I have been in DC since last Thursday, late evening. I have toured the Washington Monument and Capitol on Friday the 18th, visited the National History Museum (especially the new Lincoln exhibit) and the West National Art Gallery (old art; new art in the East National Art Gallery) on Saturday the 19th, attended the Inauguration Concert ("We Are One") on Sunday the 20th, visited the Gettysburg & and Antietam battlefields on Monday the 21st, and attended the Inauguration of Barack Obama on Tuesday the 22nd. This is what I saw:
- Racial tensions alive and problematic in America. Talking heads shouting hatred and division in all directions. This is what I saw. Millions of people, rivers of people, of all races, sizes, abilities arriving together at 4 am then forced into "crush" conditions on subway cars, forced into sub-freezing, windy, confusing, dark conditions for hours on end solely for a possibility to hear a short speech at a podium so far away there is no chance to actually see speaker. Yet, not one single racially based negative comment. black helping white and white helping black. Female helping male and male helping female. And even in the choke points of the migrations, not one single shove in the back.
- The US economy in a shambles. This is what I saw. Millions of people spending what they could afford or taking care not to spend what they could not, coming by car, bus, plane, train, foot, subway to share their joy together, to share their stories with each other. And share they did.
- America challenged to reinvent its working environment and its economy. This is what I saw. Every working person - to a man and to a woman, be they shuttle driver, waiter, metro cop, hotel clerk, officer, soldier, museum volunteer, park ranger - has been helpful, cheerful, working hard to do their job right and well.
- America needing to find ways to make old fit with new, the alien work with the well-known. This is what I saw. 4 middle-aged white guys from Missouri wearing hats, "Rednecks for Obama." The odd-ball pairings of Bettye Lavette & Jon Bon Jovi; John Legend & James Taylor; Herbie Hancock, Will.i.a.m. & Sheryl Crow singing together beautifully and in exquisite harmony. Registered republican Garth Brooks singing the most songs of any artist and receiving the biggest cheers.
- A nation devastated by the elitist rule of incompetent, self-interested leaders. This is what I saw. The old leaders booed off the stage. New leaders cheered in-person by an unbelievably huge 0.67% of the entire US population, and dedicating themselves to upholding and preserving the Constitution and specifically including all creeds, colors including even nonbelievers.
- Thousands of uniformed police and weaponed troops in all directions yet none remotely nearby from most locations on the malls. This is what I saw. No need for them to be nearby: Security needed; keeping the peace absolutely not.
- A somewhat crusty, often disappointed, middle-aged, suburban white guy often feeing lost in his own country. This is what I saw. A somewhat crusty, middle-aged, suburban white guy more patriotic than ever in his life, ready to take up the toils necessary. Full of enough of the audacity of hope to pen a missive as pointedly silly as this one.
It's not as poetic as I'd hoped it might be. I may re-work it some. But I wanted to get it out tonight and this is what it is.
J
