I have a suggestion for President-elect Obama (I just love saying that: President-elect Obama!); so I have a suggestion for him and his team, as they plan his inauguration: It is to please reserve a seat of honor for all those who did not live to see him take office.
My suggestion is that, prominently placed, up on the stage where he takes the oath of office and gives his acceptance speech, that there is ONE CHAIR left empty as a symbol for all slaves and civil rights workers and ordinary citizens; those whose names history remembers, and those whose names have been forgotten; all those who marched, and worked; sacrificed and bled to make this momentous day possible, but who didn't live to see it. I think that having one seat that is left empty, so that they have a symbolic front row seat, would be a good way to remember them.
It is going to be a great day to celebrate, and maybe we should all save a symbolic seat at our parties, for those special guests.
