Ba-Rackin' the Inauguration in Martinez, CA

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, a very important event is taking place, an event of historic proportions that you will want to attend so that, as time marches on, you can one day tell your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren that you were there, right there, in person when it occurred. It's a rare opportunity for us as Americans to participate personally in history, or at least to be able to mark that opportunity on our calendars. This is one such opportunity.

For the very first time, on that historic day, Armando's in downtown Martinez, CA will be presenting live entertainment on a Tuesday. It's unheard of. It's never happened before, and many believed that it would never happen in our lifetimes. But others (and I count myself among them), chose to believe that it could happen, that the power of change and reason would ultimately prevail, and that we would have hope and live music in Martinez on a Tuesday. 

And now, at last, it is so. 

And oh, by the way, the new president is getting sworn in, too. So, in another nod to history, Armando's will have a television set turned to the inauguration.

Brief reminder and shameless promotion: The Very Bad Boys are at Armando's this Saturday, Jan. 17, at 8 p.m. We've been working hard on this performance, and we'd love to see you come out and help us celebrate a new era in America. 

Other than having live music on Tuesday in Martinez, Tuesday marks a significant day in the lives of our nation, as the United States of America becomes, once again, a nation of people who can, should they choose, be in charge of their own government, and thus their destinies. I know, this sounds like hyperbole, and perhaps I am overstating the issue a tad. But not by much. 

For the past eight years (and one could argue convincingly eight years prior to that), America has been a nation led by men who didn't seem to care much for what Americans had to say, if those Americans fell into the 95 percent category of people who were not billionaires. When the most powerful Vice President in our history can look into the TV camera and say "so what?" to a question about the concerns of a majority of the country regarding the 'war' in Iraq, something had obviously gone horribly wrong in the national conscience. In my mind, such a response by an elected official should be an immediate impeachable offense. 

But those days are very soon to be behind us. President Bush and Vice President Cheney are going to be left for history to judge, and I suspect that when it does, Mr. Cheney is going to find out the answer to "so what?" Both men, to be fair, showed up to serve  their country, and could have made far more money in the private sector. But the power they wielded is not available to private citizens, and certainly both men had the ear of the very powerful and very wealthy in this country. It seemed to me (and I don't think I'm alone in this) that those interests were the ones served for eight years, and not the interests of the vast majority. Is it too kind to assume that their thinking was that if it's good for the elite, it's ultimately good for the population? 

President Elect Obama appears to be the kind of leader who inspires others to get their hands dirty, doing the dirty work of democracy. He certainly inspires me to do that, and I thought myself immune to the seductions of politicians. While his words are lofty and soaring, for me it's more about what he has become in spite of where he comes from. To put it kindly, black Americans are second-class citizens in America. And this man has chosen, for most of his life, to focus on the possibilities and opportunities in front of him, rather than the racism both inherent and obvious, that confronts people of color in this land on a daily basis. That in itself is leading by example.

President Elect Obama takes the chair in the Oval Office at a time when our country is in desperate need of a cool hand on the tiller. One can argue why our economic system is imploding, or why our standing in the world is at an all-time and very dangerous low, or why the very basic functions of American society seem to be, if not falling apart, at least making very scary squeaking sounds at the hinges. Those on the right will blame Bill Clinton and the minority congress that for six years was pretty much powerless to do anything. Those on the left will blame Bush and the six-year majority in congress. The truth is, there is plenty of blame to go around. Sure, 911 changed the face of American politics, but one cannot help but conclude that much of the fear that was mongered on Americans in the post 911 world was done out of political or economic expediency, and not an authentic sense of protection. On that list I would include Iraq.

Great leaders don't do for us, they inspire us to do for ourselves. And to me, that's the difference between the outgoing and incoming president. Bush argued that all we had to do was shop to do our part in the war on terror -- that and invade a country that did not attack or provoke us, for the first time in our history. He made it clear that the government would do all the protecting, even if it meant the end of some pretty basic civil rights. It appears that President Elect Obama will take a far different approach, and work to engage the rest of us in the work and responsibilities of democracy. It's a tough assignment, and he appears to be more than up to the task. I look forward to being part of the solution for a change. 

Besides, Aretha Franklin is going to sing at the inauguration, so even if you didn't vote for the man, you can at least enjoy the festivities. Who doesn't like Aretha? And don't forget to join us at Armando's for a great day of democracy, music, celebration and fun. All on a Tuesday.