The inauguration and the balls are now long over and it’s been back to business in Washington, D.C.

However, the issues, concerns and goals stated in William Jefferson Clinton’s second inaugural address are ones to remember.

Equality, diversity, bipartisanship, technology and education are still echoing in the commentaries you hear on national broadcasts each day.

They are important issues that will most likely be prominent in the 21st century. These are issues Clinton cares about and in which he wants to make great strides during his final term as president.

But there is a bigger picture at stake. Since he stepped foot in the White House, Clinton has been carving at something no one can predict as of now — his place in the history books.

All of our nation’s presidents have a place in American history. All of them have made our country a better place while they were in office.

But only a few leave a lasting legacy, one that is remembered long after they are gone.

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy fall into this league. However, in others’ opinions, these and other presidents may just be names in history books.

Clinton wants to be known as one of the greats. However, whether he rightfully deserves such a place in history is not up to him. It is not up to his cabinet or Congress. It is up to history to decide this, and only after Clinton steps down as president.

For now, though, it is not his place to decide if he rightfully deserves to be a part of this elite group. Clinton still has a long way to go before history starts to even consider his insurrection. Only after he is gone will history select his standing among the presidents of the United States.