Our New President . . .

I have just a few things to say about our new President, Barack Obama. First, I didn't vote for him, but after I saw how overcome other African Americans were when they heard he'd been elected, I became profoundly grateful that he would be our next president.

Second, I don't agree with all of President Obama's past policy decisions, but I'm behind him 100%. Meaning, I pray for him. I believe that he'll try his utmost to make decisions that will be best for America, but he can't do it alone. America doesn't rise and fall because of the influence of just one man. It's the many that make us mighty, and I intend to take personal action that will build and strengthen our nation.

In his inaugral address President Obama said, "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."

I know that many people are happy to see George W. Bush leaving office. I have mixed feelings. I don't believe that he alone brought our nation to where it is today. Again, I think that the individual decisions of millions of Americans will alter economic stability and our country's moral fiber more than the political decisions of the President of the United States. George W. Bush isn't the bad guy, just the fall guy. I take him at his word when he says that he did what he thought would be best for our country.

What would happen if the rest of America did what they thought would be best for our country instead of doing what they think would be best only for themselves? What if more of our politicians did this as well? Where could we be in four years? Only time will tell.