President-elect Barack Obama
For the rest of January, I’ll be writing a special Inauguration blog for middle and high school students. This is the first entry.
On Thursday January 15th I’m heading to Washington, D.C. for the Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. I know DC is way chillier than what I’m used to, but I’m too excited to worry about cold hands and feet. This will be an amazing adventure that will take me back into America’s historic past and forward into our nation’s future.
Want to come along? No, I don’t have an extra plane ticket (sorry about that) but I do have a virtual seat for you in the front row. Through this blog you can be right beside me from the moment I arrive at Baltimore-Washington International Airport on Jan. 15th until my return to the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ll only be gone for 7 days, but I’ve got tons of stuff planned for my time in Washington. Come along and be part of the experience at:
- The Library of Congress the largest library in the world with over 20 million books. And that’s not counting all the discs, tapes, movies, maps, photographs, posters and drawings! Teachers: check this out.
- The Supreme Court, the highest court in the land and the final word on the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. The court was established in 1789 (the year George Washington was inaugurated).
- The U.S. Capitol home of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Check this out.
- President-elect Obama’s Inauguration Welcome Event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
- Shaw Jr. High School where I’ll be lending a helping hand sorting 10,000 books during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.
- The National Mall where millions of people will witness Barack Obama’s Presidential Swearing-in Ceremony.
- The traditional Inaugural Parade where I hope to find a good viewing spot along the 2 mile route from the Capitol to the White House
And that’s just a fraction of what I’ll be blogging about through text, video clips, as well as audio and pix.
Want to be a part of America’s history and our next chapter? You can start right now by thinking about these questions…
- Why should you or any middle school student care about what happens in Washington?
- What does the election of the first African-American president say about us, as Americans?
- If you were going to be inaugurated President of the United States on January 20th, what would be the first thing you’d do to make our country better?
- What could you do to make your school a better place?
What do you think… about any of it? Got something else you want to say about President-elect Obama, the election, the Inauguration, America, democracy, freedom, etc.? Post your comments here. Got a whole lot to say? Be a guest blogger! I’ll publish a few of the best student blogs I receive. Just . Your ideas and opinions matter! Go ahead. Feel free.
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Hi Mrs. Fox,
My name is Giulia and I go to Del Mar. I have just started reading your posts and I think they are VERY interesting. I think that next week EVERYONE is going to be watching a great historic time, Barack Obama’s inauguration. Even my classmates are talking about how excited they are! I think us middle school students should care about what happens in Washington….Obama is the president-elect and he is going to be taking care of our country! Especially the crisis, which we all are in at the moment with the stock market/economy, Obama has A LOT on his hands! One day full of events for Obama and we can see what he has to say before he really becomes our president. Have a great time, I am sure it will be VERY exciting!!!!! Take lots of pictures!
-Giulia
Comment by Giulia — January 16, 2009 @ 10:44 am
Dear Mrs. Fox,
I think that we should care about what happens in Washington because later on in the future, whether good things or bad things are happening, they are going to have a big impact on our lives because with who ever is taking care of our country. If Obama makes good decisions for our country, such as bringing up our economy, then our lives will be easier and better to live. Also, the laws we follow today, have all been followed through the White House in Washington I’m very excited to see what our future will be like with Obama as our president.
Comment by Nour — January 16, 2009 @ 10:45 am
As Americans I think the election of the first American American President shows that as a nation we realize that it is time for a change and no matter the color of Obama’s skin or his race he is the best person to do the job. Our nation has come a long way from segregation in the late 1900’s to having an African American President I think it shows that our nation is coming to a point where we recognize that change is an important part of our future.
Comment by Paige from Del Mar — January 16, 2009 @ 10:46 am
The election of the first African-American president shows that our country is more open to change and new ideas. The election of President Obama opens up many new possibilities for the U.S. for the future. The election has showed that the U.S. could be open to a president of any race.
Middle school students should definitely care about what happens in Washington. The decisions made and actions taken by our government will have an effect on all of our lives. In 4 years some of us middle school students will have the opportunity to vote, and have an impact on the decision of our president. We have to be informed about what’s going on in Washington so we can later make decisions that we think will make our lives better.
Comment by Maddy — January 16, 2009 @ 10:47 am
I think that if I was inaugurated President on January 20th the first thing I would do would be to come up with a plan to improve our economy.
Comment by Paige from Del Mar — January 16, 2009 @ 10:48 am
Do you think Obama will be reelected after his term is over?
