I watched President Obama's Inaugural Address and though the talking heads seem to think there was nothing really extraordinary about it I found the straight talk encouraging. I found the following particularly bracing:
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task." ~ President Barack Obama, Inaugural Address, January 20, 2009

What do you think? Do you think these times of crisis present an opportunity that we as Americans have the courage and initiative to rise to?

25 EXCELLENT LinkedIn answers here.

"These are the times that try men's souls." ~ Thomas Paine, The Crisis, December 23, 1776

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Hi Maureen;
The US economy is too massive to fall, yes it has a lot of dents and requires a lift...
I think with the current DC administration that we are being set up...
Change is inevitable and required. It cannot get much worse than it is today so anyone sitting @ the Oval office will look like a hero when the economy starts picking up in 2009 Q4 or early 2010... President Obama has lofty spending goals that will just side track the economy....
All I heard was feel-good rhetoric. I don't need that right now. Obama is going to be pushing a continued nationalization program (which W and co. started) and I do NOT wish for those policies to succeed.

This is just my opinion.....but that's what you asked for!
Sal, set upfor what?
Jerry -do you believe we witnessed a "transition of power" yesterday?
Set up for socialized gov't....
Well that's what they say it was - but I really don't know about all that.

Maureen Sharib said:
Sal, set upfor what?
Jerry -do you believe we witnessed a "transition of power" yesterday?
I do not want to believe, I want to succeed.
I want my children to have a chance....
Jerry;
What about when they go house-to-house collecting fire-arms, I do not mean uzis and AKs either....
What about the "Fairness Doctrine"?
Jerry, do you think we still have a separation of parties in this country?
I don't know about the Fairness Doctrine either - other than my own personal philosphy on what is right, fair, just and true.

Hope doesn't pay the bills. Call your power company and let them know you'll be hoping that "yes we can" pay the bill very, very soon.........

Since wrapping up my partial-sabattical on January 5 I have been working nonstop. Not hoping that something will happen - but MAKING something happen.

I count on no person other than myself - and I also count on my lovely wife as she and I committed to rely on each other nearly 15 years ago.......

Sal Petrara, CPC said:
Jerry;
What about when they go house-to-house collecting fire-arms, I do not mean uzis and AKs either....
What about the "Fairness Doctrine"?
Maureen,

I agree with Jerry. Bush was always about big intrusive government and spending too much money even though he claimed he was a conservative. Obama seems to plan to do nothing but step on the gas with that agenda, more nationalization, more spending, more government control. Big government competes with the private sector (and stifles it) and the only way the economy recovers is with a strong private sector. Obama seems to be trying to throw a bone here and there to the more traditional conservative value people, but he comes right back to the big stimulus package (much like Bush's last spring which did absolutely nothing to help the economy) and other similar policies. It's good that he has a high approval rating right now and that may help a little, but in the end he can't spend his way out of this.

I don't think any of these politicians are evil or have an il will. I think they are all the same and are all more concerned about how things look on their watch, so they'll spend and intrude for short term help to the situation, but long term they are doing big damage. I think we all have to realize that they aren't going to help us, we need to do the work ourselves and hope they don't do too much damage until we get someone in there who will reduce the size of government and support the private sector.

Todd Kmiec
Todd Kmiec & Associates
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I must say... I was truly inspired with the message. If nothing more his call to a mature America. One not dewelling on obvious differences but one that uses thoses differences to come up real solutions to some very big problems (health care, energy, jobs, etc.) I believe if we will just put our own desires and wishes aside and work together, we will be able to pull ourselves out of this mess. I do have the audacity to hope... we all should.
I thought is was a serious speech and I'm glad President Obama did not attempt to reach for oratory greatness like he has in other speeches - I certainly did not hear feel-good rhetoric as some have observed.
As far as your question goes - yes, I think we as Americans are capable of rising to the meet the challenges in front of us - and I would also like to think that Americans alone are not in this; its a global challenge and we are all in this together.

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