What You May Have Missed About the Obama Inauguration

Amid all the hubbub, here are 2 things I wanted to highlight:

Those Peruvian shamans were once again sending their energy our way on Tuesday! I love these guys. This time, however, they gathered fellow shamans from Mexico, Brazil and Bolivia to participate in an ancient Andean ritual to protect Obama, give him strength and help him usher in peace worldwide. According to the report, the shamans danced, shook rattles, blew smoke and tossed flower petals and coca leaves at a photo of Obama (I'm sure the conservatives just LOVE the coca leaf ingredient). Thanks guys--we appreciate the support!

Did you love Obama's speech? It was great, but I had one problem with it. About halfway through he said:

"...We will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents ..."

I really have a problem with the "We will not apologize for our way of life." Or maybe I'm just confused. On one hand, Obama delivered a rousing rebuke to America's enemies, which rallied the crowd. I admit it even got me a little worked up. But it's such a vague phrase, that everyone can ascribe to it whatever they want. But what did Obama mean, "our way of life?"

Was he talking about a free press, free elections, equality and opportunity? Well, that's certainly worth defending. Or did he mean our tendency to guzzle gas, bully our way with other economies and the planet, and generally pressure everyone to be just like us? Well, that I do feel we should apologize for. Because it's that way of life that frequently has caused us to sacrifice our higher ideals in favor of the almighty dollar. And that's why we're the No. 1 target of terrorists today.

Maybe it isn't anything to worry about. But Obama and his speech writers carefully crafted each and every word of that speech. The cynic in me says he put that in there to appease the conservatives, those who fear Obama will somehow surrender American prestige and power.

I dunno, but to me, a way of life isn't necessarily good or bad. Yet we Americans frequently tell others they must change their way of life and that ours is better. So--how dare we say we'll never apologize? Isn't that just arrogance? How can you negotiate and lead to a better tomorrow when the only way you see is your own?

Maybe I'm just being picky but it gives me pause.