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A
friend of mine, Rolfe Carawan, an author and motivational speaker,
recently pointed out to me the unique way in which lions hunt. In the
savanna grasslands of Africa when lions are ready to hunt, a male lion
runs to one side of the grassland to prepare for the attack. A group of
lionesses, known for their precision and hunting prowess, slowly move in
on the other side of the grassland and wait slyly behind the thick reeds
and grass. Unaware of their surroundings and the impending attack, their
prey – flocks of zebras, wildebeest, and gazelle – graze quietly in the
center of the grassland. Then, the male lion lets out a roar to signal
the hunt.
In a hasty and immediate reaction to the roar, the prey scatter from
their herds, running as fast as they can away from the roaring lion
behind them. What they don’t realize is that they will run straight into
the group of lionesses who have moved into position, now ready to
pounce, attack, and kill.
There is something very peculiar about the lion’s hunt. If the lion’s
prey grazing in the savanna grasslands would just run towards the roar
of the lion, they would easily get around the single lion by their sheer
size in number and speed. Instead they run away out of fear, heading
straight into an even more deadly situation.
As we begin a new year, a new Congress, and a new administration, news
media and negative pundits are quick to remind us of the many daunting
challenges that loom ahead for our nation in 2009. And with all of the
challenges we’re constantly reminded of, it is easy to think of
ourselves as one of the thousands of prey confronted by a roaring lion
ready to devour.
Families and businesses feel beaten down by our economic situation.
Retirement investments are not what they used to be. Colleges are
raising their tuition to cover for shrinking endowments, causing
families to question their ability to send their children to college.
Small businesses are being forced to close their doors because they
cannot break even given the slump of consumer sales. Droves of young
people are coming out of college facing one of the toughest job markets
our country has seen in years.
Furthermore, government spending – and our federal deficit – is
skyrocketing. With all of the federal bailouts from 2008, the presence
of our federal government in our overall economy has increased by 50% in
just 12 months. The total cost of the bailout packages alone is nearly
the entire amount Congress appropriated on all federal discretionary
spending in 2007. In its latest budget forecast, the Congressional
Budget Office announced our federal deficit for FY2009 will shatter any
record high deficits in peacetime history, tripling to $1.2 trillion. At
this pace, government spending is set to make up half of our overall
economy in just two years, replacing the judgment of the American people
with the judgment of politicians, threatening not just our welfare
today, but the future welfare of our children and grandchildren.
Our healthcare system needs to be revitalized to address our increased
federal spending in health care and the 47 million individuals without
health insurance. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, federal spending on health care is outpacing our overall
economic growth. Small businesses lack a way to purchase health
insurance for their employees at competitive costs. Our prescription
drug prices are more costly than those in other countries, putting a
strain on senior citizens, especially in our current economic
environment.
The lion’s roar is certainly loud and no doubt frightening. But like the
thousands of prey who face the roaring lion, we have a critical option
in the face of these challenges – we can run away from the roaring
challenges in front of us only to find ourselves facing an even more
costly situation, or we can run towards the challenges in our
traditionally innovative spirit seeking lasting solutions. In theory, I
would gather that most individuals would choose to take the challenge
head-on. But we must ask ourselves what it means to do that in practice.
Will we continue to increase our deficit by seeking stimulus after
stimulus? We’ve seen that no temporary stimulus or boost to our economy
lasts. Will we continue to invest in a failed model that diverts
investments away from hardworking Americans and successful businesses?
We have an opportunity to seek economic solutions that preserve our
basic economic traditions and put us on track towards a growing economy.
Will we settle for a Washington-run healthcare system which will weaken
the quality and accessibility of care? Or will we seek to reduce
healthcare costs by increasing transparency in our system and instilling
real competition and free market principles? We have an opportunity to
transform our current system to one of empowerment, choice, and quality,
and to bring our health care system into the 21st century through the
use of technology.
Will we return to being a nation of innovative solutions rather than
temporary remedies? I am confident that we can if we step out and put
aside partisan politics, open our dialogue, and continually ask
ourselves “What it best for America?.” I believe in the innovation of
America and the American people, and I know we can overcome our greatest
challenges through our values and our refusal to give up. We just have
to run to the roar.
A Historical Look at Inaugurations
Every
four years following a Presidential Election, the American people watch
as their new President, or returning President, is sworn into office.
The first Presidential Inauguration of George Washington occurred on
April 30, 1789, in which he called upon "That Almighty Being who rules
over the universe" to assist the American people in finding "liberties
and happiness" under "a government instituted by themselves." Since
Washington’s first Presidential address, each President has addressed
the American people and sworn allegiance to the Constitution of the
United States. Today’s Presidential Inauguration Ceremonies consist of
a week of festivities, including the Presidential Swearing-In Ceremony,
Inaugural Address, Inaugural Parade and numerous Inaugural balls and
galas honoring the new President of the United States. The following
offers a historical look at traditional Inauguration Day events.
