Once again, President Obama gave a thought provoking speech. With it being his second Inauguration, he didn't have to worry about treading on toes, not being re-elected, or pleasing too many people. he was free to be himself and to say what he really wanted to say to his audience, and his speech really hit a few points squarely on the head. 

Compared to his many other speeches, this was a brilliant one, because it directly appealed to the people, in the language people understood, with the hope that it would resonate with millions of fellow Americans feeling PROUD of being American citizens. There have been all kinds of reactions to it, from praise to panning. but no one can deny that it was heart felt in polished delivery and inclusive in its message. It had some memorable quotes, especially this part of it:

Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society’s ills can be cured through government alone.  Our celebration of initiative and enterprise; our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, are constants in our character.

But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.  For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias.  No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores.  Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people.

There are many more sections which could be used as powerful examples of his message of unity and inclusion, but the main question is what did you think of it? Did you feel heartened by it?

Was it one for unity or division, in your perception?

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Alternet: President Barack Obama's 2nd Inaugural Address, Prepared Remarks