Sunday, February 22, 2009

My Letter to the Inauguration Committee

Assalamu Aleikum,


(Originally meant to be posted on 1/09/09 at 3:18 AM)


I wrote the following letter to the Inauguration Committee, upon finding out that I could not donate money:


We have ushered in a new era of leadership. The cynicism and pragmatism that prevailed in past presidential administrations, over those of idealism and hope, have come crashing down around our ankles. We have suffered the injustices of an oncoming oppression and tyranny of the masses that would seek to diverge from the very principles our nation was founded upon, in order to reign in a fear of the foreign and unknown. In ignorance, we thought isolationist tendencies would allow for us to prosper and develop as a unified nation, but it only fostered arrogance and blissful pride at the expense of the lives of young men and women.

Yet, in the midst of our decline, here came a man, not of my generation but of the generation preceding, who argued for the very principles considered naïve by those who would have us call them "wise". He spoke from the very foundations of the heart, reaching not only the emotional centers of citizens worldwide, but also appeasing the mental capabilities of our advanced species. He gave those who had lost hope in the political system, a new sense of wonder at the efficacy of his message, and the eloquence of his speech. We desired in our leaders a certain mien and character that would distinguish them from the despots who would seek to ascertain power, and such a package was delivered in President-elect Obama.

On that cold day of January 20th, in which the entire world will be gazing, I, whether there in person or in my dorm-room watching via the internet, will realize the fulfillment of the American Dream; a dream that has escaped the grasp of many eligible young men and women in these United States; a dream that has been the driving force behind this nation's shifting gears; a dream that has so deeply rooted itself into the very fabrics of our lives. When the appendage of "elect" is dropped from his title, when the West Wing is being decorated in the drapery of his choice, when the hands of thousands of onlookers begin to tremble with a thunderous applause, the dreams of millions (if not billions) of people worldwide will be recognized, and a new day and age will be ushered in, in which all basic human freedoms are recognized; where government rules based on the appreciation of "fact" rather than an adhered ideology of fear,  where voting is recognized more as a civic duty rather than a chore, where even the lowly college-student can make a difference in the way our country governs. That is the essence of the profound meaning of Inauguration Day 2009.


Sincerely,

M


May the peace and blessings of God be upon you.