Congratulations to the new President, Vice President, and their families.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Text of the inauguration Speech

Reaction to Oath at Brooklyn Academy of Music

Brooklyn High School Steppers at Inauguration

November Election:

The Streets of Brooklyn Got Your Back, Bro!

Who Says It Better Than Artists?

Image by David Choe

(photo by Michael Tercha) (Chicago Tribune)

Cornfield Art (photo Jimmy May) (Bloomsburg Press Enterprise)

Etch-A-Pres (by Tim George) (Chicago Tribune)

Sands of Time (Jorge Rodriguez Gerarda in Barcelona)

Studio 360 did a nice piece on the impact of Street Art on the election, and the impact of the election on street artists and other artists as well. Interviewed are David Cho, Shepard Fairey, Ron English.

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