Comment by Karsten DMS — January 16, 2009 @ 11:36 am
I am so proud of our country for electing the first African-American president. This election says that our country has really moved on from the prejudices that used to control the way everyone lived. I always thought that racism was done before I heard of Barack Obama. But when I saw the difficulties people were having with an African-American man running for president, it shocked me. I was so surprised that today in our modern times people couldn’t vote for someone just because the color of their skin. But after Obama won, I realized that those problems were subsiding, that someday our country will never have to worry about the color of our skin again. This is definitely an amazing time America’s history and I am so gracious I get to experience it first-hand.
Comment by Jennifer — January 16, 2009 @ 11:41 am
I think students should care about what happens in Washington because the event is definitely going to make history. It will be the first ever African American person to ever be the president of the United States of America. But I do think he is going to have a very tough job. (Having to solve all the problems that Bush has left him…) I think that that America being able to elect him definitely says a lot. We finally have the ability to make decisions ‘based on how the person acts and not the skin color’. If I was inaugurated, the first thing I would do would be to take the oil drillers out of the oceans. I am truly excited for the day and I will definitely watch it on TV!
Comment by Jeremy S — January 16, 2009 @ 11:43 am
I think that middle schoolers should care about what happens in Washington because it affects us. It might not affect us directly, but if does affect the country we live in. Some of us will be able to vote in the 2012 election, and we need to pay attention to the voting process now so we can easily vote in 2012. I also think that we should care because in just a few years, we will be making the decisions.
Comment by WLind — January 16, 2009 @ 11:44 am
Hi I’m a student from Tiburon. I think it’s great that your going all the way to D.C. to see Barack Obama be sworn into office. Barack Obama is going to change this country. No more of one view and bad decisions life George Bush. This time the winner of the election got the popular vote. Hope you have a great trip and maybe meet the big cheese in person. 🙂
Comment by Alec B — January 16, 2009 @ 11:44 am
Why should kids my age care about what happens in Washington? Kids my age should care about what happens in Washington because in the next presidential election, some of us will be eligible to vote and to make a good decision on who to vote for you should be informed on what some of the problems we face as a nation.
Comment by Cassidy L. — January 16, 2009 @ 11:45 am
I think that it is really cool that you are going to the inauguration, I also think that it will be very cool to see all of the things in D.C. I also think that it will be very crowded and everywhere will have a long line, but it will be worth the waits.
I think that all middle schoolers should care about the president. They should because what he decides will affect our future positively or negatively. If you don’t care about it that much then you don’t care about your own life and the lives of the people around you. I also think that people should care because Barack Obama is a sudden change to the U.S. and the whole world. With him things will change and people with have a different view of us, but no one can say if the change will be good or bad.
Comment by Scott B — January 16, 2009 @ 11:46 am
Having coming from African-Americans being slaves and treated very, very poorly. They have fought so hard and long for their rights and independence as people here in the U.S. I think that it is amazing how we were able to get over our past and make history by electing the first African-America. I think Americans should receive a pat on the back for being able to achieve such a great accomplishment. I think that middle school students should care about this event in history and be well informed. Many of the middle schools are learning about the slave trade and the past history of African-Americans and how us as Americans have come so far.
Comment by Conner I. — January 16, 2009 @ 11:46 am
That is sooooooo coooooool!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Jimmy — January 16, 2009 @ 11:46 am
We as a school should really know what’s going to happen in the next couple day in washington. Its a good experience and it will be allot of good history to tell people in the future. i think that now he is the first african-american president it may want to got other people involved into it and really help out. It must be wonderful to go get to see him in his Inauguration. Go OBAMA!!!!
Comment by Jenny C — January 16, 2009 @ 11:46 am
Did you meet obama when you went to DC was it fun to see inauguration of the black president? What was the inauguration ball like?
Comment by daniel p — January 16, 2009 @ 11:47 am
When I first heard of Obama actually having a chance for president, I was shocked and intrigued at the same time. I know that there has never been an African American president before, and I thought about how far humans have progressed in accepting everyone as equal. Before he won, I saw America as a pretty discriminated country, but after his victory I realized there were many Americans out there who accepted change. If I were going to be the inaugurated President of the United States on January 20th, I would first start off with fixing the problem on wall street to get our economy back a running. I know that there are so many problems going on in America right now, and I feel confident that Obama will be able to fix many of them. When Obama won, I was pretty excited and he has inspired me to help my school out in any way I can.
