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John from Norwalk, re: your comment #22, just exactly where is Christ reported to have ever said anything about homosexuality? Certainly NOT in the New Testament.

Laudatory omparisons between Lincoln and Obama abound, but one thing definitely sets them apart. Lincoln suffered from depression throughout his adult life, but was still elected president. If Obama had depression or any mental illness his campaign for president would have been dead on arrival. Why has our country taken such a huge step backwards in our attitudes toward mental illness? My hope is that President Obama will use the power of his office to change that so that people with mental illness are treated with the compassion and respect they deserve and can have the opportunity to be productive citizens.

I laughed when I heard your retelling of Malia Obama's statement "You're the first black president, you better be good." What she says touches on what many blacks, women and minorities feel which is that we have to work extra hard to show that we are worthy of our success -- that we have not achieved it by the grace of affirmative action or relaxed standards. And yes, if Obama is not a good president (which will not be the case) it would reflect poorly on blacks just as a poor HIllary presidency would have reflected poorly on women. Bush's blunders reflect poorly not on whites and not on men, but on Republicans alone. And they are a group that is insulated enough to take it.

Fascinating, the amount of focus concentrating on B Obama being part African American. Those of us beyond the borders of the USA don't care much whether the new President is Black, White, Latoino or half Vulcan. What most of us in the wider world are concerned about is America might at last get a GOOD President.

I need to respond to Susan Jacobs of New York, who writes that the President Elect's mother is hardly mentioned. Not only does Mr. Obama honor his mother, he honors her and his grandparents often, without shame or fear, with deep love, respect and gratitude. But Mr. Obama identifies as an African American, which may be a cause of dismay. It shouldn't be. His identity is not a negation, it is an embrace of a rich culture and history, an American history we should all embrace as a vibrant part of what makes this country a beacon for many, even in these times of trouble. We are all American. That is what his election says. We are all American.

I'm responding to someone's comment about Obama's white mother/grandmother, etc. Let me state that I am an ardent Obama supporter, but I agree that his "white half" seems to have been swept under the rug for political/dramatic expediency (in my view). Bi-racial people can resemble either side of the family, and Obama appears more black than white, however, would we (America) have engaged with him the same way if he resembled his mother more?

As a black woman happily engaged in educating myself, 18th century Europe, Addison/Steele and 19th century America, Riis, Wharton, Crane Chopin, Chesnut, Cahan come to mind. Based on my experiences in zip code 11225/PLG, what should be on Obama's agenda for the black community is education about social concepts: Class, wellbeing, quality in thinking and behavior, garbage, eating properly and knowing quality foods, the lottery, sex, providing daily and supervised activities for the children, and working together despite conflicts. He needs to introduce higher thinking. Later I hope to continue this discussion with my observations of the whites living in Prospect Lefferts Gardens and how Obama can help them to move away from their death, Complacency.

So far, the accounts of censorship seem to be rumors only. Can some at NPR provide facts?
I was grateful that Brian Lehrer referred listeners to the U-Tube video of Bishop Robinson's moving invocation. Disapponting that few in the crowd pictured seemed to be listening. Was this because they couldn't hear it? Also, many there were raising their cameras to photograph someone or something out of view at the right of the video. What was attracting their attention?

John from Norwalk,

You are not the arbiter of the Christian faith. Many Christians denominations do not hold with your interpretation of the "basic tenets of the faith".

You do not own the Bible please stop acting like you do.

With all that prep they didn't do a sound check before Gene Robinson began to speak? They didn't tell him to do it again when it didn't work the first time?? I hope this "glitch" means that Rev. Robinson's prayer will be played over and over again on both television and the internet. Read it. It was beautiful, very real, and so much of what we all have been thinking and feeling.

To Bo from Brooklyn,

A simple answer to your many questions is, no I do not.... Based on your reaction, it sounds like you have not read the Bible in its proper context and are taking many things out of context. Once again, Robinson can believe in anything he wants to, but he should not call himself a Christian Minister if he disagrees so strongly with the basic tenets of the faith.

Brian –

I am distressed to hear you say that “NPR was burned” by “whatever HBO editorial decisions” when the Bishop Robinson’s invocation was not carried on it because it simply used HBO's audio feed.

I hope that it was a reflexive comment because I think that that was a cop-out.

