As ecstatic as I am that Barack Obama is the new President-elect, I think it’s important to remember that he is, in fact, still just a man.

He will make mistakes and screw ups as President, just as all others have before him. The difference, though, is how will he handle his mistakes and the new power he will soon wield.

Today is, fittingly enough, November 5th.

“Remember, remember the fifth of November,
The gunpowder, treason and plot,
I know of no reason
Why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.”

As American citizens, we can’t forget that government as a whole, regardless of which political party is in charge, needs to be kept in check by the people.

Government needs to know that its power comes from the people.

I sincerely hope that, should things become as bleak as they did during the Bush years, that United States citizens will take to the streets, instead of letting our government continue to strip away our rights while we sit back and watch.