A Stake in the Ground of History

By Greg Quinn

January 20th, 2009

When one sets out to build a house, one of the first things they do is to stake out the boundaries.  You take the plans, and set stakes at corners where the boundaries of the house can be visualized, and where further work on foundations can be accomplished.  Today, we set the stakes in the ground of US history.  The election of Barack Obama as America’s 44^th President placed a long-awaited stake in the historical ground of our great nation, and this stake is a reference point for the foundation that will soon be built during Obama’s presidency.

It is great that we have grown so much as a nation that the election of a mixed-race minority to the office of President is accomplished.  What started years ago with the slave trade out of Africa, and that was turned on its ear by President Lincoln, has now come full circle with the election of the first partially African-American President, Barack Obama.  That, my friends, is truly of historical significance.

Historical significance is not enough, however.  We must move forward as a nation to face the challenges before us.  We have two wars to win.  We need to return our soldiers to their homes as victors.  We have a people to redeem.  We have poverty to overcome in the US and abroad.  We need to see Israel protected from the militant Muslim organizations that would like to see her destroyed.  We need to see the murder of innocent babies abolished with the elimination of abortion.  We need to see our school systems improve.  We need affordable healthcare.  We need a better economy.  We need jobs for Americans.  We need closed borders to illegal immigrants, yet a better process of immigration for those that choose to come to America legally.  We need the illegal immigrants sent back home.  We need to see an end to terrorism.  We need to develop better foreign allies.  We need to see America rise again as the most respected nation on earth.  We need to get closer to God as a nation, seek His hand, and grow stronger in faith and Godly protection.  There are a lot of challenges to overcome.  To do so, we must work together and work hard.  Today is not the end of the work, but just the beginning.  Today only set the first stake in the ground; now we have a foundation to build.

Be proud of the history that was made today with the election of President Obama.  But, recognize that this is just a stake in the ground of history.  Now, we must drive in the other stakes, set the corners of our homeland, and build a strong foundation for the benefit of generations to come.

Yes, today was historical.  But, tomorrow is even more important.  Grab your hammer and stake; we have work to do.

Greg Quinn