I will tell you, I am impressed. There has been a lot of signing this last week. Now some will say that a lot of what President Barack Obama has done this first week is all show, but I entirely disagree. And some will not like some of the things he has signed, such as the closing of Guantanamo, but again I disagree. I cannot remember a president who has taken such strides within his first week of taking office.
This nation, and in fact the world, needs to see clear and decisive signs that there is change. The change that was promised in the election and the change that will refuel our economy, our spirit, and our reputation. Every thing that President Obama has done so far goes directly to those goals. From unequivocally outlawing torture to pushing through the economic stimulus plans, these are things that should not involve waffling or debate. We know how we, the US people, feel about these things and they should be acted on promptly.
I will also tell you this – I feel a change in people’s attitudes. Maybe it is just me or maybe I am just looking for it, but people seem to be encouraged even in this time of economic turmoil. There is a politeness and respect in the air that I haven’t seen since the days after 9/11. Someone suggested that this is also helped along by the good news from the Hudson River where all passengers walked away from that US Air flight. (A flight I have taken more than once, I might add.) But, whatever the reason, there is a welcome change in the air.
It is only the end of the first week though. There is still a long way to go. There are a lot of problems and a lot of hard decisions. Let’s hope we can all stick together, work hard, and put everyone back on the right track. The free bumper stickers, buttons and posters were great, but they will not get the work done. It is up to us, at the grass roots level to make sure that promises are kept and old school, good-old-boy politics does not creep in.
