President Obama
First African-American President pledges renewal of American ideals
District residents mesh with GW Students, Downtown Washington in unprecedented cultural shift
[caption id="attachment_908" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="A view of the U.S. Capitol from the first general admission area. Photo Credit: Jesse Regis"]
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This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
Twenty months after declaring his candidacy former community organizer, state legislator and Illinois Senator, Barack Obama took the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol becoming the 44th President of the United States in an event that is among the largest ever in the nation’s capital.
Shortly after noon President Obama joined Vice-President Elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. in taking the oath of office promising to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” In an Inaugural Address that pledged an Era of Responsibility, President Obama rejected any distinction between national security and American ideals. In a perceived rejection of the policies of the Bush Administration the newly elected President said “Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.”
Pledging to work alongside poor nations, and those with whom the United States has previously disagreed, Mr. Obama offered friendship to all nations. The President, in a speech that would directly address civil rights, segregation, the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian world’s said, “We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
It was perhaps the largest audience the leader of the free world has ever addressed in person. Estimates range from 1.8 – 2.2 million people packing the length of the National Mall from the Capitol steps to the Lincoln Memorial. Officials say the crowd made Washington, D.C. the 5th largest city in the country on Tuesday. Among the most notable observations of the day was the diversity that filled the Mall as residents from all the District's neighborhoods from Foggy Bottom to Anacostia and Dupont to Columbia Heights came together to witness the event. This highlights a pledge by the President to venture into "unofficial" Washington, a shift from former President George W. Bush who rarely left the Downtown area except to leave the District.
Residents, tourists, and students began arriving on the Mall in the wee hours of the morning. Toting Red Bull and sleeping bags, bleary eyed GW students were among the first arrivals for both the ticketed areas and the general admission areas. Those who received one of 240,000 tickets distributed by members of Congress were assigned to seating areas designed by colors. Tickets with orange borders would be seated in one area, blue, yellow, and silver would each have their separate section.
The situation has caused so much controversy that California Senator Diane Feinstein, chairwoman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has apologized in an open statement.
As many would find having a ticket did not necessarily mean admission. A combination of unprecedented security and maximum capacity crowds shut down some areas even to ticket holders. Those with purple tickets were especially impacted with lines reportedly blocks long and extending into the 3rd Street tunnel without the presence of law enforcement or protection from the bitter cold temperatures. Many were not on the grounds for the ceremony despite traveling to Washington with a ticket.
The situation has caused so much controversy that California Senator Diane Feinstein, chairwoman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has apologized in an open statement. A Congressional investigation will also take place with the committee seeking public feedback. Among other problems was the lack of adequate exit signage, knowledgeable law enforcement and volunteer personnel, and the placement of fences and barricades, which by many accounts trapped attendees in a labyrinth of metal and concrete.
Sub zero temperatures made it difficult for many, including the 350,000 people who assembled in the pre-dawn hours to view the Inaugural parade, which began an hour late due to delays resulting from the hospitalization of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and subsequent illness of the 91 year-old Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia that took place during the luncheon following the Inaugural ceremony.
- Jesse Regis
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