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Why every American should celebrate |
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January 20, 2017 |
By U.S. Congressman Raul Labrador
Today is more important than just the
inauguration of our 45th president. Today we
celebrate a 220-year tradition of the peaceful
transfer of power in our great nation.
To their credit, Secretary Hillary Clinton and
President Bill Clinton attended, though I'm sure
they are still smarting from their loss. So did
President and Mrs. Carter and President George
W. Bush and Mrs. Bush. They understand the
importance of continuity and national unity.
In 1952, Democratic nominee Adlai Stevenson lost
the presidency to General Dwight Eisenhower. In
his concession, Senator Stevenson said, “It is
traditionally American to fight hard before an
election. It is equally traditional to close
ranks as soon as the people have spoken ... That
which unites us as American citizens is far
greater than that which divides us as political
parties.”
Many have said that they do not feel like
celebrating. Who said they had to celebrate?
How about attending without celebrating or
simply quietly staying away? Some Democrats
apparently see political advantage in damaging
the legitimacy of the President. That's
unfortunate. We can always argue over our
political differences but should always try to
keep our nation strong and together.
As I sat behind President Trump today at the
Capitol, I had a longer view. I looked west
toward the monuments honoring Washington,
Jefferson and Lincoln, two presidents who led us
through the infancy of our republic and a third
who kept the United States together.
I reflected on why we gather every four years to
watch our president swear to preserve, protect
and defend the Constitution.
Some of us gather to celebrate that our side
won, others to pay respect even though they were
disappointed by the results.
Either way, we should all celebrate that once
again, in spite of our divisions and
differences, we had a peaceful transfer of
power. |
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