Thoughts from Inauguration Day
I popped over to fellow blogger and good friend Will’s house this morning to watch the inauguration. It was nice being with another writer as we watched with our laptops at the ready. While he was writing for Moue Magazine and somewhat live blogging the whole time, I posted just a few thoughts as I watched:
I cringed a little when the boos for Bush started resonating throughout the crowd in D.C. After all, the guy did serve our country as a leader during some difficult times, so perhaps the American people should have showed a little respect. On the other hand, he created a lot of those difficulties himself. Perhaps the singing of “Hey, hey, hey good-bye” was a better audios to our former President…
However, props to the President’s Own USMC band for drowning out whatever boos were there.
To be honest though, inside I was booing for Bush just like the majority of America.
Looking at Obama’s face as he walked down the corridor towards the podium, Will and I couldn’t help but to wonder what was going through his mind. From the stone emotional look on his face, I think his head must be in utter bombardment of emotions, thoughts, and mental preparation for his speech ahead. Since I believe more people will be watching this one speech at this one moment than any other speech from an American President in history.
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From Diane Feinstein:
“Real and necessary change in our country”
From Rick Warren:
“United by our commitment to freedom”
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John Williams. As if he hasn’t defined iconic symbols enough with his movie scores, he now has defined a presidential office with his arrangement of Simple Gifs. Brilliantly performed and composed, the piece started disjointed and in disarray, however came together via the recognizable melody of Simple Gifts played, not coincidentally, by a black clarinetist.
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From Barack Obama himself
“Humbled by the task before us”
“Values are old and true. [They have been] the quiet forces of progress”
“A new era of responsibility.....duties that we seize gladly”
Perhaps the most interesting image, to me at least, was at the very end of the ceremony. Bush and Obama standing next to each other on capitol hill. Obama wearing a red tie, Bush wearing a blue tie. I believe Obama said something to the effect of, “we are not just a collection of red and blue states….”
Then president Obama and vice-president Biden stood and watched as Marine One flew former president Bush out of Americans' lives, while the crowd again sang “hey, hey, hey, goodbye”
And I never noticed Barack was left handed until today.
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1 comment:
I think my favorite line was when Obama talked about terrorism abroad, "you cannot outlast us and we will defeat you." I know it's remnicent of previous rhetoric, but somehow the way he phrased it was more empowering to us rather than an attack on them. Just a thought.
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