Comment by Collin B. — January 16, 2009 @ 11:47 am
I think it is very important for middle schools students to know what is going on in our country because this is our future and this election is going to effect our future. In a few years we will be in college and will hopefully getting jobs. Also since we will be voting the next election I think it is really important to know what is going on in our country and to know the process of voting and inauguration. I really do think having Barrack Obama elected will make a huge difference on our country for the good. I also think its really cool being part of history in the making!
Comment by AliceI — January 16, 2009 @ 11:48 am
If we don’t study about what happens with Government in Washington or don’t care about it, we will not learn much and our kids and future will not know what happened in the passed. We should learn , study , try to find things in the internet, books and magazines about all the problems and solutions that Government had and still have in Washington DC.
Comment by Marvin B. — January 16, 2009 @ 11:49 am
Us middle school students should care about what happens in Washington because it will effect us directly. For example when Barack Obama becomes president he might make good or bad decisions in the middle east that will change things such as oil prices, witch In turn will effect our families travel plans, or general transportation. For example if you want to go to a mall, or the movies, your parents won’t take you because gas is eight dollars a gallon While we may not be able to change anything it is always good to be an informed citizen.
Comment by AidanMcG — January 16, 2009 @ 11:51 am
What I think the election of the first African-American president says about us, as Americans is change. This is a change for Americans because it shows that we are slowly realizing that race is not important in a person but that the real importance is who they are and what they say. It shows change because comparing the discrimination in the past to the present there is obviously change shown. Going from separation by restaurants, schools, bathrooms, and even bus seats to same schools, anyone can go into restaurants and public transportation open to all the “public”. I mainly think this election shows change just like Obama has been saying.
Comment by Sean C. — January 16, 2009 @ 11:51 am
I believe that being the 44th President is a big deal, especially because he is the first African American President. I also think that our way of life has changed a lot from Martian Luther King Jr. He is defiantly looked up to by most of the United Dates of America.
Comment by Gunnar G. — January 16, 2009 @ 11:58 am
I am so excited for Barack Obama to become our next president! This is a huge deal! He will be in charge of this country and responsible for many things. He has a lot of problems he needs to take care of. We should care about this because this is our country and we should be aware about what is going on. We might have to deal with some of these problems one day! The more aware and educated we can be about what is going on around us, the better!
The election of the first African-American president says about us, as Americans is that we are all united as one now. Everyone is equal. This proves it.
If I was going to be inaugurated President of the United States on January 20th, the first thing that I would do to make our country better is find a way to get out of the recession that we are in. I would try to help all of those people who lost their jobs.
What I could do to make my school a better place is make sure that everyone’s voice is being heard. If people have ideas about something that could be better at school, they should tell someone or they could tell me and I could tell someone who could take the idea or improvement that could be made into consideration. Students could get their voice heard more!
I am so happy Barack Obama is our next president!
Comment by Hannah — January 16, 2009 @ 12:44 pm
I think that the fact that Obama won is great. America keeps calling ourselves a melting pot of different nations but there has been too much racism and discrimination in the past. I think this is proving that we really ARE a land of opportunity, where many people can become president.
On the other hand, maybe we shouldn’t be making such a big deal about an African-American running for the position of President of the United States. I mean, after all, he is just a person, and in a way since we’re making a big deal about him being President, we’re being kind of racist. If we weren’t making a big deal about it, he would be treated like any other person running for president, not having been treated differently depending on the color of his skin. Did we make this big a deal when the first part British person ran for President?
I am glad that we are finally giving new things a chance and that we voted for an African-American for President. After all, someone’s thoughts and knowledge are not on the skin and determined by the color of the skin of a person. I am glad that the ‘Land of Opportunities’ is finally opening up to a new opportunity.
Comment by Helena T. — January 16, 2009 @ 1:39 pm
Hi Daniel,
The Inauguration hasn’t happened yet! And I haven’t met Obama yet… but I’m going to the Welcome Event on Sunday and I’m hoping that I’ll at least get a glimpse of him. Obviously the Inaugural Balls happen on Tuesday night… haven’t happened yet either. I don’t have a ticket so it doesn’t look like I’ll be going. But there are some free inaugural balls I’m checking out and Rep. Lynn Woolsey has invited her constituents who are in town to come to her congressional office to have HOT CHOCOLATE! We’re definitely planning on going there after the Inaugural Address.
Comment by Annie — January 16, 2009 @ 6:30 pm
LOL! The big cheese… good one! I’ll try! :O)
Comment by Annie — January 16, 2009 @ 6:33 pm
C’mon Karsten! Give the guy a break, LOL! He hasn’t even started the job yet… he should be worrying about his re-election campaign!
