Spring Break
My Inauguration Story
Marcus King goes to D.C.
Marcus King
Issue date: 2/5/09 Section: Opinion
In the wee hours of Inauguration Day 2009, people could be seen at 3am already gathering on the national mall.
Amidst all the partying and celebrating, and bars opened later than usual, as well as restaurants opened later than usual - this was the day, time, and place to be in which history was to be made.
I wore as many layers of clothing as possible, making my way to the long line that went down one block and around to the other side of the street, that flowed into the security checkpoint. The colder-than-usual temperatures in no way deterred people from coming out in unprecedented numbers.
The tops of people's heads are all that could be seen for what seemed like miles and miles ahead. The huge crowds slowly made their way past the security checkpoint into the standing room only area I was in, along with tens of thousands more people.
Street vendors lined the streets with anything and everything Obama. Clothing accessories, posters, postcards, DVDs, special editions of local newspapers…the list went on and on.
Snipers lined every rooftop nearby, and Police copters patrolled the air. The issue of security for the President elect was not taken lightly.
Amazingly, with the millions of people that flooded the nation's capitol, and the later than usual last calls, no arrests were made in connection with the inauguration or any of the inauguration inspired party after party that took place before and after this historic day.
People from every corner of the earth were gathered to witness the monumental change in what many consider to be the greatest nation on earth.
As Obama began to speak, the hope and enthusiasm that people heard and felt throughout the entire campaign was not the tone of the speech which was soon to be given.
As people listened attentively, the speech which had been anticipated for months was one that called on each and every American to take upon themselves their own call to action.
Amidst all the partying and celebrating, and bars opened later than usual, as well as restaurants opened later than usual - this was the day, time, and place to be in which history was to be made.
I wore as many layers of clothing as possible, making my way to the long line that went down one block and around to the other side of the street, that flowed into the security checkpoint. The colder-than-usual temperatures in no way deterred people from coming out in unprecedented numbers.
The tops of people's heads are all that could be seen for what seemed like miles and miles ahead. The huge crowds slowly made their way past the security checkpoint into the standing room only area I was in, along with tens of thousands more people.
Street vendors lined the streets with anything and everything Obama. Clothing accessories, posters, postcards, DVDs, special editions of local newspapers…the list went on and on.
Snipers lined every rooftop nearby, and Police copters patrolled the air. The issue of security for the President elect was not taken lightly.
Amazingly, with the millions of people that flooded the nation's capitol, and the later than usual last calls, no arrests were made in connection with the inauguration or any of the inauguration inspired party after party that took place before and after this historic day.
People from every corner of the earth were gathered to witness the monumental change in what many consider to be the greatest nation on earth.
As Obama began to speak, the hope and enthusiasm that people heard and felt throughout the entire campaign was not the tone of the speech which was soon to be given.
As people listened attentively, the speech which had been anticipated for months was one that called on each and every American to take upon themselves their own call to action.
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