Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Silat on January 21, 2009, 12:28:49 AM
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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
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Silat, I really like and respect you but if you think that 'missive' was objective, you are delusional.
Before you ask, I'm independent and fed up with both sides.
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:salute silat, hope you enjoyed your time up there.
As to the other reply...
Not even for one day could you put away your ax. Delirium, you poor pessimistic soul. You chose your name well, sir. Whatever has happened to you, and others who think like you, that demands you stand with your arms crossed in deluded conviction, I feel sorry for you.
Let's all remember how to walk together as one nation. The other way obviously didn't work.
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Not even for one day could you put away your ax. Delirium, you poor pessimistic soul.
It works, I am rarely disappointed in any politician because of it.
If the economy improves and peace erupts over the globe, I'll echo your joyful sentiment in a couple years. Until then, he is just another politician full of empty promises, fake smiles, and an inability or disinterest in tackling the real problems of this country.
I will not responding to this thread again, it will get nuked by Skuzzy anyway.
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See Rule #14
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It works, I am rarely disappointed in any politician because of it.
If the economy improves and peace erupts over the globe, I'll echo your joyful sentiment in a couple years. Until then, he is just another politician full of empty promises, fake smiles, and an inability or disinterest in tackling the real problems of this country.
I will not responding to this thread again, it will get nuked by Skuzzy anyway.
+1... on EVERYTHING
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It works, I am rarely disappointed in any politician because of it.
If the economy improves and peace erupts over the globe, I'll echo your joyful sentiment in a couple years. Until then, he is just another politician full of empty promises, fake smiles, and an inability or disinterest in tackling the real problems of this country.
I will not responding to this thread again, it will get nuked by Skuzzy anyway.
+2
I do not think Deli is being pessimistic, but just preparing for the worst, but continues to hope for the best.
What gets me the most is the thought of people actually buying the stuff politicians promise.
<S> Silat, glad you had a good time.
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(http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g308/txflood77598/14Ball.gif)
Oh, and Delerium is spot on, IMHO.
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1.9 million people on the mall, arrests by security forces = 0.
If that isn't showing us the way what is?
Rock on Brother Silat!
Now if we can just get a grip on the big multinational corporations that are strangling America.
We just "might" get goverment by of the people, by the people and for the people.
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should have went to the Air and Space mesuem, they have all kinds of WWII planes there, includeing Me 262 and C.202!!
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I'm thinking.........IN
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INteresting
give it a year, two at the most and obamaman will be hated by both sides worse than Bush was after 8
coming into office, Bush did not have 1/4 the expectations/promises the ONE now has to live up to while the Messiahs base are mainly a bunch of crazies whose tolerance is non existence and their patience even less as they are the NOW NOW NOW crowd..... good luck lefties LOL
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IN before the lock...... ;)
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:salute silat, hope you enjoyed your time up there.
Whatever has happened to you, and others who think like you, that demands you stand with your arms crossed in deluded conviction, I feel sorry for you.
Let's all remember how to walk together as one nation. The other way obviously didn't work.
reality. :D
oo...and no disrespect silat.......but.............. ..in :D
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See Rule #14
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Moray will get back to you in time.
Right now he's on the beach with Donovan McNabb sipping Mai Tai's.
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Nice post, Silat.
Not quite sure why everyone jumps immediately on the IN bus?
The post seemed more of an objective observation, than a political discussion.
We are not supposed to have political discussions. I see no rule about posting observations from attending a political event.
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Questions? See below.
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Sad
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I have been in DC since last Thursday, late evening. I have toured the Washington Monument and Capitol on Friday the 16th, 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 17th, attended the Inauguration Concert ("We Are One") on Sunday the 18th, visited the Gettysburg & and Antietam battlefields on Monday the19st, and attended the Inauguration of Barack Obama on Tuesday the 20nd. This is what I saw:
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Just fixing the dates for yah. Being an hour outside of DC I know it was cold out. I heard there were long secruity lines and alot of people didnt get to where they wanted to be in time. Still thats alot of people.
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no matter who you supported, yesterday was a historic event, seeing that crowd was just unbelievable
:aok
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The report is out that not one arrest occured there yesterday.
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An epic waste of money. :rolleyes:
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I liked seeing the band playing looking prim and proper and when it cut to the crowd most were busting out some silly celebration dance moves. No arrests and 1 death due to a heart attack. With almost 2 million people in such a small area you'd think there would have been more of both.
:aok
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Did I............GETINB4DALOCK?????
(slid into second---tie went to the runner)
ROX
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See Rule #14
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No ROX, you got in before you read anything.
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See Rule #14
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I guess it is too tempting to bring up politics. I didn't think this thread could last.