4 days of inaugural events feature day of service By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer Philip Elliott, Associated Press Writer
CHICAGO – President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration will be a four-day affair, replete with the traditional balls but also featuring service projects to honor Martin Luther King's holiday, aides said Wednesday.
The events are expected to draw millions of visitors to Washington to witness the swearing-in of the country's first black president. The preliminary schedule also includes a national prayer service the day after Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden take office on Jan. 20.
"At this moment of great challenge and great change, renewing the promise of America begins with renewing the idea that in America, we rise or fall as one nation and one people," Obama said in a statement released by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. "That sense of unity and shared purpose is what this inauguration will reflect."
The event's theme — "Renewing America's Promise" — is the same one used for the Democratic National Convention in Denver and for the party's national platform. It's a nod to the optimism that Obama tapped into during a marathon campaign.
The schedule plans an event on Sunday, Jan. 18, to welcome visitors to the nation's capital. During George W. Bush's first inaugural celebration in 2001, a welcoming event took place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and featured popular musicians such as Ricky Martin, who prodded the then-Texas governor to join him for a dance.
The schedule plans for Obama and Biden to perform a service project the next day, the national King holiday. Aides are not detailing what they will do, but said Obama and Biden would urge others across the country to follow their lead to honor the civil rights leader and activist.
Inauguration Day will feature many of the events of past schedules, including the oath of office on the western steps of the Capitol, the parade to the White House and the traditional inaugural balls. Some have speculated that those would be pared back as the country faces an economic crisis, but aides said they would remain.
Yesterday morning the Orange County Sheriff served Pastor Rick Warren a summons that cautions him partaining to " rumors " he may possibly use the word God in the opening prayer-
It still amazes me that 14% of the people who object to the word God being used and the other 86% who favor the word God being used and the majority has to put up with the minority view and you call this a Democracy. I feel if they don't like the word God being used when our founding fathers purposely placed the word God on our money, our Constitution, and in our courts then they should just leave this country and move to Russia with other people who believe as they do IMHO.
Hey, if they want to take God out of 'everything', I say, be my guest. But then I predict there will be 'hell to pay'. IMHO
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
THE LAW IS THE LAW! I really love this one This is one of the better e-mails I have received in a long time! I hope this makes its way around the USA severaltimes over!!!!! So Be It!
THE LAW IS THE LAW
So 'if' the US government determines that it is against the ! law for the words 'under God' to be on our money, then, so be it.
And 'if' that same government decides that the 'Ten Commandments' are not to be used in or on a government installation, then, so be it.
I say, 'so be it,' because I would like to be a law abiding US citizen.
I say, 'so be it,' because I would like to think that smarter people than I are in positions to make good decisions.
I would like to think that those people have the American public's best interests at heart.
BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I'D LIKE?
Since we can't pray to God, can't Trust in God and cannot post His Commandments in Government buildings, I don't believe the Government and its employees should participate in the Easter and Christmas celebrations which honor the God that our government is eliminating from many facets of American life.
I 'd like my mail delivered on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving & Easter. After all, it's just another day. I'd like the ' US Supreme Court to be in session on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving & Easter as well as Sundays.' After all, it's just another day.
I'd like the Senate and the House of Representatives to not have to worry about getting home for the 'Christmas Break.' After all it's just another day.
I'm thinking that a lot of my taxpayer dollars could be saved, if all government offices & services would work on Christmas, Good Friday & Easter. It shouldn't cost any overtime since those would bejust like any other day of the week to a government that is trying to be 'politically correct.' In fact....
I think that our government should work on Sundays (initially set aside for worshipping God...) because, after all, our government says that it should be just another day.... What do you all think????
If this idea gets to enough people, maybe our elected officials will stop giving in to the 'minority opinions' and begin, once again, to represent the 'majority' of ALL of the American people. SO BE IT...........
Apologies, but I’m not much of a fan of Shadow’s post. However, I’ll credit it for highlighting the essence of the problem in its own way.
This nation was founded primarily by people from Europe and its laws are based upon those of Britain. In many supreme court decisions reference is made to those laws of old England as they are the framework upon which we built ours.
