We have witnessed a seminal moment of change. Who can deny that the inauguration of Barack Obama marks a massive cultural shift? Politics aside, the American people have taken a giant leap forward in living out the proposition that all men are created equal. People of good will are celebrating the significance of this moment world wide. Only those who are so ideologically driven that they can only marinate in the soreness of their recent loss refuse to embrace it.
Of course, all men created equal means all of us can be misguided and make mistakes. Barack Obama will not escape the scrutiny that all leaders must face. If he is wise he will encourage honest dissent and listen to opinions different from his own. If dissenters are wise they will offer their views with respect refusing to engage in the old tactics of mean spirited personal smears. I have a feeling that many of those who insist upon being curmudgeon critics will be ignored and crowded out of the public debate. I know I have resolved to avoid them. I no longer find them to be helpful or funny.
