Or not?
Erin asks if we homeschoolers are going to watch the Inauguration tomorrow and I’ll admit to being torn. On the one hand, yes, this is a ready-made history lesson at its best.
On the other hand, I will have to overcome some very strong biases to watch the coverage. The reporting thus far has been so…full of adulation that it drives me crazy. I keep hearing that one speech over and over in my mind—“If one of my daughters gets pregnant, I don’t want her punished with a baby!”
But that’s just me—and having been to the Inauguration four years ago and knowing just how fascinating an event it is—I am sure that we’ll be watching.
And learning.
And praying.
And talking through it.
I will say this, though. I felt a lot better about the election the last time around…
Never one to pretend that this blog lacks bias, I am
PS. It was a club soda with lime, I promise.
We live in northern VA and are hunkering down tomorrow to avoid the crowds (read: traffic) and, yes, the party atmosphere you’ve mentioned. We will watch on tv and discuss, too.
We’ll head in to DC on Thursday to join the March for Life. I wonder how much press coverage that will get?
Yes, we plan to watch. Not sure about the kids, though. My husband and I haven't talked about that – I just assumed we'd put them to bed like any other night. I haven't seen too many of the future president's speeches & I missed most of the presidential debates, not really on purpose (we had a lot going on during the campaign and one has to set priorities). However, like it or not, he is going to be the president. It's important to me to keep up on what is changing & be a part of shaping that process as much as I can from my little rural abode. The president will always benefit from prayers.
We have been talking about it already…and praying…
Awesome post.
I feel the same way. I’ll be at work, so I can’t really watch it, but if I was home, I think I”d be avoiding it. I word in government, so I’m going to be getting a lot of Obama coverage. I’ve seen inaugurations, I can read the speech….
I will pray for him, however.
Suzie, I absolutely agree with what you’re saying. In fact, I believe that we will win more people over to our Pro-Life cause on a one-on-one, heart-to-heart basis.
Nope, not watching. My aversion to him is too strong, and I’m not interested in his talk. His actions later will speak louder than anything he says tomorrow. Or today.
I’m the only politico in the family so we’ll see how it goes. No one ever wants to watch with me.
check out the ad CatholicVote.org is running in Chicago during the covereage. Called Life: Imagine the potential.
Skipping it. I’m with Jennie C. My stomach isn’t strong enough.
Love the pics. Your smile makes me smile!
I’m torn too. I’ll probably watch. My parents are actually there – which is strange for me because they are so excited about Obama and we’re obviously not.
Looks like a great time when you went…
The bias of the coverage may be interesting and will certainly be noticed by my older boys. It’s a reminder that we are to be “set apart” from this world…to embrace the discomfort of how our values do not and should not conform to the Godlessness we see.
On some blogs I’ve seen a clever phrase…FOUR YEARS OF LENT!
Yes, let’s pray and sacrifice…
I can’t watch it. I’ve been torn because I want my children to watch the Inaugeration, but…like Jennie C. says, my aversion is too strong.
We had a talk with our kids tonight. They go to public school so we wanted to talk to them in case their classes watch tomorrow during the day. We explained that while we don’t agree with Obama on nearly anything, it is a moment in history for our country. Whether we agree with him or not, he will be our president. We also talked about how lucky we are as Americans that we do have a peaceful transfer of power. I think sometimes we take that for granted, but it’s not a given (or even possible) in other parts of the world.
I say all this not because I’m trying to persuade any of you. I may not watch myself. But we did give thought as to how to put it in context for the children. The kids know very well how strongly we opposed Obama in the election. But kids can have even a harder time than adults sometimes in moving from campaign opposition to good citizenship.
There is an important lesson for kids in seeing that we can disagree with our president and go through the democratic process to express our opinions and work toward change!
That said, I don’t know how much of the show and cult of personality we can tolerate ourselves! But it is a history and civics lesson.
Jumping off the soapbox now…
Great pics Margaret, you beautiful woman, you!
Margaret, watch it on C-Span. You don’t have to listen to all the hot air from the other stations! Altho sometimes they do go to callers, you can at least hit the mute button!
There is no way that we will be watching it tomorrow. We are a Nielsen Family and so I don’t want to contribute to their ratings. Plus…I don’t know how much of the adulation I can stomach. I’m pulling two of my kids out of school in the afternoon for dental appointments and then tomorrow night I scheduled a choir rehearsal. Horrible, aren’t I?
Oh, I love that phrase “Four Years of Lent!!” I wish that I could have that on a bumper sticker. Oh, the trouble I would get into!!
I am definitely on the prayer wagon with the rest of you. I teach at a school and our plan is to watch the whole thing today. I of course think the history part is very important, but being pregnant with my first, I really struggle with his comments about pregnancy. Prayers going up to heaven they are.
My son is in the local high school where (from what I gathered from him) the student body was given a go-ahead and stay home – as long as they were watching or attending the event. Those who do show, will be exposed to the event as such, but they are supposed to be reviewing for huge tests that will be taken at the end of the week.
I advised my son to just keep his mouth shut and move through the day. In his school, he’s not going to get respected for not wanting Obama in office – in fact around election time, he got hasseled and has been called a racist! I live between Baltimore and D.C. – I’m praying for every child out there – every single one of them today.
As a homeschooler, I’m planning on watching all day. I had followed all the election… stuff, so I’m really looking forward to watch it.
Then on Thursday, I’m going to the March For Life *dances* YAY
Although I don’t like our new president, I can’t really say I’m a big fan of our old one, either.
