owlmoose: (Default)
KJ ([personal profile] owlmoose) wrote2009-01-20 11:25 pm
Entry tags:

Reclaimation

I had the good fortune of not needing to be at work until noon today, so I watched the inauguration at home. My favorite part? Probably when then-President-elect Obama was walking alone through the halls of the capital on his way to the stage, trying so hard to keep his expression solemn, but you could just see the huge grin threatening to break free.

Also, the part where George W. Bush isn't president any more. That was pretty good, too. Still is, really.

Then I came to work. As I've mentioned before, I work near the SF Civic Center, where there was a huge inauguration watching event. (I thought about going, even went so far as to set my alarm, but when it went off at 7am, I decided that getting more sleep and watching in my pajamas was a far better plan.) By the time I got in, the party had broken up, but there were still a few revelers in the train station. One in particular caught my eye: a young man, probably early 20s, wearing a Cat-in-the-Hat style hat, the tall floppy kind that you often see at raves and music festivals. But this one was decorated with the stars and stripes. In every other way, he seemed the sort of disaffected youth who wouldn't have deigned to touch an American flag or sing the national anthem or do anything even vaguely patriotic. But there he was, decked out in red, white, and blue. This is what President Obama has done for us: he's made it okay to be patriotic again, to wave the flag, to be proud of our country.

This is what I was hoping for. Let's see if it sticks.

[identity profile] furitaurus.livejournal.com 2009-01-22 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Nuh-uh, bad owlmoose, as George Carlin said; 'don't have pride, remember, pride goeth before fall, never forget proverbs, don't be proud, be happy; I'm happy to be an american'.
And i agree with that sentiment, at this point in time i think americans should be happy, i'd be happy to be an american at the moment. I was impressed with Obama's speech and the ceremony as a whole, it was nice to see that the only person not caught up in the hype over Obama was Obama himself. A new ember of hope for america and indeed the world has started glowing in my mind.

[identity profile] not-cynical.livejournal.com 2009-02-04 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
The inauguration made me seriously happy - I was watching a live feed of it that kept freezing - the sound carried on though, which was close enough! :D and fgslidhgjsldfkjgsdhdfslkjgnmld;fk SO HAPPY! I know I'm not american, but seriously just the fact that Obama SPECIFICALLY POINTED OUT that everything wouldn't be sunshine and rainbows once he took over makes me happy. *flails* I hope he does well. I know some of the stuff he's done, and I hope he carries on how he started.

I hope. In relation to the leader of a country. THAT is impressive.