Inauguration Report

Topic: American Politics/News, Washington, D.C.

Yesterday was the big day, the 55th Inauguration of the President of the United States. And I was there!

It was a cold morning here in DC as it had snowed the day before. Katrina and I were bundled up in many layers in preperation of hours standing in the cold. It was recommended that we arrive early and the gates would open at 9am. I have never seen the Metro so crowded in my life. Rush hour is usually packed, and whenever there is a game at the MCI Center or RFK it is terrible. But this was unreal. The crowds of people on the metro overflowed out of the stations waiting to get in! Luckily, we knew where we were going, unlike most of the "tourists" and were able to dart through crowds of people wandering aimlessly.

I wanted to avoid the crowds beginning to form on the parade route so we took the Federal Center exit. Getting through security wasn't a big deal, in fact it was easier than at the airport. We just waited in line, opened our coats, and when it was your turn you were frisked by a TSA person of the same sex as you. Included with the tickets was a list of prohibited items, as well as on the website so I don't have any sympathy for anyone who had trouble getting through security because of things they brought. I'm not sure what time it was when we got there, but I would guess a bit after 9:30am. The area we were in was the "Gold" area, a standing area that began at the reflecting pool in front of the capitol, and continued west down the mall as far as the eye could see. We were early enough to get right up in front, only eight feet from the security fence.

The next couple hours passed quickly. It was cold, but not as bad as we had expected it to be. The mood in the crowd was electric as everyone was excited to be there. The Marine Band played several tunes before the VIPs arrived, and they sounded fantastic. By pure chance, we ended up standing near a group of high schoolers from California. We were too far to see the stage clearly so there was a giant screen setup for our viewing pleasure, although the most important part was being able to hear what was being said. The speakers were plenty loud, so no problems there.

I can't convey how exciting it was to be there, witnessing history. The crowd cheered for some of the VIPs, but it was quite funny when John Kerry came out because the crowd booed quite loudly. I don't think I've ever been surrounded by so many conservatives in all my life. Of course, President Bush got the loudest cheers of all. Another suprise was following the first prayer... the audience replied to the closing with a resounding AMEN!

Hearing President Bush recite the Oath of Office was a moment I won't soon forget. The speech he gave was fantastic as well. It was wonderful to experience those moments in person, to share in our nation's greatest public ceremony and celebrate democracy. Following the ceremony, we went home and I watched the parade on T.V.

During our time at the capitol we saw very little of protesters. Part of that may be because we avoided the parade route but they still didn't have the presence I expected. We did, however, see Pro-Life demonstrators of the extreme kind just outside the gate. They were holding huge banners of dismembered fetuses and such. While I am pro-life, I'm not sure I agree with these tactics. Not to mention they were preaching to the choir for the most part.

One thing about the parade coverage on TV. I would have to say the best coverage was on the local stations. The cable news networks were ok, but ABC with Peter Jennings was absolutely horrible. Talk about slanted. I don't think their broadcast could have been more negative.

In all, it was a wonderful day. The weather was better than expected, and it was great to participate in a historic moment for our nation.