Mr Barack Obama, with his wife Michelle by his side, taking the Oath of Office as the 44th President of the United States. He was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts during the inauguration ceremony in Washington. -- PHOTO: REUTERSWASHINGTON: 'America, the Beautiful' may not always ring true in these crisis-ridden times, but early this morning if you heard him, Mr Barack Obama believed it could be so again.
In his much-awaited inauguration speech, he called on Americans to choose 'hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord'.
After turning a new page in United States history by becoming the first African-American President, all eyes are now on how exactly he would lead a superpower weary of war and recession.
The answer he gave was this: bold and swift action on the economic front, decisive steps to restore America's standing in a world disillusioned with its power and a call to a new era of American responsibility.
'Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many,' he said, shortly after being sworn in as the 44th President of the US in a ceremony redolent with historic significance.
'They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met,' he said, watched by a two-million-strong crowd that had gathered overnight to witness history unfolding before their eyes. Millions more across the globe watched on TV and over the Internet.
Mr Obama also pledged to revive a US economy that he said had been badly damaged by 'greed and irresponsibility' and an avoidance of hard choices.
He said the economic crisis showed that markets can spin out of control 'without a watchful eye' and that prosperity must be shared more broadly.
In his two-year race for the White House, the 47-year-old former senator from Illinois campaigned on a message of hope and change that struck a chord with millions of frustrated Americans.
Despite the wave of optimism generated by Mr Obama's election triumph last November, tough questions abound about whether his administration can nurse the world's largest economy back to health, and end the two unfinished and unpopular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
How these questions unfold will have major consequences for the world at large.
Like many other US leaders who took office during times of crisis, Mr Obama also sought to inspire his countrymen with a broad call to action, service and sacrifice.
Stressing the enormity of the tasks before him and America, he declared: 'Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.'
The crowd who had braved freezing temperatures to witness his inauguration, at times chanting 'Obama, Obama' in unison, applauded at many turns as he delivered his speech with passion.
A sizeable portion of his speech was devoted to the wider world, promising an America that would listen, even as he vowed to spare nothing to keep the US safe from terrorism. He promised to withdraw troops from Iraq and forge a 'hard-earned peace' in Afghanistan.
'We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, 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,' he said, addressing terrorist enemies.
He also spoke to the Muslim world, pledging 'a new way forward' in ties, based on mutual interest and respect.
If the speech was the moment watchers were waiting for, for many more among the millions gathered at the US Capitol, the defining moment came minutes past noon - when Mr Obama, the son of a Kenyan man and a white American woman, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th US president who ended slavery, and took the oath of office.
To many, this marked the ultimate victory of the civil rights movement and the fulfilment of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's 'dream' that his children might be judged by their character rather than the colour of their skin.
Acknowledging the historic nature of his inauguration in a nation with a deeply troubled racial past, he said: '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.'
Today, Mr Obama, the nation's fourth youngest president, will walk into the Oval Office to begin his first day in office.
America, the Beautiful will be very much a work in progress.
No comments:
Post a Comment