Inaugural

I attended today’s inauguration of President Barack Obama along with a mass of people. What was it like? It was great except when it came time to leave. I am sure everyone has had the experience before of being trapped in a large crowd trying to get somewhere and no one going anywhere. There were thousands of us and we were trapped shoulder to shoulder, front to back by a barricade of outhouses and an endless row of buses while trying to exit the mall. The estimated number of people attending the event was 2 million and there may have been an individual outhouse for each one of us because they were everywhere as seen in the photos below. The way in which they were positioned caused a bottleneck effect which as we tried to leave forced us right into a wall of buses. About 20–30 minutes I was caught in this throng, but besides that it was great.

Yes, those are outhouses across the reflecting pool. Like I said they were everywhere.

I appreciated Pres. Obama’s gracious acceptance of power and his acknowledgment for the office he holds, it was a demonstration of his character. I also very much appreciated Senator Feinstein’s opening remarks and her description of the process in which we all were part.

The world is watching today as our great democracy engages in this peaceful transition of power. The freedom of a people to choose its leaders is the root of liberty. In a world where political strife is too often settled with violence, we come here every four years to bestow the power of the presidency upon our democratically elected leader. Those who doubt the supremacy of the ballot over the bullet can never diminish the power engendered by nonviolent struggles for justice and equality. No triumph tainted by brutality could ever match the sweet victory of this hour and what it means to those who marched and died to make it a reality.

Below are some pictures of the event as well as other points of interest taken today and yesterday. I also include some of Pres. Obama’s words from his speech which I found to be of value and worth repeating here. I have also included some of my own words (noted in italics).




It is in the principles and truths themselves that we should be trusting and placing our hope.

“Those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths.”

The values in which we believe do not advocate oppression or coercion by way of acceptance or implementation but rather friendly persuasion and diplomacy. Conceit and vanity are contrary values which we as a nation can not afford to take part in for they will be a means of destroying ourselves.




“As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.”

Men and women will rise and fall, parties will come and go, and times of peace and war will be interrupted but the founding principles and truths that are contained in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States can not and will not be lost if we as a people will ever bear them up and ensure their protection.






“At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: ‘Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it.’”

Many individuals have brought forth ideals and values that have helped sustain this nation, with its government, through many marvelous and dire events. It is upon their foundation that we have continued to build and develop these United States of America. It is from this vantage point of the present that we look to and prepare for the future.


“We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.”




Please note the singular voice in this video calling out Obama’s name. He cracked me up the whole time with his shout-outs.