From the 2013 inauguration speech of President Barrack Obama, it is evident that a lot of focus was given to the aspect of patriotism among the American public (‘Inaugural Address by President Barack Obama’ par. 1). For instance, the president begins by attaching great importance to the constitution.
He asserts that the process of inaugurating a president is part and parcel of the constitutional order to elevate the status and sovereignty of a nation. The audience can immediately acknowledge that inaugurating an American president is not a personal endeavor but a constitutional requirement that began over two centuries ago when America gained its independence.
The president also demonstrates that he is not more important than the founding fathers of this nation. To a large extent, the president blends his speech by complimenting the contribution of all citizens in the wellbeing of the country. Besides, he does not forget to mention the existence of God in his speech. He infers that the aspect of equality among human beings is the intention of God himself because he never intended to make other human beings more superior than others (Gergen par. 4).
The president’s speech has also pointed out the issue of economic growth. Both a modern economy and free market are vital towards the growth and development of a giant economy like that of the United States. The protection of citizens from both man-made and natural misfortunes is also a major score in the President’s speech.
Other important areas addressed in the speech include the need for the society to change with the changing times, preserving individual freedoms, collective responsibility, equitable national and personal economic development, delivery of healthcare services, security and national peace, rule of law and the strength of arms.
It is clearly evident that the president almost all the important areas or issues that affect the American public today. Towards the end of the speech, President Obama notes that he will swear to both God and his country in order to serve the Americans in the best way possible.
In spite of the comforting and hopeful undertones in the President’s speech, there are several pertinent issues that were deliberately left out. For instance, the president did not mention the specific steps that the federal government would put in place to curtail the threats of terrorism (Rothkopf par. 3). Second, the speech does not give adequate attention to the slow pace of economic recovery of the United States. The president has mentioned the power and contribution of the people several times in the speech.
However, it is a surprise if ordinary citizens can proactively or reactively take part in shaping the internal affairs of the United States. As much as the US citizens are allowed by the constitution to take part in democratic elections, the most critical areas of national development are left in the hands of a few technocrats. Contemporary American society has completely transformed itself into a capitalist state. The hard-line stance that is usually assumed by the Republicans is never different from the ideals of the democrats.
For instance, the president has mentioned in the speech that the country is still reeling from the impacts of a whole decade under war. For a democratic and fully liberalized state like the US, it is of no use to engage in conflicts with other sovereign states in the pretext of defending democracy in those countries.
Works Cited
Gergen, David. Obama’s historic speech deepens divisions. 2013. Web.
Inaugural Address by President Barack Obama. 2013. Web.
Rothkopf, David. Obama’s America, better than what Founders imagined. 2013. Web.