When you ask what are our feelings in this time of crisis and hope?

I say in this new era, I have HOPE that we are in a new era of integrity in government, corporate governance, and in the media. Thus I ask why NPR did not make its own editorial decisions. I am not LGBT, I too am tired that news is repeatedly white-washed, from Gaza Stripe to other pressing issues. I am tired of reading or hearing from "reliable news sources" only regurgitated tidbts from AP, Reuters, HBO, or NPR. I am tired of not getting a new understanding from real news.

I see the CRISIS as the nation's tendency, including news reporters, to pass the buck, to ask the soft questions, or to put on a "positive show", rather than, as one of your callers said, face our reality and our many problems. We should be deconstructing our actions to seek solutions, rather than simply justify them with whatever excuses are at our disposal.

K Yau

RJ,
This "Land is Your Land" is Woody Guthrie's song. That said, I agree with you about Pete. He introduced "We Shall Overcome" to the civil rights movement.

Let's not forget Pete Seeger! I've always thought This Land is Your Land should be our true national anthem.

As a white mother of a child of color, I greatly appreciate the cultural model set by the Obama family for my child. I look forward to this fmily setting new aspirations for all children of color. And... let's hear it for Granny power!!!

I too am very disturbed by HBO failing to broadcast Bishop Robinson's invocation. I am an Episcopalian and a strong supporter of the Bishop and the Church's courage in ordaining him as a Bishop. I was very much looking forward to hearing Bishop Robinson's remarks at the Inaugural Concert and was disappointed that they weren't aired. I can only assume that HBO decided to censure him due to the controversy surrounding him and his positions. I am grateful to the Brian Lehrer show for broadcasting at least a portion of his remarks. I would really appreciate hearing the full invocation.

Destiny

"We were here before the mighty words of the Declaration of Independence were etched across the pages of history. Our forebears labored without wages. They made cotton 'king.' And yet out of a bottomless vitality, they continued to thrive and develop. If the cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. . . . Because the goal of America is freedom, abused and scorned tho' we may be, our destiny is tied up with America's destiny."

--The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), civil rights leader, from "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963

according to AfterElton.com, the Obama team told HBO not to air Robinson's address:

http://www.afterelton.com/blog/michaeljensen/developing-hbo-not-blame-exclusion-gene-robinson

furthermore, there have been reports that as soon as Robinson took the stage, most of the speakers in the mall "malfunctioned" for most of his address. apparently the problem only existed for Robinson's comments.

John from Norwalk...do you eat shellfish? Wear more than one fabric at the same time? Shoot your wife if she happens to stray? Take multiple wives...all are in your "holy Bible." The same Bible that was used to justify slavery, as well. The Bible has always been used to justify someone's personal prejudice.

Kudos to you, Brian, for addressing this issue around Robinson. Its hard to see it as anything other than censorship...can you imagine if Rick Warren's prayer was treated similarly?

"Bless us..." with the bravery to challenge an openly gay Episcopalian Priest who makes a mockery out of the warning's of the Bible. People have the freedom to believe or live the lifestyle they choose, but please don't claim to be a Christian Minister if you disagree so vehemently with many of the teachings of Christ and the Apostles.

HBO did not identify the Gay Men's Chorus either, when they were backing up a duo (Josh Groban or Nettles....)

Gays were excluded except for Obamas mention in his speech

They also didn't identify the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus that sang back-up for Josh Groban and Healther Headley.

I worry about the Obama presidency. I find I gravitate to my own religious opinion when it comes to him - "I still love Jesus, I'm just afraid of His followers." The same can be said for those who are so inexorably "in the tank for Barack."

WNYC is running a promo for the inauguration broadcast featuring soundbites from people saying what this means to them. The last one has a man who breathes a smitten, lovelorn sigh and then says, "It's going to be like a birthday party for America." Here's the problem. People have gone from supporting Barack Obama to loving him, which I suppose is fine considering what sort of moment he brings to our nation.

At the same time, the politician/supporter relationship survives when the politician doesn't fully live up to the PR or, worse, fails them. People can reconcile the disconnect of humanity and bureaucracy because the politician is only human and that's just how the business of politics works. Obama is faced with a much different set of expectations made more daunting by the fact that I believe many of his most ardent supporters will feel spurned, not disappointed, not angered but spurned when he fails occasionally - and he will. No politician can ever hit the mark 100% of the time. Even those best remembered have failings on their record. What are we to expect of those when Obama is at his most human and, possibly, defeated? Scorn and broken hearts?