Comment by Annie — January 16, 2009 @ 7:53 pm
The first African American shows that America has changed and we are ready for something different. Now that we will have an African American president it is a big accomplishment for our country because of the segregation and racism in the past. This just shows that America is overall ready of change.
Comment by Ellie K. — January 16, 2009 @ 8:10 pm
I think that every middle school student should care about the inauguration in Washington. It’s obviously a big step for us Americans and I feel that it will be a very historic day. I want to be able to look back on this day and be able to remember it. Thinking that when I’m older people might ask about this day just makes me feel kind of weird. But it’s also very exciting. History is being made as we speak. I hope that Barack Obama’s presidency will help the next elections become even more diverse. Who knows, maybe the first woman president is not that far away. I noticed that in past comments some people were wondering if Obama doesn’t do a good job will people change their minds and go back to thinking that only white males can be president. My personal opinion is that no, people will not go back to how they were doing things before. Americans have made so much progress lately and I don’t think that one person could be able to change the way they think. And I am hoping that Barack Obama will do an awesome job!
Comment by Gabby — January 16, 2009 @ 10:37 pm
What does the election of the first African-American president say about us, as Americans?
I think that the election of the first African-American president shows us that we have come a long way. Its weird to think only 50 years ago we had segregation and now we have an African American president! I am so thrilled that president Obama is going to lead our nation! He is going to be great!!
Comment by Diana — January 18, 2009 @ 11:24 am
What could you do to make your school a better place?
To make the school a better place I would love to have the students be able to write reviews about each teacher, to make sure the school doesn’t have any teachers that the students don’t like. I know they already do that in some Collages, and I think it would be a great idea to do that in Middle School as well.
Comment by Diana — January 18, 2009 @ 11:28 am
I grew up in a very rural community, where any race or creed were seen as nothing but a threat from the outside. At a very early age something inside of me come to realize the contradiction with my beliefs and my ultra conservative southern religious family beliefs. Out of this I became known as a “n______ lover” or a “white n______ boy”. I was the scapegoat for those who were filled with baseless hatred. Somehow it was acceptable to ridicule one of their own to direct their hatred at, so they might not be accused of blatant racial behavior. They turned my beliefs into a “chosen” affliction. At least blacks were “born” that way, but I had “chosen” this belief, so therefore their hatred was even more justified. You might say, I was a boy without a race or sense of belonging. This caused me to lose my love for my family and my belief in God.
As Barack Obama’s inauguration draws near, I feel a great deal of anxiety mounting. On one hand, I cannot wait for it to happen, but on the other hand I know it’s going to devastate me. Just as I watched the election returns on TV and at 11PM I heard those words that I knew were inevitable but was not prepared for it’s suddenness. All through the campaign I have been amazed as the outcome of this election were being peeled back like an onion. Each layer of revelation I feared it would somehow not be the truth, because it was too good to be true. Any victories would be swiftly followed by a sudden snap back to reality. Once those last words of Obama’s oath have been uttered and I can finally say, “It is done. The dye is cast.” I shall be vindicated and I then may just suffer a total breakdown.
Comment by Cameron — January 18, 2009 @ 9:17 pm
Cameron,
I am so glad that you found this blog and took the time to share your experiences here… and so profoundly stated too! So many people of all races and ethnicities, who have longed for the fulfillment of America’s promise of liberty, equality, and justice for all, will also feel a tremendous sense of vindication when Obama takes the oath of office.
Comment by Annie — January 19, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
I am really excited to see Obama’s inauguration tomorrow. It says a lot about our country. It’s incredible to think that the same country that allowed slavery and segregation elected an African American man to be president. it shows how much America has developed in the sense of openness.
Also, while you’re in DC, would it be possible to visit one of the Smithsonian museums??
Comment by Annie W. — January 19, 2009 @ 6:38 pm
It is important for American citizens of any age to care about what happens in Washington because it is our country and in a few years, we are going to be in charge of things.
If I were to be inaugurated President tomorrow, the first thing I would do to make our country better would be to meet with all the leaders in Congress and all the state governors and try to come up with a list of our nation’s priorities.
I think one of the biggest problems at our school and one of the easiest to address is the trash generated from the kids.
Comment by Matt 6/7 blue — January 19, 2009 @ 6:57 pm
By electing an African American president, I believe that America has opened new doors and taken a big step towards real equality. There aren’t much we can do about individuals who are still prejudiced, but I feel like as Americans we are really convincing each other that race, color, age, none of it matters as long as we choose what’s best for us.
