Our new president

Every presidential inauguration is special, but today's swearing in of Barack Obama as our nation's 44th president is especially significant.

As the first black president, Obama fulfills, in a large way, the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who hoped that one day in American every person would be judged on his own merits, not by the color of his skin.

As for any new president, there are challenges of extraordinary scope and potential that face the new Obama administration. What steps the White House occupant can take -- to quell the concerns of a nation at war with terrorists on the one hand, and deep economic uncertainty on the other -- will be closely watched, analyzed, praised and critiqued.

Several special events are planned in Southeast Missouri to mark this historic day. Dozens of individuals from this area, some of them students, are in Washington, D.C., to participate in a long day of inauguration activities. This is an experience they will all cherish for the rest of their lives.

The best wishes of the nation go to the new president, all those who serve in government and the many advisers who will help set the course of our country for the next four years.