Six score and four days ago our President Barack Obama was sworn into office. His vision was one of change. He ran for change. He is change. He came into office with a purpose, his purpose was to change the failed foreign policies of Bush administration, to change our domestic policies.

We are here today, at the birthplace of our President, to dedicate this monument to the forward thinking men of the world. Some such men include our founding fathers, Thomas Edison, Alfred Nobel, the Wright brothers, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi and President Barack Obama. They are only some of the few who have sought change, or have brought change. Whether it was a change in how we acted, in how we used thing or how we viewed things.

But names aren’t all, what is important is what these people have done.

Our founding fathers brought the change we needed to become independent from Britain.

Thomas Edison change the way we lit our houses, our streets and our public buildings.

Alfred Nobel, ‘The Merchant of Death’ gave us dynamite, a new tool for mining and also a tool for killing. His change to the world was the Nobel Prizes.

The Wright Brothers did the impossible. They achieved human flight, for many years thought impossible. They changed the way we look at the skies forever.

Abraham Lincoln fought for the abolishment of slavery, in the end he succeeded to free the slaves but there still was racial discrimination against the blacks.

Rosa Parks sought change in 1950s America. She refused to give up her seat on a bus. When she was arrested for this the Montgomery bus boycott started. She was an important figure in the removal of segregation.

Mahatma Gandhi spent the later part of his life in an effort for India to gain independence from Britain. He believed in non-violent opposition and all of his battles were fought like this.

These people are so different, from different backgrounds, different religions. One thing they had in common is that they fought for change. Change of rulers, change of point of view, and change of social interactions.  

Barack Obama has now served in office for over 100 days.  His actions in those days were many, and they were needed to change to many failures of our previous president.

May these forward thinking men and woman be remembered for whom they were and what they stood for.