One year ago today.
After travelling 3000 miles, I found myself standing on the National Mall for 8½ hours in 10 degree weather to witness Barack Obama being sworn in as President of the United States. I put that man in office. I stood by him then and I stand by him now. I have no idea if he'll bring us the change we need. No one individual could possibly get us out of this hell hole without our help, not when it's the entire system that's broken, but I can hope. Yes I can.
Because all traffic was kept out of DC for most of the week, and the subway was inundated with a few people, give or take a million, we decided to use our feet. We walked all the way from the Arlington Bridge to the Capitol Building. Took us about an hour. That was one hour out of the eight and a half that we were subjected to bone-chilling record-breaking 10 degree cold. But if you dress for it, you can do it and, as you can see, we did. Yes we did.
A few days before the inauguration, DC was getting ready. Gracing the Smithsonian Castle was a wall of three million bright blue port-a-potties. Okay maybe it was three hundred. Still formidable.
The calm before the storm on the National Mall. It was rather eerie. Very quiet but definitely electric.
What happens when three million people throw a party? Bars are kept open all night, cars are kept out all week, trains handle all transportation, hotels book up for miles around, restaurants work overtime. And cops do too? Well guess what. Even the Chief of Police was flabbergasted. He said the number of incidents for the entire week was ZERO. Zip. Nada. Three million people and ... no trouble. You put it together.
In the above photo, you see DC's National Mall, stretching from the Capitol Building all the way down to the river. You also see three million people gathered to witness and celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States. If, a year later, you're hearing that we're all pissed off at him, I'd say you're listening to the mainstream media, the conservative corporate-ruled mainstream media. You put it together.
Best part of this whole experience? The sound of millions, collectively booing, as the helicopter hauled Bush's ass out of our Capitol. The media couldn't allow you to see or hear our reaction to that but, I can assure you, we let them know, loud and clear. We also booed when he and the vice dick appeared for their swearing out. But who, of all those people, do you think scored the first booing? Traitor Joe Lieberman. Please, dear and good-hearted people, put it together.