Morning
Worship Service
On March 4, 1933, at
10:15 a.m., prior to his swearing-in ceremony, President-elect Franklin
D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor attended a church service at St.
John's Episcopal Church, next to the White House. They did the same at
Roosevelt's 1937 and 1941 Inaugurations, and arranged for a private
service at the White House the morning of his fourth Inauguration on
January 20, 1945. Roosevelt's Inauguration Day worship service set a
precedent that has been followed by Presidents ever since.
Procession to the Capitol
On Inauguration Day,
after a morning worship service, the President-elect, Vice
President-elect, and their spouses are escorted to the White House by
members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
After a brief meeting, the President-elect and the outgoing President
proceed together to the Capitol for the Swearing-In Ceremonies. This
tradition has endured, with few exceptions, since 1837, when Martin Van
Buren and Andrew Jackson rode together in a carriage made from wood
taken from the U.S.S. Constitution. The Vice President and Vice
President-elect follow, as do family members, cabinet members, and
members of the JCCIC.
Vice President’s Swearing-In Ceremony
Just before the
President-elect takes the oath of office on Inauguration Day, the Vice
President-elect steps forward on the Inaugural platform and repeat the
oath of office. Although the United States Constitution specifically
sets forth the oath required by the President, it only says that the
Vice President and other government officers should take an oath
upholding the Constitution. It does not specify the form of that oath.
Swearing-In Ceremony
Although
Inaugural traditions have changed through the years, their fundamental
premise remains unchanged and unwavering. The American Presidential
Inauguration Ceremony, with its speeches and attendant festivities, has
represented both national renewal and continuity of leadership for the
past two hundred years and will continue to do so into the future. The
incoming President recites the oath of office from Article II, Section 1
on the United States Constitution: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm)
that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United
States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend
the Constitution of the United States."
Inaugural Address
The custom of delivering
an address on Inauguration Day started with the very first
Inauguration—George Washington's—on April 30, 1789. Most Presidents use
their Inaugural Address to present their vision of America and to set
forth their goals for the nation. Some of the most eloquent and powerful
Inaugural speeches are still quoted today. In 1865, in the waning days
of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln stated, "With malice toward none, with
charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the
right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the
nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for
his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just
and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." In 1933,
Franklin D. Roosevelt avowed, "we have nothing to fear but fear itself."
And in 1961, John F. Kennedy declared, "And so my fellow Americans: ask
not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your
country."
Departure of the Outgoing President
Following the Inaugural
Ceremony on the west front of the U.S. Capitol, the outgoing President
and First Lady leave the Capitol to begin their post-presidential
lives. In recent years, the newly installed President and Vice
President have escorted their predecessors out of the Capitol after the
Swearing-In Ceremony. The members of the Joint Congressional Committee
on Inaugural Ceremonies gather on the stairs on the east front of the
Capitol Building. The new Vice President escorts the outgoing Vice
President and his spouse out of the Capitol through a military line.
Then, the new President escorts the outgoing President and his spouse
through the military cordon. Since Gerald Ford's departure in 1977, the
former President and First Lady have left the Capitol grounds by
helicopter (weather permitting).
Inaugural Luncheon
On January 20, after the
newly
elected President has taken the Oath of Office and delivered his
Inaugural address, he is escorted to Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol
for the traditional Inaugural luncheon, hosted by the Joint
Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC). While this
tradition dates as far back as 1897, when the Senate Committee on
Arrangements gave a luncheon for President McKinley and several other
guests at the U.S. Capitol, it did not begin in its current form until
1953.
Inaugural Parade
When the Joint
Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has concluded its
luncheon, the guests of honor—the newly sworn President and Vice
President—make their way down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House,
leading a procession of ceremonial military regiments, citizens' groups,
marching bands, and floats. The President, Vice President, their wives,
and special guests review the parade as it passes in front of a
specially built reviewing stand. The Inaugural Parade is a celebrated
and much anticipated event for millions of Americans across the country.
Inaugural Ball
On May 7, 1789, one week
after the Inauguration of George Washington in New York City, sponsors
held a ball to honor the new President. It was not until 1809, however,
after the Inauguration of James Madison at the Capitol in Washington,
D.C., that the tradition of the Inaugural ball began. That night, First
Lady Dolley Madison hosted the gala at Long's Hotel. Four hundred
tickets sold for $4 each. Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1953 Inaugural ball
added a second event due to the great demand for tickets. Four years
later, Eisenhower's second Inauguration featured four balls. President
William Jefferson Clinton hosted fourteen Inaugural Balls, the most in
history. This year, President Barack Obama will host ten official
Inaugural Balls.
To learn more about past
and current Inaugural activities,
The Joint Congressional
Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has provided a detailed
explanation of the Inaugural day of events.
To read the Inaugural
Addresses from the nation's 54 Inaugurations,
click here.
To learn interesting
facts and first of Presidential Inaugurations,
click here.
Watch the Video
"So Help Me God", a historical look at the Inaugural Ceremonies
1789-2005. |