America, Renewed

While watching the celebrations in the run up to this Tuesday's inauguration, I was struck by the realization that we are seeing an America George Bush and Dick Cheney and all their assorted culprits did not want us to see. Their America gave comfort to its enemies and struck fear in its friends. This Tuesday, the America seen by the world will be the complete opposite. It will be renewed.

In the renewed America, Lincoln, Jefferson and the country's founders are resurrected as more than striated, heavy-lidded profiles on currency; they will become once again vital participants in a daily conversation, a conversation which extends beyond their iconic memorials and once again makes their ideas and ideals practical and accessible to the people of this nation.

In the renewed America, the enthusiasm for our new president is authentic, outright joy, a torrent of emotion dammed by years of thuggery and arrogance that marked the Bush Administration's fraudulent reign.

Just today in a renewed America, the waters on the Great Mall were still and solid as a result of the chilling Winter winds, but also still and solid as if in anticipation of the millions of feet it would need to support, the feet of the respectful, the moved, the finally mattering masses who see in Obama a brother, a father, a friend in a high place who just might acknowledge their existence in way that doesn't have to put money in their pocket but hope in their heart, that doesn't have to bribe, threaten and cajole people to participate, but rather who will gather this Tuesday willingly, lovingly.

In a renewed America, it is the beginning of the end of the demonization of all we have always known to be good--thrift, service, wisdom, compassion -- and the lauding of all we've known to be bad -- aggression, greed, deception, secrecy, hegemony.

And with America renewed, such is the world's collective sigh of relief which gives way to a cheer of exaltation. The Bush Time is well gone, though there is much to clean up after the damage it inflicted; damage which dwarfs that inflicted by Katrina and Iraq and the thousand black holes of despair snuffing out the thousand points of light.

In our nation's still young but storied existence there have been many nightmares endured, some self-inflicted, others visited upon us. We now awaken refreshed and renewed, ready once again to start the day.

And when President Barack Obama is faced with his crucible -- and he will, surely -- we will now fully understand and embrace the reason for facing it with him. For in a renewed America, we will no longer be resentful but grateful, united as a nation of individuals with a stake in it's future, for we will have faced our own crucible in the form of the Bush Administration and finally, humbly triumphed.

On Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 we will become America, Renewed.

Comments

[PhillyBella]

"a friend in a high place who acknowledges my existence".....you put my feelings into words. All of a sudden I feel different. Even a poor, barely-making-it senior citizen like me feels like I have a voice, like they know what is happening to so many like me. Bravo!

[blustate135]

"the finally mattering masses" - exactly! Well said Steven.

[Social Construct]

File that in your briefs and eat it, Justice Scalia!
Um, he's the only real neo-con of substance and status left I could think of at this moment. A moment that will linger and resonate within my mind; bringing echoes of hope to my thoughts when the tribulations brought about by past decisions of government driven by Machiavellian ideologies assault my senses. Good luck, President Obama.

[RepugsOut08]

Well said Steven. It's almost like a movie script, isn't it? The happy ending that no movie critic would buy after the equally unbelievable script of the Bush years.
And yet it's all true. Our democracy is being given yet another glorious shot at redemption, after every evil shot has been taken to destroy it
Somebody up there must like us after all.

[dessertsfirst]

It's been such a long time coming.
Isn't it wonderful!!

[lemekid]

Until America sends Bush and his Neocons to the Hague for war crimes, I will never be satisfied with this renewal.

[highvoltagelover]

ditto

[Pyrum]

Don't hold your breath.

[PrincessZelda]

Yes.

[BandsofBlack]

I agree as well.

And I am also concerned because Obama seems to be back-peddling on torture. He's made a statement that he's considering still allowing "tainted evidence" (evidence attained by torturing prisoners!) to be used against certain defendants. And he's made a statement saying he's considering endorsing a loophole that would still allow the CIA to continue to use "robust interrogation techniques".

There are some things that you simply cannot compromise on.

