As the stomach churns

    When Obama was first elected in 2008, I didn't have much opinion about him other than, "Cool, a sort of black person becoming President. What a great country this is that we can go from slavery to presidency in such a short amount of time." Then I listened to his inaugural speech.

    I was at the library and noticed a group of people standing in a back room watching something on the television and being very excited.  I was curious.

    As a homeschooling mom, I kept my kids busy learning but politics never interested me. I taught them that the Constitution was the foundation of our governmental workings. I taught them that I felt it was an inspired document that, when followed, would ensure we all had the opportunity to live prosperously and find happiness. That just reading it was not enough and learning the construction of it was important as well. But that is where I stopped. 

    I spoke of action as being important but I am so against the negativity that politics creates I never wanted to go any farther than learning about that particular document. Oh, we went to the Capitol and lobbied for bills and such. I wanted them to know the process but I never had strong enough opinions about most things to do more than that.

    As I listened to Obama's inaugural speech, I was vaguely aware of the shouts of support around me. I was shocked that he could make such claims as he was making. "You already won the presidency. You don't have to lie anymore." was what I was thinking. To actually pull off his promises would mean his family was in danger because the most powerful people in our country, and abroad, were not about to give up their power that easily. 

    There was no way for him to do what he was claiming. If it was that easy then other presidents would have done them already. No, there were tycoons keeping circumstances beneficial to themselves at the cost of our country's freedoms and prosperity. Obama would never be able to fulfill the claims he was making in his inaugural speech, no matter how pretty the words. My stomach began to churn. The elated nature of everyone else in the room was very contagious and I wanted to believe. They were such beautiful ideals! Still, that nagging feeling that we were in for some loss of our freedoms wouldn't go away.

    I believe in acting when our freedoms are in danger but what does one do when everyone around you is caught up in the hope of a better future?