'History is here'

By: Kelly House Posted: 01/20/09 9:32pm Comments: 0

Washington – I realized today how much the election meant to people.

Not only because Barack Obama is black, not only because George W. Bush was an unpopular president, not only because Obama has promised to revive America’s downward spiraling economy.

For each person in the crowd today, Obama’s oath of office had a special meaning that transcended any one of those issues and brought together people who, ordinarily, would never cross paths.

I watched grandmothers slapping hands with young children, well-dressed individuals interacting with those clad in snow boots and sweats and people of all ethnicities coming together in one, shared celebration.

As Obama placed his hands on the Lincoln bible, my neighbor, a black man from Washington state, kissed two fingers and raised them to the sky.

“History is here,” he said, then repeated in a near-whisper. “History is here.”

It’s clear that Obama is popular — perhaps more popular than any newly elected president before him. The question is whether that popularity will hold now that Obama has to make the difficult decisions that come with the job he’s just taken.

But, for now, it’s time for celebration.

Inauguration crowds are no hype

Posted 01/20 @ 11:11am (0 comment(s) )

Washington – My prediction that the inauguration crowds were a little over-hyped was off — by a long shot.

Lansing pastor visits with future congregation in D.C.

Posted 01/19 @ 11:55pm (0 comment(s) )

Washington – Sunday morning, before heading out into the crazy crowds of Washington, D.C., we decided to head over to Peoples Congregational United Church of Christ in northwestern D.C., to catch up with the Rev. Michael Murphy.

Murphy, the founding pastor of St. Stephen’s, in Lansing, will become the ninth pastor of the 118-year-old church in February.

Swearing-in ceremony will be mayhem

Posted 01/19 @ 9:38pm (0 comment(s) )

Washington D.C. — Tomorrow’s the big day.

Solidarity, peacefulness emanate from D.C. crowds

Posted 01/19 @ 1:17am (0 comment(s) )

Washington, D.C. – Sunday officially kicked off inauguration week. And although the crowds only accounted for a fraction of the numbers that are expected to pour into D.C. by Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony, the scene in downtown D.C. was something like an MSU tailgate, times 100.

The interesting thing about the crowd, which usually isn’t the case at Spartan tailgates, was the solidarity and peacefulness.

Advertisers play off Obama success

Posted 01/19 @ 12:37am (0 comment(s) )

Washington, D.C. – Is it just me, or is Pepsi’s new logo oddly similar to Barack Obama’s campaign logo of a blue “O” with red and white stripes through the middle, reminiscent of the American heartland?

Unity among strangers in an unfamiliar city

Posted 01/18 @ 10:55pm (0 comment(s) )

Washington, D.C. – There’s definitely something to be said for the term “safety in numbers.”

Inaugural balls abound, but not all are official

Posted 01/17 @ 12:58pm (0 comment(s) )

Washington, D.C. — Considering hotels for the inauguration are booked as far away as Philadelphia, I thought it would be impossible at this late date to find a ticket to an inaugural ball – but then I turned on the TV.

Security preparations visible along D.C. parade route

Posted 01/16 @ 2:42pm (0 comment(s) )

Washington, D.C. — I walked over to the White House on my lunch break to see how parade preparations were coming along. Before the familiar landmark came into view I was met with barriers, gates and police tape.

Inauguration's historical value merits hype, celebration

Posted 01/15 @ 10:08pm (1 comment(s) )

The Presidential Inauguration Committee may have cut back on expenditures for this inauguration to avoid the risk of seeming overindulgent in a tight economy — but that’s not changing the tone of what is expected to be the most widely attended and televised inaugural ceremony in history.