Inauguration ‘09: Bearing Witness to History
Tuesday, January 20, 2009Today we bear witness to history. It’s not just the fact that the first African-American will be sworn in as our President and the leader of the Free World. It is unfathomable to us today that there were Americans who would actually fight to their death to preserve the wretched institution of slavery.
It’s not even the fact that Barack Obama won the election in a landslide, and expectations for the success of our charismatic, young leader are high.
It’s because America is unique. Our freedoms have been hard fought, the result of the blood and lives of our ancestors, and our men and women who continue the fight today. Those freedoms are preserved by a uniquely American tradition as old as the Republic – the peaceful transition of power.
From one president to the next, the power and authority provided by the vote of our people is passed. No guns. No tanks. No riots in the streets. Just a simple oath every four or eight years, and it is done.
Americans of every gender, race, religion, and political party celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th President. At the National Association of Manufacturers, we embrace his message of hope and renewal for our country. And we commit ourselves to working together to bring our economy back, create and preserve American jobs, and strengthen America’s stature around the world.
We recognize the road ahead will be challenging. But Americans have always risen above challenges and shattered barriers to success. The NAM is proud that throughout our nation’s history, manufacturing has been a significant part of the solution and our nation’s progress.
As we witness the unfolding of history today, we are reminded of the wisdom of President Obama’s predecessors.
Franklin Roosevelt, the President who faced the most daunting economic challenge in our nation’s history, offered this vision. “We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.” His leadership saved the nation from financial ruin, when many thought the task impossible. This vision is as applicable today as it was 75 years ago.
Abraham Lincoln is the President who is often cited by our new President as one who provides him guidance and inspiration. “My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of the earth,” said the President who began the process of healing our nation after the Civil War.
There is no doubt the path ahead for our new President will be filled with very serious challenges. Our economy is in crisis and our nation is in a recession not seen for generations. Manufacturing has not been spared, and the downturn has led to less production, lost jobs and closed facilities. But manufacturing is the engine that drives the U.S. economy, and it is the sector that can – and will – lead our nation into economic recovery.
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