Why every American should celebrate

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.