an emotional moment for me

I'm old enough to remember the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, as well as the 1964 murder of three civil rights workers in Mississippi (who were working to register African Americans to vote). So the inauguration of Barack Obama is, for me, an emotional and symbolic moment. Despite continuing racism in the USA, it means, I think, that the country has come a very long way. And it gives me hope that we can go even further in assuring that everyone in America has a chance to live out their dreams without suffering discrimination. Now let's hope that Mr. Obama can radically change the direction of the country with regard to any number of important issues, including the enviornment, education and foreign policy.