The two major issues at work here have long plagued both the law itself and those whose task it is to craft it. The first can be stated as one would a trial: Individual v. Majority. One of the treasures of American law is the adherence to the concept of ‘individual rights.’ Oliver Wendell Holmes, considered as America’s greatest jurist by nearly everyone, spoke to the ‘tyranny of the majority’ at length, and with eloquence that I lack. The right of the individual is always part of a great balancing act, and as such is rife with the potential for misstep. As with all law, there is a pendulum at work here too: the law in both its enacting and enforcement swings, often outrageously, through center, mostly because the center cannot ever be well defined.
The second issue at work here is the concept of a religious state. At the same moment that many of us are quick to condemn Iran or Afghanistan (prior to the invasion), for example, for being Islamic fundamentalist states, we range from hesitant to outright opposed to acknowledging that Christianity (which all our founding fathers held near and dear) has been an underlying aspect of this nation, and one that we are now being asked to question.
Of course, it is nonsense to ask any working person to give up a holiday, no matter what Shadow suggests. However, I think a great many people would be uncomfortable if they were required to acknowledge that the word ‘holiday’ itself really means ‘holy day,’ as in the ‘days of obligation’ celebrated by most Christian faiths.
So here’s my suggestion. Let us enact a law to eliminate the word itself. Let us strike ‘holiday’ from the lexicons and refer to all such as ‘holy days of obligation.’ In that vein, let us require religious worship on those days; worship dictated by the faith of the individuals or instances that they honor. If, for example, you take Christmas off, then you must attend a Christmas service at a Christian Church, or forfeit your ‘holy day’ pay. As having the ‘seventh day’ off is derived from Hebrew tradition, then mandate that anyone who does not attend services on Saturday be required to work, at no expansion of their current wage. Of course, we should bring back all the ‘blue laws’ which forbade work or commerce on Sundays, so close the bars, stores, and restaurants for those days (theaters, radio, and television shut down too). Further, as a nation of Judeo-Christian foundation, let us restore the rules set forth in Exodus and Leviticus as laws of the land (see http://www.schny.info/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1100080157/s-new/ for where that will lead).
When we do these things with the same enthusiasm as we display in condemning some aspects of acceptance of the views of others, then at least we, as a people, will be standing behind the things we say, and not just mouthing off. As the Roman general Pompey said, “Deeds, not words!”
Obama will spend over $150 MILLION on his 4 day swearing in. Bush spent $40 million and it was criticized by the MSM as over the top and wasteful. $150 Million buys plenty of meals for Darfur, or can retrofit every Humvee in Iraq. More important that a bunch of phonies "make merry"?
That the Local Krats are cashing in is hardly a surprise. For a mere $50 you too can dine on delicious cold ziti, and be part of history! Come all yee sheeple. BA-BA Blanchard will be there. Now they can outspend their opponents {if any} 50 to 1, instead of 20 to 1. Can see the junk mail now.....
The local Republican Party, if they were smart, should do the same type of thing. Do a fundraiser saying not only congratulations to the incoming President, but also using the time as a way to raise money to help fight back and to start to turn things around. We all know for the conservatives (more represented by the Republican Party than the Democratic Party), this was a rough election year. We need to start turning things around as quickly as possible. January 20th is as good a day to start as any other.
I hate these Inaugural events. They remind me of watching the Academy Awards on TV. Ya know....'And the winner is...'
And then the media hypes it up with the 'who wore what' and 'who danced with who' and 'who did her/his hair' and 'did you see how cute the kids looked'......it has gotten out of hand and ridiculous!!! We are beginning to appear more and more like the Roman Empire....JUST BEFORE IT FELL!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I want the diamond level sponsorship so I can sit on Joe MallaSSi's lap. Maybe I too will learn how to make new friends and unfairly influence people. Wait until MalloSSi figures out he is one of those evil rich guys aka "Da MAN."
He bitches about his taxes NOW? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA
Wait until the socialists he so vociferously backs gets through with him and his "crew."
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
I hate these Inaugural events. They remind me of watching the Academy Awards on TV. We are beginning to appear more and more like the Roman Empire....JUST BEFORE IT FELL!!!
Exactly-...During George W. Bush's first inaugural celebration in 2001, a welcoming event took place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and featured popular musicians such as Ricky Martin, who prodded the then-Texas governor to join him for a dance-
Logged
Obama will spend over $150 MILLION on his 4 day swearing in. Bush spent $40 million and it was criticized by the MSM as over the top and wasteful. $150 Million buys plenty of meals for Darfur, or can retrofit every Humvee in Iraq. More important that a bunch of phonies "make merry"?
