Opinion: Humanizing the President

He was born on August 4, 1961. His parents were divorced. He liked to play basketball. He went through school, like everyone else. He had problems, like everyone else. After all, he is only human.And if humans like to do anything, they like to have a good time. They want to enjoy themselves, and the president should be no different. With the inauguration just a day ago, it is still fresh in most minds. From President Obama’s historic oath (on the Lincoln’s Bible with Martin Luther King Jr.’s Bible directly underneath), to his unforgettable speech exquisitely combining tradition with innovation (if nothing else can be said, he is a great speaker), the inauguration was the event of the year. It is generally a time when citizens gather in the capital, including a few big names.With celebrities flocking to DC to perform or just to attend, the question can be raised as to whether or not it is appropriate. In one sense, it would only make a celebrity of the president, right? Wrong. Rather than making a celebrity of him, it humanizes him. According to the president’s website, change.gov, “the purpose of this inauguration is to honor the incoming president with formal ceremonies.” This is his celebration. It is his chance to celebrate with America and kick off the next term with a bang, so to speak. He just won over 62 million votes. The majority of one of the most powerful countries on Earth just elected him to be their leader. Regardless of political beliefs, that is an accomplishment. Frankly, if he didn’t celebrate an accomplishment like that, then one might be left to question his genuineness.As a society, we have a ritual of passing out cigars when a child is born, popping open champagne to celebrate a new year and buying a cake when someone in the office gets promoted. If I could have had Katy Perry give a performance when I won the spelling bee in second grade, I would have in a heartbeat. It is just natural to celebrate an accomplishment, and this should be no exception. The president is a person, just like anyone else and should be allowed to enjoy himself like anyone else.And so, if President Obama would like to dance with his wife while listening to Jennifer Hudson, then so be it. After all, he is human.