historical day

I tried to get Hannah to watch the innaguration on MSN.com with me today but she asked so many questions (why are all those police cars there? why do they want to kill him? where are the bad guys? Is he really from Africa {this in response to Rick Waren's term "AfricanAmerican"} can I go watch Sesame Street now?) that I finally cut her loose. We watched Aretha Franklin singing an edited version of "America". Here's the lyrics:
1. My country,' tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!
4. Our fathers' God, to thee,
author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright
with freedom's holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King [emphasis mine].
But Ms. Franklin omitted the last four words - that is the whole point of the song! Instead she repeated "freedom" a few times and closed. Personally, I think this is telling, significant and calculated as were other things about speeches I heard.

Coincidentally (yeah, right), just last night we were reading Little Town on the Praire by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Read for yourself here (pages 75 and 76) what we read in the chapter, "Fourth of July" and contrast that with current events.

It sent chills when I re-read it just now.