Our commitment to equality

This morning, Barack Obama began his second term as president. His inauguration was an incredible celebration of United States culture that should reinvigorate Americans' commitment to equality and diversity. Indeed, diversity was the true theme of the event.

Myrlie Evers-Williams, an African-American civil rights activist and Medgar Evers' widow, gave the invocation. Richard Blanco, a Cuban-American who was born in Madrid, grew up in Miami and is gay read the Inaugural Poem. Another Cuban-American, Rev. Luis León, delivered the benediction. Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish, emceed the event. Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice, administered the Oath of Office to Joe Biden, who is white and Catholic.  The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, whose members seemed to represent every ethnic group in America, sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic. And, oh yeah, our president is African American.  

During his powerful speech, the president immediately affirmed our nation's founding principle of equality:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

Today we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they've never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth."

He also embraced the social safety net and our moral obligation to help our fellow citizens:

"Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortune."

We do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, these things do not sap our initiative, they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great.  

Americans often pay lip service to equality and experience inauthentic attempts to promote social justice. Our cynicism is justifiable. There are severe schisms between white Americans and everyone else in education, employment, housing, wealth, opportunity, health, legal protection and safety, but achieving full diversity and equality in America is the goal we should never forget and never stop working for. 

Unfortunately, many disparage or disregard those who believe in "political correctness." The term "politically correct" has been corrupted the way Reaganites stigmatized "Liberal." As if those who work to achieve equality are naive dreamers or out-of-touch Pollyannas or pie-in-the-sky idealists. 

That is bullshit. Let's call political correctness what it is without using the tired buzzword: It's actively seeking equal treatment, opportunities and rights for all Americans because, like the president said, "these truths may be self-evident, they've never been self-executing." The "idealists" are the ones pulling society along the arc of the moral universe toward justice.

I was also reminded of our commitment to equality on Friday when my friend and I visited the 9/11 Memorial. The footprint of each tower features a waterfall framed by a railing with the victim's names carved into it. I was struck by the incredible variety of those names. In the cluster above, I read Zuhtu Ibis, Martin Lizzul, Alok Agarwal, Abdul K. Chowdhury and Michael L. Collins. Five Americans from five distinct backgrounds who all perished at a place they shared. The terrorists targeted two monoliths that they believed embodied America, but America is not monolithic.