Coming In From The Cold

When I was a kid, a woman was arrested for not sitting in the proper seat on a public bus.


In 1954, The Supreme Court of the United States of America ruled, 91 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, that it was illegal to have segregated schools. Two and a half years later, the President of the United States had to call out the Army to protect nine black students as they enrolled in Little Rock High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.


In 1962, the President of the United States again has to call out armed troops and federal marshals to help a man enroll at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi.


In 1963, the City of Birmingham, Alabama uses the public services of fire department hoses and police dogs to stop people from a lawful protest march.


In 1963-64, men are murdered in Mississippi for promoting civil rights, such as voting registration.


People are beaten; cities burn and leaders of movements are assassinated because of civil rights in these United States throughout the 60’s.


Since that time, lawmakers have enacted laws, repealed laws and tried to veto laws all in the name of something that doesn’t matter in the slightest when the shit really hits the fan.


When your house is on fire.


When your country is attacked.


When your kids are sick.


When you think you might die.


Today, a man will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America.


The best thing about his being sworn in is that he was the best man for the job at this time in our country’s history. The people of the United States have chosen him for his spirit, his intelligence, and his empathy with them.


For the first time they have chosen a leader where his skin color was not a factor.


I hope it’s not the last.


Sing it, Bob!