Congrats Mr. Obama

Congratulations Mr. Obama for a great campaign and solid presidential win. I wish you the best for the next 4 years. Our collective future depends upon your success.

Now, I don't know how to say this politely but, in my mind, this inauguration is just like every other inauguration. I have always been taught that being a person of color in America is normal. Normal in the sense that we do not differentiate in treatment (good or bad), make special consideration (good or bad) for, or generally consider categorically different. Skin color was just skin color, not any reflection of the person inside. Right, Sesame Street? Why should I now consider race when I have been encouraged my entire life to do otherwise?
During the campaign, press coverage of Obama was an akward dichotomy of either absolute disregard of the issue of race in America or a pronouncement that his candidacy as a momentous occasion for blacks. All of the public figures who for my entire life had argued that race was not important were now urging us to consider race as important. What they said between the lines was something to the effect of "don't consider non-whites as different in any way, but when non-whites make significant achievements, we must be there to acknowledge that they have always been different and we must laud their successes as a triumph over racism." But at the core of racism is the belief that skin color determines performance or categorically differentiates people.
Can you see the cognative dissonance which my generation is facing? Americans must ask the question, is race important or not? If it is, we must embrace that difference. If not, we must stop the subtle undertones of racism from all parties and fully disregard race in America. To me, race will never be important. For better or worse, that is what the prevailing political correctness taught me in my youth.

Historic as it may be, today we inaugurate just another President. To me he has always been just another candidate, and he will just be another president. His works and deeds will determine his success, not anything else.