To revive the blog and my own reflections on texts of all kinds, I can think of no better way to do it than to respond to President Obama's Inaugural speech. I was inspired by the intelligent, adult tone of the speech as well as the musical variations on "'Tis the Gift to Be Simple." But most of all, as I've been reflecting myself on the ongoing nature of bully becoming victim becoming bully becoming victim in our human history and even now in Gaza, Barack said after St. Paul, "...the time has come to set aside childish things..." and there can be greater indictment of the petty crimes as well as the human rights violations of the warmongering of the outgoing administration. Hope does seem to be springing forward for all of us.
As Cheney was wheeled away in a bizarre appearance, in a wheelchair and reminiscent of Dr. Strangelove, the sorrow of waste and damage, human and ecological and now economic, was the only low tone in an otherwise inspiring beginning for our country. I feel personally inspired and ready to continue with teaching, writing, and promoting a conscious examination of communication theory to law, comparative and religious.
