Tomorrow marks one of the most time honored traditions for our nation's democracy. At exactly twelve o' clock noon, President Barack Obama will be sworn in for a second term as President of the United States. The Constitution mandates that the president take the oath of office at noon on January 20th following the presidential election the previous November. This year's presidential inauguration presents a unique situation for the country. Since January 20th falls on a Sunday this year, the president will be publicly sworn in on Monday, the 21st. President Obama will take a private oath on Sunday. Monday's inaugural festivities will be steeped in historical symbolism. President Obama will take the oath of office publicly on the same day that we honor one of America's greatest civil rights icons, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The bibles of both Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. will be used during the swearing-in ceremony. The use of the Lincoln and King bibles seems only fitting for the nation's first African-American president. Had it not been for the contributions of President Lincoln and Dr. King in the area of civil rights, the inauguration of Barack Obama may never have been possible. While inaugural ceremonies have become more grandiose throughout the years, our nation has a long history of providing elaborate celebrations for our presidents-to-be. The first presidential inauguration took place on April 30th, 1789 when President George Washington was sworn in by Robert Livingston at Federal Hall in New York City. Prior to the ratification of the twentieth amendment, presidential inaugurations took place on March 4th. The final March 4th inauguration was Franklin Roosevelt's first on March 4, 1933. The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court usually has the honor of swearing-in the president-elect. In fact, since Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth swore in President John Adams, no chief justice has missed an Inauguration Day. In 1963, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson became the first president to be sworn in by a woman, Judge Sarah Hughes, and was also the first and only president to be sworn in on Air Force One. While many would argue that presidential inaugurations are nothing more than a waste of time and money, others would suggest that having the opportunity to celebrate our democracy in such a way, is no doubt, priceless.