We feel the same way ~ but I don’t think I can stand to watch. We’ll just add a footnote to our American History discussion today and say a prayer for our country, I’m afraid. Definitely biased over our way, too. But, I think we may have weaker stomachs… ( I may listen to Rush Limbaugh this afternoon, though, just for the perspective)
We watched Elmo instead 🙂
Oh my gosh, thank you for this post. I posted something similar, then read something on another blog that made me feel really guilty for the way I was feeling…nice to know I’m not alone!
I watched, and my stomach turned the whole time. I feel so sad today.
Bring on the March For Life!!
I watched with my Kindergarten class. We got the go ahead from our principal.In fact our whole school watched. I felt it was important that the children watch history as it happened. As much as we don’t like his views, he is still our President, and I was always taught to support the President of our country. That does not mean I have to agree with him on any and all issues. It means I need to pray for him.
How many of you felt the same way I did about that hat Aretha Franklin was wearing? I thought it was ludicrous!
I dunno, I think that lady can wear whatever the heck she wants. 😉
I’m just not able to muster up that much indignation, folks. Maybe I’m not as indignant as I ought to be, I don’t know.
I figure these things:
(1) Even though I don’t love our new president’s politics, I love our country, and I love its pageantry, and I love the peaceful transfer of power.
(2) My kids know I didn’t vote for the guy. They know I hoped he wouldn’t win. I want them to see that I respect the President of the United States, and in general, people I disagree with.
(3) I’ve gotta pray for this man daily — for his conversion, mainly, and also for wisdom, and that’s gonna be a whole lot easier if I can nurture some real, not pasted-on, good will.
(4) I know there are some possibilities coming up which are very threatening to the cause of life. He has said he will do some things we don’t want him to do. However, he has not done them yet. There is time yet to hope and pray, and I think there are some signs of hope.
(5) God’s ways are not our ways. At least one good thing for the cause of life has already come out of this election, and quite possibly specifically because Mr. Obama was on the ticket. Remember Prop 8?
So… I watched with my 8yo, and pointed out people (there’s the man who was president when I was a little girl… there’s the man who was president when I was in high school… there’s the man who was president when I was in college…) and we looked at all the people, the proud waving of the American flag — hey, that’s a beautiful thing to see on national TV — and we enjoyed the music, and we watched.
I’ll know if it bore any fruit later this year when we study Jefferson’s inaugural address 😉
I thought it was an incredible teaching moment and I enjoyed watching it, even though he wasn’t my choice. For us it was more like a going away ceremony than anything else. I was saddened but not surprised about the lack of clapping and addition of boos towards the republican former presidents. But I was moved by Obama’s speech, and pray that his love for God will open his heart to new truths when confronted with the challenges of being our “for ALL Americans” leader.
I too had a hard time with Obama’s comment about “punished with a baby.” But when I watched that clip in total, I realized that even though his words on that were inappropriate, his speech was well intentioned. He talked before and after that quote about teaching our children about absitnence and morality as first priority. But he added that “options” should be available to avoid pregnancy and STDs for those who still make mistakes despite what they’re taught.
Not too bad, just not happy that he thinks one of those “options” is abortion. i don’t think so!
ok, I wasn’t going to comment, but seriously, how can you all be so opposed to this man? Set apart whatever comment he made – just think about the amazing strides your country has made, by way of his election. He is not only a symbol of racial equality, but the denounciation of an unjust war and a corrupt administration. I watched with prode and reverence as your country swore into office this symbol, feelings that as a Canadian I haven’t felt toward the US for a long time (over the last four years, the main feelings I’ve had were fear and revultion). As for his comments on pregnancy – whether you can admit it or not, pregnancy is NOT a joy to every person. Some of us have our own needs and ways of dealing with issues that may not co-incide with your beliefs. Is it really up to you to make those decisions for us? Is it really up to you to force us to believe as you do? I’m sorry if I’ve offended some of you, but I worry about the future of the planet when reading some of the other comments on here.
Wow, Shawn. Actually aren’t you trying to force us to believe as you do? FOCA is a prime example. Pregnancy might not be a joy for everyone but killing that child should not be an option.
And as for the rest of your comments? I disagree with them but they pale in comparison to the abortion issue. No right to life?
I absolutely believe in the right to life – That’s why I am against the death penalty (although, living in Canada, I so far don’t have to worry about it too much). I am also a conscientious objector – i don’t believe in invading other people’s countries and killing them. But what you are talking about, in my opinion, is different. Take for example, the teenage girl who becomes pregnant after being date raped (it happens and more often than you might think). Who can’t go home, or is kicked out on the streets because she is pregnant out of wedlock. Who turns to hooking to survive, only to be beaten to death or get some terminal disease from it. How does your “pro life” (anti- choice) stance fit in that scenario?
Btw, I’m not forcing my values on anyone – no one is making you or your family GET an abortion.
And as to not agreeing with my other comments, well, sorry, they are facts.
Obama is the first black person to reach the highest office in the nation – the leader of the free world. If that’s not racial equality, I don’t know what is.
(Note, I didn’t say racial harmony – that doesn’t exist yet. But you’re getting there.)
The Bush administration WAS corrupt (guantanamo bay, illegal wire-tapping, etc) and the war in Iraq also unjust (there are NO WMDs there).
Finally, this is based on mostly anecdotal evidence, but most of us foreigners were repulsed and afraid of the US under Bush. As were about half of your citizens in BOTH the last elections.
Anyway, I hope that clears some of my post up for you. Still friends?
Could you be cuter in these photos? The answer is no. Absolutely not.
I think we can all come together in agreement that you do, in fact, look fabulous in that hat.