The New Era of Responsibility
When President Barack Obama took the oath of office, he gave the nation a challenge: "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility."
His message echoed across the country and around the world, with especially profound resonance here at the Responsibility Project, launched a year ago this week in response to your thousands of letters and emails seeking to highlight the role of responsibility in all our lives.
In his inaugural address, President Obama articulated some of the same ideals of responsibility many of you have already expressed on this site:
"A recognition on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world. Duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."
Creating a new culture of responsibility— Extreme Makeover, American Edition—will require some personal heavy lifting from each of us, along with the recognition that we don’t have to wear a uniform to serve our country. Hitting the re-set button on responsibility has already struck a chord: a post-inauguration survey showed that by a three-to-one margin, Americans now feel more optimistic about the future of the country
The new era was celebrated by the Inaugural Poet, with these words:
"Just as the unthinkable has happened in the past, anything remains possible now.
In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air,
Any thing can be made, any sentence begun".
Perhaps more will now begin with the word responsibility.
Tell us what you think: In his inaugural address, President Obama said "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America." What is your personal responsibility in achieving that goal?
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Co Founder
I see people blogging here who seem to care but are looking for a way to help others. Just want people to be aware of and tell their friends about The Lifeplan Institute. We share a vision to help 10 million kids in ten years build an actionable sustainable Lifeplan.
Thanks
John
Anonymous | 1 year, 1 month ago
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I want "U.S." to Succeed
Be accountable for your own actions and try to persuade others to take the same stand. This should be a good disease that spreads like an epidemic and not even the CDC has an answer for a possible cure. We need to show our children, non believers and other nations that we are the ones who they come to for an answer, because at the end of the day, point the fingers at u.s. We voted for him on Nov. 4th and I want us to Succeed. Rush to judgment.
Anonymous | 1 year, 1 month ago
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I want U.S. to Succeed
This comment was posted based on Rush’s comments. I think he was too quick in his pessimism.
If the president, any president fails, we fail. We are experiencing that right now.
The good book says something about being happy when others fail, and this ain’t the time to hope for failure. I am a little bit scared, but hopeful because we are in good hands.
Thanks, AB
Anonymous | 1 year, 1 month ago
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Endurance and Press on
“Volunteer”. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and PRESS ON! That is what we have always done. Those who survive are fit. Are you fit?
Make yourself fit and “Volunteer.”
Your move!
Anonymous | 1 year, 1 month ago
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Remake America or Rebuild?
When President Obama said, “Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin the work of remaking America.”
America is America, we shouldn’t remake America, we should rebuild America. It takes individuals of all kinds to do this and to get back what we have lost. Our forefathers made it America. Made it what we are proud of. We need to rebuild not remake.
America is great.
Anonymous | 1 year, 1 month ago
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Yes We Can ....believe in change!
I love it! Changes….No one likes it but when reaching a goal or moving to the next level it involves change. In order for the year to come to an end seasons must change. In order to get good grades, study habits must change. If you want to get out of debt, spending habits must change.And so On….. Rebuild America , no! America has already been built on a system that contradicts itself.One Nation under God? With Liberty and Justice for All? We Need to change and remake America so that we can live out the true meaning of this nations creed! God made certain species to be able to camouflage(change colors) themselves with their environment for survival. In order to survive, we must turn to God and put him first, then he will camouflage us as a nation where we will be one indivisible color(did you catch that) HE will change our Attitudes, our Hearts, our Minds, our Neighborhood,our Nation so we can survive! We need to support and pray for the man who is leading our country. His campaign slogan is so prophetic! The only way to make it through the Pearly Gates is change.
Anonymous | 1 year, 1 month ago
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God's gift to the world ...
First, I thank God for choosing Barak Obama as president. It’s a gift from God. Let’s embrace him wholeheartedly.
Thank you,
Jorum
Anonymous | 1 year, 1 month ago
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YES WE CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes we can!!!!
I thank the almighty for making Barack Obama the president of the United States of America.
After his struggle and belief in it, it will happen: YES WE CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous | 1 year, 1 month ago
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What you are saying is true,but you are forgetting one thing,and do not seem to be aware of a lot of facts.
Ron Paul believes in very small government.Small as in too small to get anything the people want done.The federal reserve is a private entity as you are aware. Now do you suppose that a private corporation took over our public money making capabilities because our representative government was to extensive ? Is it possible that our real problem all along is not an overly powerful or large government,but a government that is in fact to weak, small and insignificant to protect the American people from the interests of powerful ,private and corporate elites. Perhaps ,’‘government by the people,for the people’‘, has been kept small by those same interests, precisely because of the fact that it is a government by the people ? Since this is a nation of better than three hundred million people, it would seem to me that only a large government could possibly represent and serve the will of the people!
It is time to stop the arguing over small and large government,and take a new approach to solving our nations problems,most of which are caused by small groups of private powers who have hijacked a government that is to small and weak to maintain its integrity. It is very likely that if we would have had more representation,or another branch of representative government in 1913, the Fed ,being directly opposed to the will of the people,would have never been able to seize our money supply.
Think about it – would a smaller government than what currently exists be able to protect Americans from threats such as private mercenary armies (‘ever heard of Black Water), child exploitation by private corporations, the merging of huge industrial powers for the sake of price inflation, and even the reimplementation of slavery in the form of debtor’s prisons. Already in this country we have seen the corrections function of public government taken over by private interests for private profit.
We do not need less or smaller government; we need a huge representative government, powerful enough to protect and enforce the will of 300 million ordinary Americans from the greed and avarice of powerful private forces of enslavement.
Anonymous | 1 year, 1 month ago
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What is your personal responsibility in achieving
What is your personal responsibility in achieving that goal? Most of the posts here have not answered. I’d like to give my answer, and it is that I will keep on doing what I have already done: taking responsibility to become conscious of all my actions, small and large in all aspects of my life. The greatest impact I will have in my life is through parenting. Giving up any kind of outside job for 24-7-365 mothering has been my privilege, honor, and the quickest journey to the path of enlightenment that I have ever known. On the days I have wondered if I will ever get a chance to impact the world for better, I just remember that my children are growing fast. I am bringing children into the world that will have an inner satisfaction because they were held in arms, their voices heard, and treated with respect and nurturing love—they need not go into the adult world seeking love outside themselves or the multitude of addictions that drive so many depraved adults. I make sure that my values “I wish to see in the world” are being translated here at home, mainly in the only behavior I have any control over: mine. I have learned much about this from author Naomi Aldort, Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves. I am taking responsibility for my inner life as well as my actions in the field. I am taking responsibility to transform the relationships in my direct sphere of influence, and am working on applying Marshall Rosenberg’s Non Violent Communication (something that works in families or between world leaders, if they would take the time to learn it). I am learning to use only the resources taken from the Earth that I really need, and not at the expense of other people. I am doing the best I can each day, and transforming myself. That’s my contribution. “All wars belong on paper.”—Byron Katie thework.com
-Rachel
Rachel Ernst | 1 year, 1 month ago
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