AFFIRMATION

Today was the 57th Presidential Inauguration and the second for Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States. This Inauguration was not as well-attended as his first one in 2009. However, this Inauguration felt bigger and more important because it represented the affirmation by the American people of the first President of color - a man who has been forced to endure endless attacks for the past 5 years.

We can ponder the question of why one would want to continue in such a position amidst such rancor and partisan divide another day. Today was about how this nation's vision and its course have been irrevocably changed by this singular man - President Obama - and the countless Americans who believed in him.

I remember when I first saw Barack Obama in 2004 in Boston on that summer night. I was in our basement in Baltimore watching the Democratic Convention when they announced the next speaker - a young State Senator from Illinois. His speech was a mere 18 minutes. However, in that keynote, Senator Obama reminded us how we are all tied together in this fabric called America. He reminded us that we Americans have more similarities than differences. He reminded us that what binds us is not government or corporations... but ourselves and our communities.

During that speech, his words moved me to forget who was delivering the message, how he looked, and what his name was. So resonant was that message, that I thought the speaker was speaking only to me. At the conclusion of that short speech, that I knew that this man would be President one day. Did I think it would happen four years later? No, try 20 years later. However, sometimes the arc of history bends a little more quickly than it did before. These are the times that we find ourselves in. This is the moment we find ourselves in.

Movements come and go. Presidents come and go. What remains, however, what endures in our spirits are these moments. Moments when that which we thought impossible becomes possible, when the future looks brighter than the past, when our world seems a little more light than dark, more hopeful rather than pessimistic.

Let us savor this moment, but let us also seize it! As President Obama said today, we will be judged by history by how we treated the least among us. We are a nation of doers not takers! We have a lot of work to do. We face great problems.  However, this man, this President is up to that task.  Let us each affirm our faith in him by doing all we can do to keep moving Forward because we are all in this together.

FORWARD!

Tonight was a great night! Tonight was an historic night! Tonight we re-elected Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

This was a long campaign. This was a bitter campaign. However, this campaign also marked a clear line in the sand for American elections and the American electorate. Women won everywhere. Women carried the day everywhere. Minorities made their voices heard. Obama won them 80%-20%. The young overwhelmingly supported the President, too. In essence, the future of this country won while the demographics that have ruled this country for so long - the white, the old, and the males - lost, and they lost big.

It is hard not to feel that President Obama and the Democratic Party are on the right side of history and that they have grasped this moment.  What matters now is what they will do with that momentum.  Will they compromise, or will they project a positive vision for the country and try to bring their Republican opponents along? I hope that we will see a little of both.

Most importantly, what will the country make of tonight's Democratic victory?  Will the people raise their voices and rightfully demand that their leaders work for them?  I hope so because we have so much work to do. We must move forward on jobs, the economy, the debt, ending wars, and rebuilding this country.  Are we up for it? Are we as big as our politics?

The answer must be yes if we are to win the future and leave our kids a better country than we were given.  I am in awe of this victory, and I will soak it up.

However, I realize that the climb will be long. Obstacles, some surmountable and some insurmountable, will stand in our way. Those who would rather gum up the works rather than reform our political stalemate will persevere.

Despite this, I am more confident than ever that we are up to the task. Why? Any nation that can commit itself to electing an African-American named Barack Hussein Obama not once but twice is serious about progress. For these reasons, I am hopeful today. I am proud today. I hope you are, too, because today we are all Americans first. Today, we traveled a little farther up the mountaintop. We must keep moving forward!

PRIDE

Most days, I am very proud to be a Democrat. This is not a difficult task in liberal Portland. However, tonight Democrats in every part of this land had reason to be proud after witnessing some of the speeches at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC.

First, Julian Castro, the young mayor of San Antonio, delivered an absolutely inspiring speech about his story. It was a story about hope, opportunity, and hard work.  It was an American story - an American dream. The best lines of the speech reminded viewers that we are all connected and not just in it for ourselves. He said, "My mother fought hard for civil rights so that instead of a mop, I could hold this microphone" and "the American dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay." Wow!

