The days leading up to President-elect Obama’s Inauguration have been filled with hopes and criticisms, but one that stuck in my mind was the importance this event will have on the young students in our classrooms. The same students who have followed this electoral process from the very beginning, from grade school through high school are in the middle.

It seems an issue is rumbling in some public schools in the U.S. that has some believing “freedom of     expression and political belief,” could be compromised.  Here it is: Some schools across the nation have made changes to schedules, exams and planned events in order to facilitate every student watching the inauguration. And that — is NOT sitting well with everyone. Parents are quick to criticize based upon their political viewpoints, yet they seem to be missing a much larger point being made. By their own admission, the parents who are against making the Inauguration a ’student event’ claim their children will be forced to watch something that may disagree with personal opinion or political ideal.

What this Inauguration represents: Our nation, our future, our political process, respect and most of all HISTORY!

Reality is: Barack Obama is our next elected president and to have our youth watch his inauguration isn’t insensitive to those who don’t share his opinions.  It also, in no way represents a disrespect of a persons freedom of political expression.

Although the inauguration is shrouded in political undertones — It is neither a political event nor a political celebration, instead a constitutionally mandated event representing the peaceful hand-over of power.

I can remember watching the inauguration of past President’s and part of classroom curriculum, part of history, part of who we are as Americans. The media frenzy is, of course, much more intense this time around because Obama is our nation’s first black president and the job he is stepping into is arguably the most daunting in recent history. But in the end it is still,  “A Presidential Inauguration”, and as such .. it is perhaps one of the greatest springboards for open student dialogue that we will ever see.  A time when students can listen to and respect ALL viewpoints, not just those they have been hearing at home or on TV over the past 12 months.

Lets celebrate our Nation, democracy and what we represent as American’s tomorrow. After that, there will be plenty of time to debate the challenges we face — as a country!