There is Nothing New Under the Sun

I wanted to make this a longer post, but I am kind of lazy/busy!, so I'll just bullet point issues I considered/reflected upon while watching the inauguration on campus last Tuesday.

1. Rick Warren's convocation was silly. His tone was overly righteous to the point he appeared a caricature of himself. And his beginning prayer to "Oh, Israel" seemed political. I don't care if Christians and Jews share a God; there are scriptures galore in that Bible. But, whatever.

2. Black pastors have always spoken the truth politically. (Aside from the important issue of gays of course. Which makes me not all that happy with black ministry in general, but that's another post.)

3. Elizabeth Alexander's occasional poem was so disappointing to me. Here was a chance to bring the oft neglected art of poetry to the national stage! and it was a great big dud. Not that I think the poem sucked, because upon reading it later online, I liked it a lot. It just failed to rise to the occasion. Damn.

But in actuality, this shouldn't really be a list, because what I really want to talk about is Obama's presidency.

It's a strange thing to admit, because for every possible reason I should have been really proud, elated, moved by Obama's Inaugural address.
But, honestly, I wasn't. And it has something to do with the fact I haven't really been moved during the course of this campaign.

As much as I am pleased with the change of events, the immense ramifications for what an Obama presidency means for this nation, at the same time I have been so piqued by the kind of rhetoric that has surrounded the entire campaign.

Over at Papermagazine, my former editor Rebecca, a black woman and I believe the only black editor at the magazine, expressed what I had been feeling this entire time, but felt guilty/strange about putting into words. It's worth a read:
rebecca's blog

What she talks about is this near mystification of the Obamas, something that surpasses mere praise/admiration. As a member of the black community, this very long-time coming recognition of black intellectual potential is commendable, and very much a relief. But, there is a dangerous attempt to laud it to the point that one makes an exception out of it. Or at least in overpraise seems to assume that the case is exceptional beyond its true parameters. While the Obamas' success is admirable and very much to be admired, I can't be comfortable with the fact that some of the showering of praise seems to stem from the fact of their blackness WHILE successful rather than simply their success. To me, and apparently Rebecca as well, this was evident following discussion of Michelle O's speech.

I wasn't moved by Obama's speech. Perhaps I am just jaded. But for me, rhetoric, unless it is truly "amazing" can never rouse me. And his wasn't. It has been strange to me all along that simple words like "HOPE" and "CHANGE" can finally compel a country to awake from stupor, when words such as "GENOCIDE" and "HABEAS CORPUS" cannot. That's disconcerting, as this nation seems only to understand its potential through a couple of catch phrases.

But, I am excited by Obama.
His smartness while black doesn't surprise me. His rhetorical keenness doesn't either. His love of his wife and his two "angelic" daughters does nothing of the sort.

But, I am excited by a man who understands both what needs to be said in order for America to actually listen, even if I personally find it disturbing that this is the American political "way." And I am excited by a man who has committed to the closure of Guantanamo Bay, a reversal of the "mexico city policy," and the allowance for stricter state emissions standards in his first week in office. These are changes I can believe in. The actual policy that changes and not the linguistic type.

It will be important in the coming months and years to translate that kind of enthusiasm the nation brought to Obama's election into a political pressure that will force this government to actually enact the real changes that will improve this nation. But here's to a smart president! One whose blackness is just icing on the cake.

So on Tuesday I stood on Columbia's campus pissed at Rick Warren, amused by Aretha Franklin, unimpressed by Obama's speech, but really freaking happy to witness the end of an atrocious American era.

Oh, yeah. And particularly elated to be standing next to Milk hottie James Franco while watching it all go down.

AMERRRRICA!