Torture is one of them.

Obama needs to stand up and unequivocally say that torture is wrong. And that not only will no one else be tortured, but that those who ordered people to be tortured will be investigated and prosecuted.

[Scoppertop]

The Obama Presidency will restore the respect of the people for the White House. It's been a long time coming.

[bjammin]

You've been waiting a while to be able to write this article, eh Mr Weber? Well played, sir!

Well, the day is virtually here - thanks for your articles during the darkest bits, and lets get rolling into a brighter future!

[MAragon]

My Mom and I've been comparing notes - we live in a DC suburb and work in DC - and we've never seen anything like this and it's wonderful. Everyone is in such good spirits.

[gfs5541]

I'm hopeful too. Anything's got to be hopeful after the last 8 years.

[itmaybetoolate]

Steven, there are those of us in the GLBT community who don't feel so renewed. It feels like business as usual for us.

[oafishcad]

We stopped living under the tyranny of the schoolyard bully and his gang and picked the smart kid to run things. The bullies won't be pleased. The rest of us will.

[CindyMax]

Good piece, Steven. I hope you're right. A hopeful sign is the grousing naysayers appear vastly outnumbered.

[zippy01]

While a capable wordsmith, you seem to forget the controversy surrounding the selection for Treasury head. He "forgot" to pay taxes, a "common" mistake they say. I find this disturbing, and feel he should remove himself from the running. I was late paying the state $5 in taxes and had my home threatened. For all his forgetting, he was not assessed a penny in fees. But a new dawn is bringing "change". The cult of personality is being used to blind people to the installation of a new Clinton-esque cabinet, and we all know how upright that administration was.

[offred]

No, Geithner paid both the back taxes and the penalties.

[zippy01]

AFTER he was nominated, and AFTER he had avoided paying them for SEVEN years. He was only charged interest, no penalties or fees. You and I would be jailed, and if he is so intelligent, this is even more unbelieveable. Tax evasion is not a disqualifier to participate in the fleecing of America.

[Steven Weber - Huffpost Blogger]

Yeah. That Clinton cabinet sure was lousy, what with that pesky surplus and all. I mean, not like the saints that comprised the outgoing administration. Oh Zippy, Zippy, Zippy...

[JulieSA]

Taxes are only for the little people, according to Rangel and Geithner.

[RepugsOut08]

Yeah, and all those awful Clinton era jobs! I couldn't get laid off no matter how hard I tried! "You're gonna have to tough it out kid," the boss told me. There ain't nobody waitin' in line for your job.
And the peace! That dreadful lack of major wars! The Clinton years were just terrible for warmongers and action-adventure fans. ;)

[zippy01]

I have no star struck fanatic worship of Bush as you surmise, and as you seem to have for the incoming administration. The Clinton years were good financially to be sure, but nothing was done to forestall the current situation. This current mess cannot be laid wholly at the feet of Bush. Obama has done nothing as president, yet he is compared to Lincoln? Snap out of it, both parties are corrupt and we've been sold on star power alone. I hope for the best, but I am not hearing the right things from this administration to convince me. It is more of the same, change was the mantra for the masses, status quo is the order of the day for the White House.

[highvoltagelover]

I don't believe that your home was threatened for a mere $5 ; but i'm sure you must agree that the new cabinet is hardly less than upright

[zippy01]

I could show you the threatening letter from the state if you'd like. We'll see about your assumption of upright conduct in the incoming administration. Defending Geithner isn't a good start.

[piquet]

One thing we can count on from "small" men is their petulance and utter shamelessness of calling to arms the pettiest of indiscretions. How about the fact that you enabled the death of over 4000 American soldiers. Now THAT is something to be proud of....limp away loser.

[zippy01]

How did I enable a single death? Silence hater.

[offred]

An added bonus: Dubya will never again exercise the power of life and death over a prisoner, or the power to keep a wrongfully incarcerated prisoner in jail. Hallelujah!