Congressman Walz's commentary, Inauguration marks a renewal of hope and civil debate, runs in today's Post Bulletin.The column ran online yesterday as A renewal of hope and debate at the Owatonna People's Press and at the Winona Daily News under the same headline:
Like many Minnesotans, this year marked my first trip to a presidential inauguration. In years past, I pushed a tall, plastic cart into my classroom, television teetering at the top, so my students and I could watch as the pomp and circumstance ushered in a new era of American government.
This year, I sat with my colleagues in Congress on the inaugural platform, just a few yards away from the ceremony that began a new chapter of American history. While I miss my students and thought often of the warmth of our classroom as I waited in the cold, I am nonetheless immensely honored to have been a part of this historic moment.
On Inauguration Day, our democracy was renewed with the peaceful passage of power from one political party to another. As historic as this change is, so too is it ordinary. Forty-two times, Americans have witnessed the passing of the torch not just from one person to the next, but truly from the citizens of yesterday's America to the citizens of tomorrow's America.
This change could not have happened at a more important time. We are facing a deep and severe economic recession. As home foreclosures and job losses rise, American families are hurting. Although the economic situation here at home is dire, we can find opportunity in these challenges.
Inauguration Day represents the hope Americans have for President Obama to help lead our country through this crisis.
But hope alone cannot run our government or find solutions to our most pressing problems, which is why I also see Inauguration Day as a chance to renew our commitment to honest debate and discussion in this country.
Several years ago, when some of us stood up and asked questions about the government's policies, we were called unpatriotic. We were told that it was dangerous to even ask questions. And that is why today, as we renew our commitment to democracy and celebrate a new president who can move us forward, we must also commit to an open discussion of the issues that matter most.
For far too long, we have criticized those who disagree with us. Now, we must be willing to listen and learn. In Congress, I look forward to this opportunity: the chance to work with President Obama and challenge him when we disagree. I strongly believe that respectful debate strengthens even the best ideas.
The transition of power offers a natural opportunity to reflect on the partisan bickering that failed us over the last decade and to resolve to return to a more civil course for our government. Government can be a force for good, but only when it is a true representation of our collective best intentions.
Our celebration today encompasses the many emotions Americans have toward both their new president and the outgoing president, but more than that, our celebration is a reflection of a renewal of the American dream and a rededication to our guiding principles of civil debate and a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
For a bit of rousing music for Congress's new work today, how about Bruce Springsteen and Peter Seeger in a singalong at the Lincoln Memorial a couple of days ago? My friend TedF points out these guys know all the words to the great Woody Guthrie song:
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