January 20, 2009
Mr. Mick Zellar
PO Box 346
Saint Ignace, MI 49781-0346
As I watched . . .
. . President Obama's swearing-in, and listened to his amazing inaugural address, I couldn't help but think of how remarkable this occasion is. You could feel the hope and anticipation in the air.
The view from the steps of the Capitol faced out toward the mall, where millions of Americans gathered to stand in the cold for hours for a glimpse of history in the making. And just beyond, I could see the Lincoln Memorial, which this year is celebrating the 200th anniversary of President Lincoln's birth.
Into the stone of that monument are etched the words of the Gettysburg Address: "this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom."
Today, those words had special meaning as we begin this new chapter in our American story. At noon today, President Barack Obama took the oath of office as the 44th President of the United States. He takes office at a time of unprecedented challenges. We are struggling with the greatest economic collapse since the Great Depression. America is fighting two wars overseas, and our men and women in uniform remain in harm's way. Millions are out of work and struggling to keep the heat on this winter, to put food on the table, or just to stay in their homes. But even though we face many difficulties, we continue to hold on to that American dream.
Today, at the dawn of this new day in American history, our own "new birth of freedom," we commit ourselves to solving these problems, and to working together to build one America. Today, we set aside our differences - Republicans and Democrats - as we participate in this important ceremony of freedom and democracy.
There is no doubt we have a lot of work to do. In the next few months, I'll be working tirelessly with President Obama - and my colleagues on the other side of the political aisle - to bring real change to America. Our first order of business will be an economic recovery plan, which must include a 21st century manufacturing strategy. We need to address the issue of global climate change, protecting our Great Lakes and our waterways while also creating new green-collar jobs. And we need to take steps to reform our broken health care system so that every American has access to quality, affordable health care.
There will always be issues about which Democrats and Republicans will disagree. But in a time when peaceful transfers of power around the globe seem increasingly rare, we can marvel at the genius of the American experiment in democracy. And we can marvel at those words, etched in stone and in our hearts: "this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Sincerely,
Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator
