The Old Hippie at it Again
My dad made the trek down to DC to take part in today's historic inauguration. I thought I would share his thoughts.
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Dear Friends and Family:
During the past week I received many phone calls, e-mails, voicemails and text messages wishing me well on my DC inauguration trip and expressing your optimism and hopes for the new administration in Washington; some asking me to communicate those good vibrations. Hopefully this e-mail will convey some of what I witnessed today.
Before the election I told friends that if Obama won I would take advantage of my good fortune and travel to DC for the inauguration; as my son Ezra is living within walking distance of the Mall.
Last week, as I got ready to begin the trek to the frigid East Coast; where temperatures have been in the single digits; I had second thoughts. Thankfully my enthusiasm prevailed.
Born and bred in New York City; I have been a part of countless crowds in my days; with attitudes ranging from jubilant to surly; from patient to demanding, from raucous to bored and from feisty to calm. I have been in sports crowds, movie line crowds, Times Square New Year’s Eve crowds, subway crowds, protest crowds, rock and roll crowds, traffic jam crowds and political rally crowds; to name a few. Never have I been part of a crowd to compare to the throng (1.5 million +) at the Obama inauguration.
Not surprisingly, there was a stunning mix of young and old; white, black, Asian, Latino and every imaginable combination, a true reflection of our cultural mix.
The patience and courtesy was striking as we stood butt to butt and belly to belly for hours starting at 5 a.m. in the dark and cold. We shared in demeanor and voice a reverence for the occasion and an appreciation for the privilege of participating in this moment in history.
While we were certainly there to witness history and be spectators; there was much more to our participation in this event. As we talked and shared during the 4 hours while we awaited the start of the ceremony it was evident that there was a hunger and anticipation for an opportunity to once again be shareholders in the governing of our union; not just disenchanted critics. Many of you have listened to me rant and rave; to the verge of being apoplectic; about the lack of inspiration from the Bush regime and the vacancy of any expectation that we as citizens of this country have a responsibility to be part and parcel of any of the solutions to our current crises.
I have listened to Barack Obama speak many times on TV and radio and now in person twice. It is thrilling to now have a president who understands the role of a leader to inspire the populace and expect participation, reflection and sacrifice from those citizens for the greater good; a concept that was not even on George Bush’s radar.
In his speech, Barack Obama observed that we have had presidents who have taken office during times of war and presidents who have taken office during times of economic crises; but rarely if ever during a time of both circumstances. He emphasized the importance of our participation in solving these problems and making sacrifices if necessary; rather than being observers from the sidelines. I walked away from this inauguration feeling refreshed and invigorated because we finally have a leader who is not afraid to challenge us to accept this responsibility and feeling ready to do so.
Roy Katzen
mailing address: P.O. Box 9956; San Diego, CA 92169
<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Dear Friends and Family:
During the past week I received many phone calls, e-mails, voicemails and text messages wishing me well on my DC inauguration trip and expressing your optimism and hopes for the new administration in Washington; some asking me to communicate those good vibrations. Hopefully this e-mail will convey some of what I witnessed today.
Before the election I told friends that if Obama won I would take advantage of my good fortune and travel to DC for the inauguration; as my son Ezra is living within walking distance of the Mall.
Last week, as I got ready to begin the trek to the frigid East Coast; where temperatures have been in the single digits; I had second thoughts. Thankfully my enthusiasm prevailed.
Born and bred in New York City; I have been a part of countless crowds in my days; with attitudes ranging from jubilant to surly; from patient to demanding, from raucous to bored and from feisty to calm. I have been in sports crowds, movie line crowds, Times Square New Year’s Eve crowds, subway crowds, protest crowds, rock and roll crowds, traffic jam crowds and political rally crowds; to name a few. Never have I been part of a crowd to compare to the throng (1.5 million +) at the Obama inauguration.
Not surprisingly, there was a stunning mix of young and old; white, black, Asian, Latino and every imaginable combination, a true reflection of our cultural mix.
The patience and courtesy was striking as we stood butt to butt and belly to belly for hours starting at 5 a.m. in the dark and cold. We shared in demeanor and voice a reverence for the occasion and an appreciation for the privilege of participating in this moment in history.
While we were certainly there to witness history and be spectators; there was much more to our participation in this event. As we talked and shared during the 4 hours while we awaited the start of the ceremony it was evident that there was a hunger and anticipation for an opportunity to once again be shareholders in the governing of our union; not just disenchanted critics. Many of you have listened to me rant and rave; to the verge of being apoplectic; about the lack of inspiration from the Bush regime and the vacancy of any expectation that we as citizens of this country have a responsibility to be part and parcel of any of the solutions to our current crises.
I have listened to Barack Obama speak many times on TV and radio and now in person twice. It is thrilling to now have a president who understands the role of a leader to inspire the populace and expect participation, reflection and sacrifice from those citizens for the greater good; a concept that was not even on George Bush’s radar.
In his speech, Barack Obama observed that we have had presidents who have taken office during times of war and presidents who have taken office during times of economic crises; but rarely if ever during a time of both circumstances. He emphasized the importance of our participation in solving these problems and making sacrifices if necessary; rather than being observers from the sidelines. I walked away from this inauguration feeling refreshed and invigorated because we finally have a leader who is not afraid to challenge us to accept this responsibility and feeling ready to do so.Roy Katzen
mailing address: P.O. Box 9956; San Diego, CA 92169
posted by d-a-n-i-e-L at
10:34 PM
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