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An uplifting start to the day: Obama at the Rio on Broadway

January 20th, 2009 · 7 Comments

Just back from the early-morning gathering at the Rio Theatre on Broadway, where an eclectic crowd of us  watched Obama’s inauguration, with lots of young kids cheering and then oldies like us sniffling and tearing up. 

People were in such a feel-good mood that they didn’t even boo when George Bush appeared at various points on the screen and the whole crowd in the theatre stood up for Obama’s actual swearing in, in solidarity with the crowds in Washington and Pasadena and Chicago.

Former city councillor Nancy Chiavario was sitting behind me and whispered to me at one point that she found the whole day so amazing, considered that she had once been kicked off a city bus in Houston for giving up her seat to a black person not so so many years ago.

The speech? Well, everyone else will weigh in but it was inspirational. The best kind of message to the people, Churchillian really, calling on people to be their best at this time of crisis and sending out a message of peace to the Muslim world.

Yikes, I’m going to start choking up again if I keep writing so I’ll stop here.

I hope this afternoon’s council meeting, where we all get to hear about the way forward for the Olympic village, can be one-tenth as inspiring.

Categories: Uncategorized

  • Wendy

    It would be nice if the Vancouver PTB would take a page from Obama’s message and just roll up their sleeves and get on with the job — instead of wasting time concocting spin, blame, press conferences, etc.

  • tommi

    After 8 years of death and war, it’s very good to see people of reason and some integrity back in power in the U.S.

    I wonder if Gregor will once again, as he did numerous times during the election, stand up and compare himself to Obama today at City Hall. The comparison rings as hallow today as it did two months ago.

  • SV

    Couldn’t let it go, could you.

  • T W

    Tommi: Last Line

    Do you mean hallow or hollow – they mean something different

  • tommi

    Meant to type hollow. Oops.

  • Wagamuffin

    “You Mr. Meggs, are no Barack Obama!”

  • Gölök

    Vanity is the quicksand of reason. — George Sand

    I must not have any liberal guilt, that and a Boston Tea Party guy who Prefered Independent Alan Keyes for the job, hah, I went for content of the character and his skin was darker.
    Cynthia McKinney gets ignored. My point in the abstract is, esp given the McKinney voting record, it is about the Democrat brand name, not principles or skin color. It’s blue v red. The Ass vs the Elephant.
    Like when democrats snubbed Ross (I) in Florida to replace ousted Rep Foley in Florida for Democrat of a lighter complexion while saying there are too many of a light complexion.
    Like with the Blago senate appointment, they never demanded someone go to harlem and pick some poor guy in Harlem, suit him up and put him in the Senate. No they are okay with some blue Dynastic appointment.

    Why say Gregor’s comparison is so absurd, when Obama who was never thrown a real competition, suceeded in it all, was a Harvard legacy comparing himself to the Learning disabled, self taught, odd job working, private sector guy who hated lawyering, lost most of his many campaigns and had 23 emotional breakdowns known as Abe Lincoln.

    Obama and Robertson just had the better organized brand names. This is a true connection, and it’s likely before they picked a nomination winner in the smoke filled room naming roomer nominees and asking some to run. One common thing, some sort of beneficial legacy perhaps. Some snobs in South Boston may say U Col. is no Harvard as well.

    My mother saw segregation in Cleveland by the way, just to be fair to the south an point out the Northern failures; and really that has been over some time ago Leonora Fulani ran in all the states under a third party in the 80s.
    I think you have to be knaive to think this is a monument.

    Frankly this, and all innaugerations are too extravagent, it should just be for swearing in, not a festival. Like there aren’t private parties. On top of the normal, they actually focused so hard on his complexion they ignored the fact he is probably the first immigrant’s son since Van Buren. Not to mention character and …. how about character, the “I love you daddy” thing at the convention made think child services would be needed, exploitation. Which is ironic since to the press and all those who can not get beyond complexion have turned this to a blaxploitation presidency. Or like it’s something out of Fritz the Cat 2.

    Best

    Gölök Zoltán Leenderdt Franco-Assisi Buday
    “As you have the power, sir, to do some service to letters, I implore you not to clip the wings of our writers so closely, nor turn into barndoor fowls those who, allowed a start, might become eagles; reasonable liberty permits the mind to soar–slavery makes it creep.” — Voltaire [A Letter To A First Commissioner]