Obama's Inagural Speech

Today across the mall and in waves that go much farther than sound, across the world, the words of our new president came. Even for someone who is too young to remember, the image was unmistakable. The cadence, especially near the beginning of his speech, coupled with his word choice could not help but to evoke speeches made by Martin Luther King Jr. Obama's repetition, "On this day.." can only be understood as an answer to to King's repetition of 'one day.' King said, not too long ago; 'I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.' Obama answers then, that 'On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.' The two speeches, both delivered on the mall, to a sea of people cannot help but to overlap, and honestly, I can only hope that the speeches are not the only things to overlap. As Obama's speech answers King's, I hope that his administration will answer King's vission, and that a double helping of King's spirit be heaped upon our newest president.