Barack Obama to take oath of office

January 19, 10:13 PMSacramento Environmental News ExaminerHarry Osibin

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama becomes the 44th President of the United States.

Mr. Obama is the first U.S. president who was born in a former sovereign kingdom.  That is Hawaii, the 50th state.

He is the first President to spend a substantial portion of his childhood outside of the contiguous 48 states. 

He is the first President to have a surname of African origin.  Obama is a Luo name and associated with Kenya, Tanzania and other nations.  His first and middle names are Arabic.

His perspective and his background may set him apart from past Chief Executives.

His education, ideals, political skills and commitment to this country certainly bring him into the circle of patriots who have served the nation in its highest office.

From all political appearances Mr. Obama is a mainstream Democrat, who will be sorely tested both within and without his party.  As his predessor did say,  Mr. Obama also indicates he will be President for all the people.

This column will be examining his environmental initiatives closely.  Clean coal?  We'll see if it's any more real than cold fusion.

More comment:

Barack Obama is the first President whose last name begins with "O".

My family name "Osibin" is the Boki word for the ebony tree.  That language is spoken in the Boki local government area of Cross River State in Nigeria.  I never knew that until the advent of Internet surfing when I found some pages on commercial timber written in German that mentioned "osibin" and other words in dialects to describe the tree.  Over the years I've been able to do more research and have come up with these details.

There have been Osibins in the USA (especially Louisiana) since the 19th century and probably before.  I was born in Oakland and raised in San Francisco, to some, exotic locales.  We are now happily ensconced in Sacramento, the City of Trees (how fitting)!

It's become a cliche, but America is a country of diversity.  And is a country with a willingness to progress "moderately". 

There is an abiding pride Americans have taken in the extraordinary events we are about to witness.  We can ask could such an occurence happen elsewhere?

It probably has.  But in our case this is special because we are Americans and the world notices!

In spite of the last eight years of ignominy, the USA is set to rise up and live out its destiny as the land of the free and the home of the brave and the just.