The chair in which George Washington sat as he presided over the passionate debates during the Constitutional Convention continues to grace the Assembly Room of Independence Hall to this day. At the top of the backrest, there is a guilt carving of the sun, its rays radiating above the horizon. Apparently, an aging Ben Franklin confided in James Madison that the bitter arguments over the articles of the Constitution caused him to question whether the sun was rising or setting. As the last delegates penned their name to the parchment, Franklin finally announced that the sun was in fact rising on the fledgling nation.

As we inaugurate the 46th president of this 244-year-old institution, we must once again determine whether the sun is rising or falling on this uniquely American experiment in democracy. The framers of the Constitution put the responsibility of preserving it firmly on the shoulders of we, the people. It is the citizenry of this nation that will now determine if our republic is still in its infancy or if it has run its course.

As I have written previously in this blog, each morning presents us with an unmarked score on which we will compose our verse for the day. From the moment we wake, or for some, shortly after our first infusion of revitalizing coffee, we are presented the opportunity to consciously select our attitude. The events of the last four years, culminating in the insurrection at the Capitol last week, has awakened us as citizens, that we must also choose to adopt truth over fiction, integrity over corruption, equality over supremacy, and acceptance over hatred.

If that is not enough, we must also hang on to hope at all costs. Hope is the life blood of democracy. It is our hope for a better life that our citizens come together to freely elect representatives that reflect our values. It is the same hope that will ensure that the sun will continue to shine on this republic and not see its warmth extinguished in despair.