In the spirit of American Freedom (read: conspicuous consumption in all its coin-purse jingling glory), I watched this year’s Presidential Inauguration from a casino in Vegas. Nothing says America like poker out West.

Really, I am one of those Americans who didn’t think this day would come. Not only have we elected the US’ first black president, but we’ve also elected a guy with a name that is not blatantly boring and American; we picked a Barack Obama, oddly foreign to our neo-European tongues, over a John McCain. As I’ve always been a fan of funky names, I’m all for it. I just never thought it would happen in my lifetime.

I watched the Inauguration diligently, and found myself in a myriad of emotions. On the one hand, Obama’s speech was moving and determined, and he looked noble and presidential and like all the things our political scene has been missing in the last 6 or so years. On the other hand, I was bothered by several things.

First of all, I want to express my deepest disgust at those American who refused to watch the Inauguration or who threw rude and inappropriate comments at our incoming president because, well, they voted for the other guy. I have always been of the opinion that the president is the president, and even if you don’t agree with his takes on the world, and even if you didn’t vote for him, he deserves your respect. Yes, even W deserved the respect that comes with the position. I may not like him, I may think he royally messed up, I may ask him some tough questions, but if I were to ever meet him, I will shake his hand and smile and be as polite as possible, because he deserves that. Obama, too, deserves this, and while we may have the right to our own angry, hurtful and ignorant opinions, we should all be smart enough and well-bred enough to be polite and respectful.

Also, I felt some offense at the term “non-believer” that Obama used at one point to say how this country is meant for everyone. Some people may be okay with the fact that hey, at least we’re getting some acknowledgment, but I’m not. I found it pejorative and incorrect. To imply, first of all, that if you’re not Christian or Muslim or Jew or Hindu that you are, in fact, a non-believer, discounts and undermines the hundreds of religions out there that don’t fall into these neat categories. Secondly, calling us “non-believers” implies that we don’t believe in anything, which is incorrect, as most of us, even atheists, believe in something, whether it is the strength of the human spirit, our own capabilities, nature, whatever. Third, the term “non-believer” is what extremists throw around to create an environment of hate, an environment that pits “us” against “them” and one which causes people to invade countries and blow up buildings. Lastly, by referring to all those who do not fit into the category as “non-believers,” I feel that people are implying that we are inherently wrong and aren’t really capable of believing, but because the Christians/Hindus/Muslims/Jews are such good people, they will allow us to also partake in the “freedoms” of the US. You can be glib all you want, but as someone who has experienced religious discrimination in ways that mainstream religious people or people who live in, for example, the international metropolis of Washington, DC, have never experienced, I feel that it’s about time that all of us “non-believers” be recognized for something other than the fact that we don’t fit into Americans’ over-simplified definitions of what is and is not a religion. Obama may not have meant it in this way, as I’m sure some of you will argue, but it perpetuates religious ignorance nonetheless. I found it to be inappropriate for an international presidential speech, and perhaps instead of singling out all of us non-Christians/Jews/Muslims/Hindus, a more all-encompassing idea should have been presented, one that is powerful regardless of religious, ethnic, economic affiliations. I'm no speech writer or politician, so please do not ask me to come up with anything more specific on the fly.

Finally, I was hoping for some recognition of our indigenous population, for once. Ever year that I’ve watched the Inauguration, or have been at least able to comprehend its significance which, granted, has not been many such events, I have hoped that a hand would be extended to the people that have been here for at least 12,000 years. And every year, I’ve been disappointed. Every new president has made sweeping statements about how this country was built by people who came over on boats, how our goals and dreams and morals were brought over by people who came on boats, how these people who came on boats came searching for freedom and built this country on those beliefs. Nevermind that there were at least 12 million people already here, and that in order to build our country on freedom we had to get rid of those 12 million people first. I don’t want a president to bring up the atrocities, necessarily, but I would, for once, like a new president to recognize the importance of our under-represented and all too often ignored indigenous populations, to note the influence of the Native Americans on our value system and our environment and our country’s politics, to include them when speaking of “Americans” and “equality.” So casually do we speak of our cultural identity as European or African immigrants, and yet how many of us might have American Indian ancestry running through us? I though that perhaps a president with a perspective based on his life as a minority in this country would bring an acknowledgment of our oldest, poorest and most forgotten minority. How many of you even thought of them during this historic transition?