“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

I’ll admit to being a bit overcome with emotion as I watched Barack Obama stand on the steps of the Capitol and take the oath of office yesterday.  But even through the tears, I, along with everyone else, was taking mental notes on what he said.  Here then, is what stood out to me from the inaugural address of the man who is now the 44th President of the United States .

“We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and nonbelievers.”

I can’t remember the last time I heard a political speech in America which explicitly acknowledged atheists. Time and time again, (and particularly so in the past eight years as fundamentalists held positions of power), we “nonbelievers” have had God and religion and prayer shoved down our throats.  The curtain separating church and state in the US has become threadbare and all but a thin wisp of a notion in many places.  References to America and God go hand in hand, to the point where it’s nearly impossible to mention one without in the same breath mentioning the other.

And yet, though lots of good people do not believe in any “higher power”, we’re seen as a freakish anomaly, and less “American” than properly godfearing citizens.  How dare we postulate that the bountiful wealth and strength of our country is anything other than pre-ordained?  How dare we insist on removing the ten commandments tablets from state buildings, or prevent the bible club from meeting during school hours?  What’s the harm in teaching “intelligent design” alongside evolution?  And our refusal to say the “under god” in the pledge of allegiance is seen as practically a slap in the face.  For many people of faith, atheism the antithesis of patriotism.   For politicians, then, when grappling with the thorny issues presented by a national constitution with a prohibition on federally endorsed religion, and a citizenry who are largely religious… well, it’s much easier to pretend we don’t even exist.  Which means that every single time a politician says America is a nation of many faiths, they leave out a whole segment of the population by omission.  So that shout out is particularly welcome; a reminder that we’re Americans too – and no less than the President says so.

“…we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals”.

I literally leapt up and shouted “yes!!” when I heard him say this.  Too long we’ve been told that we had to surrender our domestic civil liberties, and sacrifice our innate human rights in order to secure peace.   Too long, we’ve been submissive to invasion of our personal privacy, and the erosion in our collective consciousness of that bright, clear line dividing right from wrong.   Too long we’ve been fed that false dichotomy: you’re either with us, or you’re against us.   A new leader is calling “bullshit” on all of that, and acknowledging out loud, for the other leaders of the world to hear, that we can no longer hypocritically stand on principle while taking the shortcuts around the moral high ground.   More than that, “ America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.” We know we’ve effed up.  We know we can’t achieve peace by acting unilaterally.  We’re starting over.

“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.”

There, then, is the race issue in a nutshell.   His campaign was in large part successful because it transcended race – but people in America were craving a direct acknowledgement of the profundity of this moment in history.  An acknowledgement of the efforts of those who came before, that made this moment, *his moment*, possible.   A hearkening back to those who, “for us… endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.”  That his presidency is a symbol of “what free men and women can achieve”.  He never had to say he was the first black president – the monuments he stood in front of said that.  But it was monumentally important that he acknowledge it.  With deftness and grace, he did.

“To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you … we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders.”

And finally, a president that understands and takes to heart, the concept of noblesse oblige.  (For those that thought Obama was a socialist, that should send them into a right tizzy!)  That isolationism hurts us as well as them, and that in the age of globalisation, we are all interdependent upon each other.  There is no longer “first world” and “third world” societies – there are only developed and under-developed countries.  We with “relative plenty” have both a moral and self-serving imperative to help those who do not.

Wow.  Can you believe we actually elected such a man?

Yes, it is, after all, just a speech – what is delivered remains to be seen as he undertakes the most difficult job on the planet.   Even if he falls short, he has lofty aim.   But when you stand up before the world and set out your intentions – the benchmark against which history will ultimately judge you – you’d best be clear about what you’re standing for.  And by that measure, he has set high standards.

Let’s hope the next four years measure up.

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