The Hewitt Times

After a sensationalized 2012 election, Obama officially claimed his victory this Martin Luther King day with his second inauguration.

The inaguration, however, was a respite from the usual discord which ensues when political parties mingle at major events. Today was about harmony, democracy, equality, and most importantly, “renewing our collective faith in the future of America,” a sentiment echoed by every speaker at the celebration.

The day, of course, evoked the memory and living influence of the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thousands of inaugural attendees stood before the Capitol listening to our president much like the civil rights supporters who congregated before King nearly 50 years ago to hear his “I Have a Dream” speech. Audio from this famous address was also played in the background of a Volunteers of America commercial which aired during the inauguration.

Inaugural Chairman and current Senator for New York Chuck Schumer opened the event with an uplifting and enthusiastic introduction, recalling the 150th anniversary of the completion of the capital’s dome which he compared to the challenge of tackling “our own era’s unfinished domes.” Appealing to the patriotic spirit, he stated that we are a nation of “practical, optimistic, problem solving people,” and  “those who have bet against the country have inevitably been on the wrong side of history.”

Myrlie Evers-Williams, civil rights activist and widow of Medgar Evers, then delivered her elegant, powerful invocation, the first woman ever to be given this inaugural honor.  She memorably said, “opportunity to become whatever our mankind…womankind…allows us to be: this is the promise of America.”

Just around noon, Vice President Joe Biden was sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor, and, finally, Obama was sworn into office by Chief Justice John Roberts (although both were officially sworn in on Sunday in accordance with the consitution which demands a change of power by January 20th).

Obama delivered the second inaugural address of his lifetime after taking his oath of office over both Abraham Lincoln’s bible and Martin Luther King’s bible. As a preview to his State of the Union next month, Obama addressed significant pieces of his agenda (jobs, teachers, ending the war in Afgahnistan, health care, the deficit, climate change, women’s equality, gay rights, immigration, and safety, to name a few). Obama’s campaign-team-turned-nonprofit-organization “Organizing for Action” will help him throughout his term to take these strides forward for our nation.

Obama’s chief speechwriter Jon Favreau, who helped to write his first address, also collaborated with the president on this speech swelling with patriotic pride, in which he eloquently stated, “we are made for this moment, and we will seize it so long as we seize it together.”

Other presentations included Richard Blanco’s poem “One Today” and musical selections by Kelly Clarkson and Beyonce.

As we look towards the next four years, New York teens hope to see Obama achieve various goals in his second term. Julia Wolinsky ’14 wants Obama to “pass the senate version of the Violence Against Women Act and get our troops out of Afghanistan”. Savannah Stone ’15 says, “I’d like to see the ban on assault weapons and buying rounds of artillery online.” Other popular hopes include the advancing of gay rights throughout the country and congress allowing more of Obama’s propositions to go through.