Kevin Glass of Townhall.com is reporting that the president laid out "a fiercely progressive vision" for his second term in office while addressing hundreds of thousands of Americans during his second and final inauguration.
Even though he said the country's problems can never be cured through government alone, he went on to say that freedom isn't worthwhile without collectivism.
"Preserving our individual liberties ultimately requires collective action," he said.
He went on to defend government programs such as welfare, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, saying they "do not make us a nation of takers" but "free us to take the risks that make this country great."
White House watchers were surprised by the emphasis he placed on global warming in his speech, calling it one of the most important issues facing the country right now.
"We will respond to the threat of climate change," he said, "knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms."
The loudest applause came when he spoke about social issues such as equal pay, gay marriage, immigration, a roll back of gun rights and voter ID laws.
"For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.
"Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm."
The President was sworn in on Sunday, January 20, which is the day specified by the Constitution. His public inauguration took place yesterday, on the memorial of slain civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. For this reason, he used a bible owned by Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as one owned by Abraham Lincoln for the swearing-in ceremony.
Dr. Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King, who is a staunch pro-life advocate, admitted to having mixed emotions about the use of her uncle's bible by the most pro-abortion presidents in U.S. history.
“I have been having mixed emotions about President Obama using the Lincoln Bible and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Bible at his inauguration,” Dr. King said in an exclusive interview with Newsmax.
“I really hope that when the president — and those who handle the Bible — I hope they just, even if they just accidentally slip it open, to where it says ‘choose life,’ or ‘God hates the shedding of innocent blood’ or something like that, I’m hoping it will just reverberate, shake them up a little bit,” said King, who is a pastoral associate and director of African-American outreach for Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries.
But she is quick to add, “I know that the Bible was a gift from God and God does not teach us to deny anybody access to the Bible, and if they’re not going to use it for the right purposes, I’ll be praying for their hearts.”
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