Today is truly a historic day as a black president takes office for the first time in America’s history. It’s no shock that our country has become a more liberal nation, and I don’t just mean in terms of politics.

As our society progresses, what we consider to be socially acceptable also seems to have changed. We all know that certain music, movies and television shows regularly use vulgar or foul language. One movie in particular stood out because the film revolved around the continuous use of racial slurs.

“Gran Torino,” a new film that Clint Eastwood directed and starred in, regularly features the main character using racial slurs to describe African-Americans and Asians.

Insults aside, “Gran Torino” was a wonderful movie. In a way that was not the least bit corny, the main character was able to overcome his racist beliefs and befriend his Asian neighbors.

After seeing the movie, I began to wonder if because our president is a minority, whether racial jokes and names will become more common. While racism will never become socially acceptable, I wonder if the jokes will become the norm, especially with our generation.

What if the harsh language used in “Torino” is only the beginning? While none of the movies coming out in the next three months seem as controversial, one can only assume that another director will be as willing as Eastwood to push the envelope on what is considered socially acceptable.

Although I highly doubt any of us will ever see true equality in our lifetimes, hopefully Obama’s regime will bring America one step closer to that dream.

Along the way, I’m sure minorities will gain more self-confidence and maybe take a stand against the common use of racial remarks. Maybe TV, movie and music stars will begin to watch their language a bit more, but I doubt it.

Looking back at the society our parents grew up in only goes to show how much the common rules of society have changed over the last 30 or 40 years. While America has undoubtedly progressed since then, some areas of our progress are questionable to say the least.

The language heard on the radio, TV or even on the street can usually be deemed unacceptable for children’s ears. How does society deal with that? They slap an “R-rating” or “Parental Advisory” sticker onto a movie or album. That does not fix the problem, and we all know it.

Unless, of course, the casual use of what was once considered profanity really isn’t a problem. Maybe America’s laid-back language use is just a reaction to the change of times.

So what now? Is “Gran Torino” just the spark of a cultural revolution? Time will only tell how people will react.