Never in my wildest, most imaginative dreams did I envision the Washington DC that I saw on Monday and Tuesday. I know Washington. From LBJ and the antiwar sixties through the Carter, Reagan and Bush One administrations, this city rose and fell. But never, even during the love fest sixties, did I see the friendship and "oneness" of the people in this city. Complete strangers of all classes and shades hugged and talked and cried. On Tuesday, the immigrant cab driver taking us away from the mall to a hotel was literally crying with equal measures of joy and astonishment. This was massive change and everyone knew it. The road ahead will be long and uphill but for this one day; we celebrated the victory of our time.
Make no mistake. Tuesday was a revolution. We, the people, came together to make it very clear that this is a revolution. Monday, on Dupont Circle, a "15 foot blow up Bush" actually drew throngs of people throwing shoes at the bobbing and dipping effigy. Tuesday, on the national mall, a huge number of eyes followed the marine helicopter (no longer called Marine One) carting Bush from downtown DC and power, many people raised their arms with hands giving what Time magazine long ago called the "international symbol of derision." Revolutions are not always classy but they certainly seem to be clear.
The failed Bush government, which completely discredited Reagan conservatism, is now in the dustbin of history. People came from all parts of the nation and abroad to celebrate the change. At a Blue Star Families event at Fort Belvoir on Monday evening, I met people who meant a lot to me but who I had known only as electrons. From Texas and California and all over, the Blue Star folks came together. I can only thank them for their incredibly hard work in showing the nation that military families and troops supported President Obama.
People converged just to be there and to show support for the incoming administration. Incredibly, for one of the few times in history, the citizens of Washington DC and the entire metropolitan area joined wholeheartedly in the celebration. Oh yes, this was a revolution as certainly as if we carried pitchforks and torches.
Joy and enthusiasm were everywhere. But I am reassured that mixed with the strong positive feelings was a strong understanding that tough times are ahead. President Obama's call to service and his praise for our troops service made clear that we have a difficult road ahead.
"... Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But 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. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task..." President Obama's Inaugural Address
The millions of people filling the Washington DC streets demonstrated that they too gladly seized the responsibilities to ourselves, the nation and the world. Time to get started fulfilling the promise given on Inauguration Day.
I could not have said it better. We who have served, are serving, and will serve in the future deserve better than the falied leadership of the last eight years. Hal summed up the pride and hope we feel now that we have national leaders who truly support those in uniform, and do not just treat them as props and tools. Thanks, Hal.
I want to see Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and the rest of the band tried for war crimes. We will some have an empty prison at Guantanamo Bay to put them in. THey could be tried under the regulations they put in place.
how could the american people choose to elect george bush? how on earth did it happen?
just wait, in 8 years, after obama finishes, there will be some republican twit that divides people by sensibilities again, with immigration or gay rights, and we will be back to square one.
never underestimate the ignorance of people in our country. i'm betting that over half of the people that were on the DC mall crying with joy that obama was elected were the same idiots that were happy with the relection of bush even after his first term.
Great post , I always enjoy blog ,
Lets get them at TH and not let them forget we are in this together
We fight the good fight ,for the greater good that is America
Let's see where the party this week and the Party lead to before we pronounce another 14 July.
I fervently hope we are on a different course.
But, this "revolution" is probably more about curbing excesses and incompetence than a fundamental change in direction.
When there is a change in our imperial foreign policy and our domestic corporate socialism that will be a revolution.
It will be good if we no longer torture, but if our imperial foreign policy remains in place
It will be good if we regulate business a bit more, but if at the end of the day we continue to run our economy for the benefit of corporations rather than people ...
There is a difference between 20 Jan 2009 and 14 July 1789..
when an individual no longer holds an office he cannot be impeached
an impeachment does not constitute a criminal conviction
in any case RHIP - so no trial for either of these two men