Innaugural 2013

I voted for Senator Barack Obama in 2008 because I believed in him. Here was a young, vibrant African American family man from my home state. If anyone could bring "Change We Can Believe In" to Washington, surely it was him. Although I was far from impressed with his first four years in office, the Republican Party ticket in 2012 so represented the rich power elite, who came to be known as the 1%ers, and the most radical elements of the extreme far-right, I once again cast my ballot for the President. I was so deeply concerned that the forces supporting the Republicans would do whatever was necessary to rig the election, that I cried when the winner was officially announced. Although the President's slogan for this campaign, "Forward," was exceptionally lame, I still believed.

With joy and hope, I watched the inauguration unfold on a gorgeous January day. I sent kudos to President Obama, his beautiful family, the palpable spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Beyonce, James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson, all the bands, representatives of our military, poets, the 800,000 citizens who attended the inaugural, and the grandeur of our nation's Capital. The alternative to this day, in so many ways, goes beyond human and moral imagination.

Unfortunately the old expression, 'fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me' proved to be prophetic. As we now know, President Obama had been authorizing the greatest assault on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the fundamental freedoms of U.S. citizens, and the American way of life, ever conceived. Since the facade of that beautiful, hopeful day was ripped away, we have seen the face of tyranny rear its ugly head.

"I am in this race to tell the corporate lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more than any other candidate in this race to take on lobbyists — and won. They have not funded my campaign, they will not run my White House, and they will not drown out the voices of the American people when I am president."

Barack Obama, Speech in Des Moines, IA

November 10, 2007

I no longer believe.