Welcome to four more years (take that how you wish).

On Jan. 24, Barack Obama was sworn in as our nation’s 44th president. Spectators from all over the world gathered in Washington D.C. to watch the ceremony. This ceremony fulfills a constitutional requirement that demands we celebrate how wonderful our country is.

Political agendas are not supposed to be the main focus of the inauguration ceremony. Celebrating our nation’s history and our political freedoms are the main focuses. 

During his speech, Obama called for greater equality and selfless citizenship. He said many of the issues we face as he begins his second term are the same problems that we were facing when he was sworn in for the first time with the economy topping the list. This shows how big our problems are and that we still have tough times ahead; for example, Congress is voting to raise the debt limit this Wednesday, which is sure to have Congress members pointing fingers at each other yet again.

Another point the president made was a demand for greater equality: in pay for women, treatment of people regardless of sexual orientation and in his refusal of “the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.” Civil rights have come a long way, but as the president said, “We have always understood that when times change, so must we.” We can move forward, and we need to be open to those opportunities.

I thought the most important point was when he discussed the need for us to work together to better our society by saying “We are made for this moment, and we will seize it — so long as we seize it together.” Our generation should take this seriously. Our nation is in a rough time, and it can be our generation that changes things, if we want it to be. Take some time to consider whether you are being an active American citizen.

We need to remember that the people who make this nation so great are the people in it. We have great freedoms and people do enjoy them. As citizens, we should show our gratitude by using our freedoms — such as free speech — to help our country.

Our ability to work together is going to determine the future of our nation. Look at Congress’ track record from the past couple years and you will find that not being able to compromise will accomplish nothing.

Unfortunately, I can see this being a challenge for our nation. People have their beliefs, and we are taught to stick to those beliefs no matter what. According to an article on CNN in 2009, nearly 60 percent of Americans saw the inauguration of Obama as a celebration of democracy. In 2013, about 60 percent of Americans saw it as a political celebration of the winning party.

To support my concern, a poll from CNN showed that 54 percent of Americans believe Obama will be an outstanding or above average president in his second term, and 43 percent said he’d be poor or below average.

Overall, 70 percent of Americans hope the president’s policies succeed. Only 40 percent of Republicans feel that way, and 52 percent hope Obama will fail. Why anybody would hope our President would fail is beyond me.

CNN polling director Keating Holland said, “The thrill is gone, along with the hope that the start of a new presidential term of office will bring a divided nation together.”

To me, that means Americans aren’t excited about politics right now. In a time when our nation is facing huge challenges, our citizens are not excited. I see this as a huge problem.

So, go listen to Obama’s speech, enjoy all the enthusiastic people in the crowds and get excited to be American. Find an issue that you are passionate about and do something about it.