Saturday, January 24, 2009

Inaugural Address via Zemanta

President Obama's Inaugural Address speaks to me at many levels. With easy access to the text and to video of the speech, I can select from it again and examine other perspectives. He made references to several kinds of service. But the ones he specifically mentions are not the kinds of service with which middle and high school students identify for themselves.
As we consider the role 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, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.
We honor them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service -- a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

Washington, D.C.Image via Wikipedia 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.

What will it take to get references to find a picture of a parent reading to a child? A student explaining how to use a computer?
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1 comment:

Zemantic dreams said...

just use the 'filter' option...