I want Obama to succeed; that's why I voted for him. I feel he has the people at interest, versus the Republicans who still seem hell-bent on protecting the machine. Obama has the onus upon him to do well because he opens the door and sets the example because he is the first. Some believe if he does not do well he could be the last, as least for awhile, so he truly has impetus to work. But the love-cult that seems to be bubbling under within his supporters has to get real. If they don't, their adoration will not support this man of great potential - it will undermine him.

I was moved by the Inaugural Concert broadcast by HBO and made "free" to any viewer with cable service.

The outdoor concert broadcast live was more than just a tribute - it was a celebration of the America Dream and our national hope that loudly spoke what Langston Hughes wrote in conclusion of his poem "Let America be America Again:"

O, yes,/ I say it plain,/ America never was America to me,/And yet I swear this oath-/America will be!

It is this hope thruout America's not-always- proud history that continues to make our country a "light onto the nations." Celebrating Martin Luther King COINCIDENT with the inauguration of Barack Obama in really no coincidence: It IS the evolutionary change by the American people, for the people where tens of thousands can congregate among our great monuments in our nation's capital in peace and safety.

I believe that the American Dream has passed from our founders into great men and woman who answer the call to service and set an example for all Americans to be Americans. Count me in!

I am overwhelmed by my anxiety. I'm very sad to not be in DC. Like really sad. Like very sad. I finally felt hopeful and patriotic, following our benevolent leader since the early days of Chicago. I'm disappointed, feeling personal in my fear of letting him down. I'm 26, and this is my Black American history. I felt so apart and involved in his campaign, I can't stand that I'm not in DC. I'm choosing to let this celebratory moment rot and fester; my emotions are stirred and I feel as if my dad has grounded me from attending the Prom. I really hate that I can't be in DC.

I am a graduate of St. Bendicts Prep in Newark NJ. Benedicts is located in the inner city of Newark and is hence largely black and hispanic. As a white boy in the mid eighties from suburban NJ Newark was foreign territory to me.
I learned that many different people can and often do run an organization very well.
The election of Barack Obama doesn't surprise me that much because he seemed to be the most qualified candidate at the time. The fact that he is black never phased me very much.
Of course I am proud about the inauguration. I will be listening on CNN.com while I'm at work but I don't expect Mr. Obama to "levitate the crowd".
Thank you for your time.
-Adam

As a South African, this joy is reminiscent of the wonderful euphoria when Nelson Mandela was released in 1990. And like then, while remembering that Barack Obama is a human being - not a miracle worker, and can't solve all our problems, I know we're going to be infinitely better off for having him as our leader. Like Mandela - and MLK, he is a blessing and a gift, the person for this time.

Already thrilled with the election of Barack Obama and the departure of the disastrous GWB, I have been surprisingly emotional the past few days. I realized just how collectively depressing the past 8, (wait a minute, way longer then that…) years has been. Feeling “Hope” is more then a cliché. It is a real, palpable emotion that stirs from deep within me.

On the other hand, I find it “interesting” that the Israeli/Gazan ceasefire has occurred this weekend. Just in time for the world’s attention to be focused on this historic inauguration, not the devastation and decaying corpses the Gazans are unearthening in the rubble.

Also, as amazing as this inauguration being the day after MLK day, and the emotion that all Americans of all colors must feel, there has been no mention of how America was really built. Not only by the blood and sweat of slaves, but by the displacement and genocide of the American Indians. “This land belongs to you and me”. Really?

Okay. Now, that I got THAT off my chest, I can go back to feeling the joy and hope and enthusiasm on our new beginnings under the leadership of such a visionary as Barack Obama.

I really afraid that a lot of people are going to be disappointed to find that "Change" ends up be 'Same Old".

Why are you promoting some religions over others? What can justify your starting today’s program with a bigoted comment about “what Rev MLK must be thinking today in heaven”?

