Nearly thirty years ago I went with a friend to visit a couple who had been friends of his for many years. Over their mantel there hung a large, framed poster that I realized was their wedding announcement with the signatures of the nearly 200 people who attended the event. They were all witnesses.
The couple explained that by signing, each guest had made a commitment to support the commitment they had made to each other. As witnesses they accepted that responsibility.
That is the same reason I felt I should be a witness of the inauguration of Barrack Obama, and that my partner and I should make it possible for our children to join us as witnesses.
Today we set out for Washington to be witnesses and to embrace the responsibility that comes with that role.