[FONT="]This morning before the inauguration ceremony, Barack and Michelle Obama had tea at the White House with Donald and Melania Trump. No cameras. No press. Just four people having tea. That is an amazing thing to me.
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[FONT="]At the ceremony itself, I watched a smiling and gracious Nancy Pelosi shake the President-elect's hand and I heard a remarkable and unifying speech by Charles Schumer. I saw George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Bill and Hillary Clinton smile and warmly greet the President-elect and Vice President as they attended the ceremony. I don't care what anybody thinks of George or Jimmy or the Clintons, that was classy.
And I heard a very inspiring speech from President Donald Trump directed to all of us regardless of political affiliation or ideology or whether we supported him or not. Afterward the Trumps, Obamas, Bidens, and Pences all stood on the capital steps for a photo op and then embraced, kissed on cheeks, and showed genuine affection for each other.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Honest criticism and disagreement will always be part of the political process, but my hope and prayer is that we all take the lesson from these national leaders. We are all flying in the same plane after all, and to wish for the pilot to crash and burn is neither constructive nor helpful. (Or smart.) And taking shots at the opposition does not win hearts or minds.
I hope we will all stand back, cool it with the insults and angry posts, and see how it is going to go for awhile. As American citizens I think we owe that to the new administration and to us all.
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[FONT="]At the ceremony itself, I watched a smiling and gracious Nancy Pelosi shake the President-elect's hand and I heard a remarkable and unifying speech by Charles Schumer. I saw George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Bill and Hillary Clinton smile and warmly greet the President-elect and Vice President as they attended the ceremony. I don't care what anybody thinks of George or Jimmy or the Clintons, that was classy.
And I heard a very inspiring speech from President Donald Trump directed to all of us regardless of political affiliation or ideology or whether we supported him or not. Afterward the Trumps, Obamas, Bidens, and Pences all stood on the capital steps for a photo op and then embraced, kissed on cheeks, and showed genuine affection for each other.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Honest criticism and disagreement will always be part of the political process, but my hope and prayer is that we all take the lesson from these national leaders. We are all flying in the same plane after all, and to wish for the pilot to crash and burn is neither constructive nor helpful. (Or smart.) And taking shots at the opposition does not win hearts or minds.
I hope we will all stand back, cool it with the insults and angry posts, and see how it is going to go for awhile. As American citizens I think we owe that to the new administration and to us all.
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