Celebrating Obama: Perspectives Through Global CARTOONS

Enjoy global cartoons and perspectives as we celebrate Obama with hope as well as humor to lighten our spirits during challenging times!

It was an electric and inspiring day and night as we witnessed the inauguration of Barack ObamaBarack Obama! Over 2 million Americans (a visual sea of humanity) braved the cold in Washington D.C. to watch the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States. The imagery, stunning performances, historic ceremony, artful speeches, walk down Pennsylvania Avenue and inaugural balls were powerful, emotional and uplifting!

The Obamas are amazing role models and such a beautiful representation of America in a new era. At the final inaugural ball, the new President reinforced his message about re-creating the country. He stated 'this is not the end but the beginning' and 'government is going to need you every step of way' which has set the tone for the road ahead.

Vice President Joe Biden also spoke during the night saying, 'We do not have to accept circumstances the way they are, we can change them.' This 'building from the ground up' is a continuation of the theme Obama created at the beginning of his campaign (evolving into 'Yes we can' and 'anything is possible' if we unite as a country).

I voted for and support Obama (but have no allegiance to any party) because I think he is equal to the task and was the best candidate with strong and honorable qualities. I am also inspired by the historic nature of this day as I was yesterday in celebrating Martin Luther King JrMartin Luther King Jr. Day. President Obama is a beautiful symbolic (and literal) blend demonstrating the human spirit, will and ability to break beyond barriers (religious, ethnic, etc).

We have made a lot of progress as a country in a short amount of time. However, we (our country and humanity) still have work to do and need to take responsibility for our mistakes. There is still a tremendous need for evolution of consciousness which will lead to more peace, understanding, compassion, acceptance, etc. (check out A New Earth by Eckhart TolleEckhart Tolle http://eckharttolle.com/a_new_earth for related reading on this topic).

We need to be fair and not be under any illusions about a perfect Obama presidency, especially given the enormous issues he is inheriting (Bush received more hyper-criticism than even he deserved). Obama is undoubtedly enormously capable, but he faces daunting challenges on multiple fronts. However, we should still embrace the hopeful sentiment ignited during Obama's campaign and inauguration.

It will come down to a question of leadership as David Gergen from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government astutely asserts in his article 'A question of presidential leadership.' Obama is highly cognizant of the challenges and is acutely aware of the need for a 'dream-team' in his administration to quickly establish direction and execute the right strategies to tackle such complex problems.

So no matter who you are (Democrat, Republican, Independent, etc.) or where you came from, let us give support to Obama so we can succeed as nation. We need unity now more than ever!

Share your perspective here. I'm posting my piece on Allvoices because it is an edited site and encourages all global opinions. It would be great to hear from our brothers and sisters around the world!