Next, First Lady Michelle Obama took the stage. She reminded voters of where she and President Obama came from. She also reminded voters about how their family's struggles made them who they are and how these experiences give them an appreciation for what people are going through.  She said that the fights President Obama has picked are not political but personal and based upon his unwavering desire to help others rather than himself.  No one could have made that case more clear or compelling than Mrs, Obama, and I hope America was listening.

Both of these speeches reminded me that my story is no less remarkable.  My parents moved half way around the world to Canada for educational and economic opportunities that still do not exist in India. Then, they left comfortable lives and took one more step forward - this time to the U.S. - the land of ultimate opportunity. They did not do this for themselves but rather for their kids.  We, kids, learned first hand about sacrifice, hard work, and desire. These experiences made me who I am and still inspire me to this day.

My children like Mitt Romney, will probably never know economic hardship or have a sense of being on the outside looking in because of our station in life and where they will grow up - tolerant, liberal Portland. However, I am already trying to teach them that to whom much is given, much is expected. We do not measure success by our bank balance. Rather, we measure it be the ways we help other people or the ways we make this world better.

Privilege can be poisonous (see Romney, Willard Mitt). However, privilege can also serve as a tool to remind one how lucky one is how important it is to help those that have less than one's self.

Those are the values with which I was raised. Those are the values that we heard about tonight. Those are the values that are worth fighting for - even dying for.  I hope Nicholas and Cate were listening tonight. I hope they were watching their mom and dad tonight, who were moved beyond words to be a part of this Democratic Party.

ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE

The photo below contains one of the best moments of my life to date.

What an honor. It is all downhill from here after meeting the President...

THE ROAD WE'VE TRAVELED

Continuing on the theme of the President's re-election, you should watch this video if you have not already.  It sends a powerful message about how far Americans have traveled with this President in the past four years. My favorite part is at 2:40 with David Axelrod.

FORWARD

Today, I attended a fundraiser for President Obama in Portland.  I normally have clinic on Tuesdays, so once I heard about the event two weeks ago, I moved my patients to another day so that I could attend.  Thankfully, it all worked out.

I had heard President Obama speak on three occasions previously when he was a candidate for the Presidency. However, this was the first time I had a chance to see him since he took office.

The event was held at the Oregon Convention Center, and people of all ages and colors lined up outside to get a chance to hear the President speak and to catch a glimpse.  We were served lunch, and then many of us had the opportunity to meet the President and have a photo taken with him.

There were families, couples, and individuals who came alone like me.  When my turn came, I said hello to the President.  He was slightly taller than me and thin.  His hair was more salt than pepper, and he had a kind and welcoming expression on his face- like a teacher with new pupils on the first day of school.

We shook hands, and then we put our arms around each other's backs for a photo.  Afterwards, I grasped his hand.  I said, "Thank you for all that you have accomplished these past four years, and thank you for all that you will accomplish in the next four!" He said, "Thank you!"  With that, we parted.

It is rare that I am at a loss for words, but that brief encounter took my breath away.  Here, I had met the most powerful man in the world - my hero and the most accomplished President of my lifetime. What an honor and what an occasion.

Afterwards, I had a seat close to the front to hear him discuss his vision for this country and for the next four years.  President Obama talked about how far we have come since 2009. He talked about what drove him - to create policies that help the most people possible and to restore a sense of possibility in this country. He talked about his own family and about how their experience was America's experience. He expressed a belief in the American Dream - if you work hard, you have a chance to be successful.  His message came down to one of hope and perseverance, and the desire to leave this world better than how he found it.  One word more than any other summarizes his vision - Forward. Much of his remarks can be seen in the video below.


 
I feel lucky tonight. Not because I shook the hand of the leader of the free world. Rather, I feel lucky because I live in the free world and have a President who shares my vision and my dreams for that world.  More than anything, when I look at the President, I see possibility and opportunity. I hope my children see the same thing and that they know that hard work can allow one to scale any obstacle and overcome any challenge.  If they doubt me, I will show them that photo of me with the President once I receive it. I hope it will remind them of just what may be possible for them, too,... if only they set their minds to it! 
 
Forward!