Learn From History - Live For Tomorrow

To borrow some phrasings from an Alan Jackson song, I watch CNN and FOX but I'm not a real political man. However I am "the Ponderer" so I am pondering this week's events in our nation's capitol and am pondering a few things. No answers...lots of questions and some bewilderment. And I have to post about what I have been pondering this week.

I heard the phrase a lot this week that we were watching history in the making. Uh...yeah, isn't that kind of stating the obvious? Once the moment is past it's history. I understand what they meant and I understand how as a nation we need to appreciate the significance of having an "African-American" president. I really do. But that leads me to more pondering.

Our president's mother came from Kansas and from pictures I have seen she looked Caucasian. Could be, like me she had several European countries roots coursing through her veins. I am wondering why George Washington isn't known as our first British-American president. History has proven that Mr. Washington is known as 1st American president. Let us judge our presidents, not by the color of their skin but the content of their character.

I am just young enough (not often I get to refer to myself as young anymore!) that I do not remember segregation. I have seen and heard about how it was and I am thankful for the enormous strides our nation has taken to make it right. We have learned from our history and must move forward. Debbie and I have a good friend who is black. I get a sweet potato pie made for me every Christmas! Is it up to me to pay for the injustice of history? Or can we continue to move forward and make our own history? Because if we owe today's blacks for what was done to their ancestors we owe the native American Indians. And we might owe some European folks because we allowed some folks to slip from their borders and come here when they might have stayed and made their country better. And then, would you and I get some compensation? Because we might have some degree of all those blood lines somewhere in our history.

If I disagree with our president will be for the same reasons I have disagreed with any of our presidents. It will be because of ideas, principles and opinions. I am not concerned with the color of his skin. And we cannot be quiet just because he is a historical president. He was, as the 43 before him, inaugurated not crowned.

Now, let's work to keep America free and prosperous. God knows we have work ahead. We have history to make as we prepare to leave this country to our children and grand children.