Comment by M.Lee 6/7 Blue — January 19, 2009 @ 8:41 pm
By electing our first African American president, america is saying that we are really taking a big step towards true equality. There isn’t much we can do about individuals who are still prejudiced, but as America, we’re letting everyone know that not race, nor age, nor color…none of it matters as long as we choose the best leader for us.
Comment by M.Lee 6/7 Blue — January 19, 2009 @ 8:44 pm
TO make our school a better place, we could have more surveys for the whole school rather than just Leadership class because there are voices outside of theirs’ that might have good ideas too.
Comment by M.Lee 6/7 Blue — January 19, 2009 @ 10:32 pm
Dear Annie Fox,
Thank you for putting this blog up!! I get to learn all about what you think and what everybody else thinks. My brother, who is in the San Francisco Boys Chorus was singing today in the inauguration, like almost touching the president! So was the San Francisco Girls Chorus. I’m glad I’m not there actually because it is so COLD!! I prefer watching everything first class with a mug of hot cocoa sitting on the couch with my dog. I do hope that Obama is a good president and leads us out of this financial crisis and tries to stop this war. As many people are saying, ” but as America, we’re letting everyone know that not race, nor age, nor color…none of it matters as long as we choose the best leader for us.”
Comment by Ella H. — January 20, 2009 @ 10:57 am
Middle school students should care about what happens in Washington D.C. for many reasons. First of all, we are Americans too! Though we cannot vote, we are affected by the choices that are made. The actions made in Washington D.C. will not only change our lives now, but they will affect what happens to us in the future. Also, we have to form our opinions at some point, so when we vote, we will make the right decisions.
Comment by Louisa — January 20, 2009 @ 11:17 am
I think that Barack Obama will make a great president. He had a very good speech on the inauguration day.
Comment by Devan — January 20, 2009 @ 11:19 am
The inauguration was awesome!!!!!!! It’s amazing to think that he is the 44th President of America. His speech was very long, but well spoken. I am thrilled that Obama is our president and i’m hoping he will do an awesome job!!!!!
Comment by epet — January 20, 2009 @ 11:21 am
I think it is important that kids our age should care about the presidential inauguration because it’s amazing to see an African American being elected for president, and wining. I think it’s very important to care because important decisions are being made that might change are future. As electing Obama, no matter what race or skin color he has, we have decided he is the best person to direct the United States.
Comment by Mia from Del Mar — January 20, 2009 @ 11:21 am
The inauguration was awesome!!!!! Obama’s speech was very well spoken and i’m thrilled to think that Obama is going to be the President.
Comment by epet — January 20, 2009 @ 11:24 am
I think it’s great that Obama is now in office. I have been an Obama supporter since December of 08 and I’m elated that the my wishes have become reality! And I am so relieved that Gov. Palin is not our Vice President! She spent millions of dollars on a bridge that wasn’t even finished! Thanks again Obama!
Comment by Aeddan — January 20, 2009 @ 11:24 am
Dear Mrs. Foxs
I think its really cool that you are going to come to are school and share your experinces with us about the inaguration. I also it is awesome that you can be there in person to watch the inauguration.
I can’t wait to here your experiences.
Comment by Nasima B — January 20, 2009 @ 11:27 am
I think that is is a really great thing that an african-american president is being elected. I think that it shows that our country is ready to except change.
Comment by Eric — January 20, 2009 @ 11:45 am
Electing the first black president says about us is that in the past 50 years or so the levels of discrimination and racism have sank tremendously. This means that our country is stronger nation.
The first thing I would do if I was inaugurated president is to set a mission to split Iraq into three different countries. Since there are 3 main ethnic groups we would give each group its own separate country. Then after that count up all the people in each specific group. Once they are all counted up each ethnic group would therefore get its deserved amount of land based on their population. I think this would stop an end to their fighting within the country itself and we could pull out our troops finally.
Comment by i am chris g from del mar middle school — January 20, 2009 @ 5:51 pm
Electing the first ever black president shows us that in the past 50 or so years discrimination and racism levels have sunk enormously. This shows how powerful a nation we have become.
If i was elected president i would split Iraq into 3 different countries for each of the major ethnic groups in Iraq. Then count up all the people in each ethnic group and determine how much land they deserve by the group’s population.
Comment by i am chris g from del mar middle school — January 20, 2009 @ 7:35 pm