hateful racism and bigotry and insensitivity toward others thus shown by Senator Buttars. As an individual, I promise to work in improving my community inclusive of all humanity, and the Country in which I live. Until I am god with a capital G, I cannot judge others.
May God Bless America and Utah when it someday starts acting like a part of it!
Tom & Darin 2nd Class Citizens
This past year in Utah, two 7 year old beautiful Innocent Angels were taken from us by evil in 2008. They were some of the unfortunate child murder Victims in our Family Values State. Thru Love and Taking Care of Our Fellow Man, Good Will Overpower Evil! We will be inspired by their memory to do good in this world!
"I am but one man; united by friends I might be able to leave this world just slightly better than when I found it!"
I believe in the power within all of us to do good.
To all reading this; Please Support Community Improvement: Utah Food Bank, Big Brothers & Sisters, and after school programs as well as many other charities and programs which need us more than ever before.
From the website, http://www.equalityutah.org/calendar/
Buttars-Palooza!
When: Sat, February 28, 1pm – 3pm
Where: Utah State capitol South Lawn (map)
Description: Utahans are fair and just people who strive for a better society. We believe “in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. We also believe in free speech. However, State Senator Chris Buttars crossed the line drawn by a fair and just people by stepping on a minority with offensive and demeaning language. Through his defense of the Senator from West Jordan, Senate President Michael Waddoups is equally complicit in this defense of the Senator. By their actions, Senators Buttars and Waddoups do not value or respect that sense of fairness and justice of the majority of Utahns. Senators Buttars and Waddoups did not just demean the LGBT community. They demeaned all Utahns striving for a fair and just society. By recently claiming the "the gays" as the ""biggest threat to America", the Senator ignored climate change, economic disparity, racial inequity and xenophobia, and the other big challenges faced by America, Utah, and our cities and towns. All Utahns are invited to come the Capitol on Saturday, February 28th at 1pm to party for truth and justice. The event will be a lively and fun celebration of our diversity and inclusion of all in a fair and just society. The event will be MC’d by Troy Williams of KRCL and there will be great speakers, music, and other fun. Come celebrate with us!!!http://jointheimpact.com/
http://therainbowdragonnetwork.blogspot.com/
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=5726314
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11809451 pictures of Drag Queen
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-video-hundreds-turn-out-for-buttars-palooza,0,2887605.worldnowvideo
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
ALL are Free, EQUAL, and Deserved Chance To Pursue Their Full Measure of Happiness - May God Bless Our New President!
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.politics/index.html
CNN) -- Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and the nation's first African-American president Tuesday. This is a transcript of his prepared speech.
In his speech Tuesday, President Obama said America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Don't Miss
Video coverage of Obama's inauguration
Monumental expectations for Obama's address
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. 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. 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 that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. 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.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
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All About Barack Obama • U.S. Presidential Inauguration
CNN) -- Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and the nation's first African-American president Tuesday. This is a transcript of his prepared speech.
In his speech Tuesday, President Obama said America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
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Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. 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. 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 that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. 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.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
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All About Barack Obama • U.S. Presidential Inauguration
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