"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 promise of citizenship."
Both the government and the people are finally paying attention. They noticed the trouble our country is in and are willing to take action. With Obama's inauguration comes a wave of relief, and a surge of hope that we have a president who will commit himself to the betterment of our country. I trust him. I never trusted Bush. Hearing Obama's speech today and looking at the national mall filled with millions of excited Americans is the most heartening thing I've seen in a long time. Progress will be hard and slow, but today, let's just be grateful it has begun.
(Full inaugural transcript here.)
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