Don’t you agree that public radio and its hosts should not promote religious theology of any kind? And that it is especially harmful for a host to choose to state as fact the beliefs of certain religions, such as those which contend that there is personal afterlife, and thereby implicitly to derogate all religions which have different beliefs, and to derogate also all people who subscribe to no theology, people who believe that it is immoral to place faith over reason?

brian, always have loved your mlk day show...try to still tune in even now that i'm over here...

my feelings at this time...

i feel wary. i am afraid of barack becoming more of the same 'ol same 'ol....still hopeful that he might really elicit change...but he is a centrist, and is very much in the center...and not progressive enough.

i look forward to the speech tomorrow. it's great to finally have a young smart non white president.

"Almost 44 years ago I was a voter registration worker in Mississippi. That experience - the beauty, the horror, the terror is forever ingrained in the souls of all of us who did that work." I was there too. I was beaten too. We bleed too. Is the blood of my children not red too. Go ahead, laugh, it's funny after all these years at my age to have imagined we would ever count. I saw the dogs in Selma, and i was beaten and left for dead too for being gay, but I don't count. I was a damned idiot to believe we ever would.

Obama is a mixed race. His white mother keeps getting discarded. Should we not honor her by acknowledging her? She and her family, that actually raised Obama have been completely side stepped. In in age when we need to deal with reality, lets start by including her and her family in describing the President Elect. I know it makes for better headlines to ignore her.. but she was on the front line in raising her son.

Obama, not NPR, not HBO, not America, Obama censored the opening prayer. It was no accident. He has decided he does not wnat to be my president. He has no problem with those who kill us but with us, gay families gay children, matthew shepherd, larry king, me, my niece and her children, my brother and his children, my aunt, those I love, have no president in the White House, not because we didn't vote for him. He just censored us out.

God I love my country. I am a 100% disabled veteran, served my country my whole life, and all the GD propaganda about including everybody adds up to me being excluded. I feel like a kleenex. I love my country, and am proud of my honorable service, but I am ashamed.

How could the first African American president decide he had to exclude just me: that really hurts.

I am crying, a 65 year old faggot, who still hasn't learned his place, crying. Funny isn't it. Tell them NPR: we are kleenex.

I know I shouldn't be commenting - as a reporter for NPR- but I just can't help it. Almost 44 years ago I was a voter registration worker in Mississippi. That experience - the beauty, the horror, the terror is forever engrained in the souls of all of us who did that work. No one can say what kind of president Obama will be, but those of us of a certain generation and certain experiences, every time we see the image of that family in the White house, it's a total mind blow. And simply, simply,simply, a deep stain that infected the United States - even our constitution - has been removed.

Not being black, I find it slightly difficult to relate to all those who are celebrating Obama as being the first black president. But being young, I find that Obama is the first president I can see who has the potential to be great.

My husband an I will be heading down on the train early in the morning (with probably hundreds of perspective new friends). There are many security provisions in place, are there sites where we can find what NOT to bring? I have seen sites for those going to the ticketed events and paying viewing areas. What about the rest of us, the unticketed masses? Do we abide by the same (such as no back-packs or large bags)?

But wouldn't the best thing would be to shrug it off and say, he's black, so what?

Brian,
Please comment on the glaring omission of Mavis Staples from the inauguration. I gather that she did not even get a invitation!
http://tinyurl.com/8jzw2p
Obama even used her song "I'll take you there" at many of his election events. She appeared at the Kennedy, Clinton and Carter inaugurations - this one is more significant to MLK and the Staples Singes were one of his favorite groups, they were a part of the civil rights movement.
It won't be much, but I hope you can at least mention this sad mistake.
Regards,
Hudson

I heard Brian mention Gene Robinson in his opening comments, so I thought I would comment about his omission from yesterday's event on HBO and NPR. He was completely shut out of the broadcast.

Please talk about this unlike most of the mainstream media!

Frankly, I could hardly care less about either Robinson's comments nor those of the bigoted Rick Warren, who was chosen to speak on innaguration day. I believe in the separation of church and state and think mixing the two has gotten us in a lot of the mess from which we all are suffering. That said, Robinson's selection was seen as a concession to queers after the Warren insult. But the bait and switch of asking him, and then silencing him, is problematic.

NPR CENSORED GENE ROBINSON'S SPEECH!!! HBO CENSORED GENE ROBINSON'S SPEECH.

GAY PEOPLE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING ERASED!