A front seat to history

Category: National

Brad Burnett on Inauguration Day

It indeed is cliché by now, but we were witness to history with the swearing-in of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. I was fortunate to have a front seat to this momentous occasion, as I was able to travel to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration.

The first hint of just how extraordinary the inauguration would be happened during the “We Are One” pre-inaugural concert. It was incredible to be in such a sea of people; I had never seen that many people in one place. The mood of the crowd was also striking. It was surprising to me just how friendly everyone was. There were so many people packed so tightly together that I was sure there would be at least a few short tempers. But, much like the theme of the concert, everyone seemed to be one and there were smiles everywhere. It was refreshing to be around so many happy people.

The anticipation and excitement continued to build until Inauguration Day. Inauguration Day started for me at 1 a.m. on Jan. 20. A group of us who had secured tickets planned on taking the last train into D.C. so that we could get there before the rest of the crowd. We had received bad information as to when the last train left, so we ended up having to stay in a 24-hour McDonald’s until the trains started back up at 4:10 in the morning. We were able to get onto the first train out when they started running again. It was already packed. By the time we had gotten to the Capitol, people had to be literally pushed out of the subway car because there was no more room in the train. And this was on the first train out!

Six hours later and we were in the Silver ticket area behind the Capitol Reflecting Pool. The view of the stage was not very good from that vantage point. The only thing between the massive crowds and a nearly empty Capitol Reflecting Pool was two waist-high plastic “chain link” fences. As expected, these barriers did not last long and there was a stampede along the sides of the Capitol Reflecting Pool. The U.S. Capitol Police eventually established a second barrier and I watched the inauguration from just north of the Reflecting Pool.

Tall trees obscured my view of the stage and the large projector screens, but being in the throng of people and hearing history being made was incredible. Honestly, Obama’s taking of the Oath of Office was a bit anti-climatic. It might have been because I could not see it very well, nor hear it well due to all the people around me screaming their heads off. Or maybe it was my overblown expectations of what it would be like, the fact that I had not slept in over 36 hours, or that the oath is very short. Whatever the case, I was left with a feeling of, “That’s it?”

For me, the most exciting and emotionally gratifying part of the whole program was the Inaugural Address. Obama is a very dynamic speaker and I could listen to him all day. What struck me most, however, was not his delivery; it was his words. He speaks to the heart of every American, whether Republican, Democrat, or Independent. He also speaks to the world and I think he served both the American people and the world very well with his first speech as President of the United States.

All in all, 16 hours passed from the time I left the apartment in Maryland where I was staying until I got back. It was worth every second. I do not think the importance of what I witnessed will really sink in for some years, but I know I will be telling my grandchildren long from now about when I watched history take place with the swearing in of America’s first African-American President.