This weekend we went to Greensboro with Jonathan's brother and his family, on a mission to attend the Obama/Biden rally.
We began our day at Starbucks, where the barista prepared our lattes in slow-motion. It took just about forever, but soon we were on our way.
Off we went to Greensboro. At first we were rather astonished to have avoided traffic. We drove by the depot and marveled at the emptiness of downtown... until we saw the line. I read that the media estimated 20,000 people showed up. That's a lot of people. We found parking and began the hike to the end of the line.
And there we were. We inched forward about 1 city block in the course of an hour, with the first sign of movement coming a few minutes after the gates to the depot opened at 10 AM. The line remained pretty still until we started to see people surging ahead of us in the street. Apparently, someone told the people at the end of the line to just start walking in the street, and everyone followed. The chaos ensued through the streets of downtown, which were not closed off for the sudden influx of pedestrian traffic. But hey, we were moving!
The police then decided it was wise to bottleneck the crowd and coax everyone back onto the sidewalk, which slowed our pace and made us worry that we wouldn't make it to the depot (wherever it was) by the scheduled rally start of 12:15 PM. Our fears were allayed when we rounded the corner and saw that the security tent had been cordoned off. No one had to pass security anymore, as they were just filling side streets with the crowd. I caught a picture of a Secret Service agent as we walked by the abandoned security area. No so secret after all, is he?
Soon we were wedged in with the best of them, standing on tip-toes or jumping or getting the heads in front of us to part just so - and we could see the podium! Here's our view - the podium is brown and it's just to the right (and much farther away, of course) of the blue pepsi stand.
We heard from Senator Biden and then Obama. They spoke about the economy, about McCain's lack of acknowledgement of the middle-class and those in need, and about change. It was an amazing experience to be there, to see and hear from these candidates and to see and hear the crowd. It was quite a diverse group, and just really inspiring to be surrounded by people who care and who want things to get better for this country.
I was in Australia during the last Presidential election, and though I cast my vote from abroad it was not the same as I know it will be this year. I will go to the polls and make my choice. I will choose a candidate who doesn't endorse taking from the poor and giving to the rich. I will choose a candidate who values education, community involvement, and compassion for the people around us who need it the most. I hope that you will, too.
We began our day at Starbucks, where the barista prepared our lattes in slow-motion. It took just about forever, but soon we were on our way.
Off we went to Greensboro. At first we were rather astonished to have avoided traffic. We drove by the depot and marveled at the emptiness of downtown... until we saw the line. I read that the media estimated 20,000 people showed up. That's a lot of people. We found parking and began the hike to the end of the line.
And there we were. We inched forward about 1 city block in the course of an hour, with the first sign of movement coming a few minutes after the gates to the depot opened at 10 AM. The line remained pretty still until we started to see people surging ahead of us in the street. Apparently, someone told the people at the end of the line to just start walking in the street, and everyone followed. The chaos ensued through the streets of downtown, which were not closed off for the sudden influx of pedestrian traffic. But hey, we were moving!
The police then decided it was wise to bottleneck the crowd and coax everyone back onto the sidewalk, which slowed our pace and made us worry that we wouldn't make it to the depot (wherever it was) by the scheduled rally start of 12:15 PM. Our fears were allayed when we rounded the corner and saw that the security tent had been cordoned off. No one had to pass security anymore, as they were just filling side streets with the crowd. I caught a picture of a Secret Service agent as we walked by the abandoned security area. No so secret after all, is he?
Soon we were wedged in with the best of them, standing on tip-toes or jumping or getting the heads in front of us to part just so - and we could see the podium! Here's our view - the podium is brown and it's just to the right (and much farther away, of course) of the blue pepsi stand.
We heard from Senator Biden and then Obama. They spoke about the economy, about McCain's lack of acknowledgement of the middle-class and those in need, and about change. It was an amazing experience to be there, to see and hear from these candidates and to see and hear the crowd. It was quite a diverse group, and just really inspiring to be surrounded by people who care and who want things to get better for this country.
I was in Australia during the last Presidential election, and though I cast my vote from abroad it was not the same as I know it will be this year. I will go to the polls and make my choice. I will choose a candidate who doesn't endorse taking from the poor and giving to the rich. I will choose a candidate who values education, community involvement, and compassion for the people around us who need it the most. I hope that you will, too.
Comments
You are amazing.
Still.
Always.
And I love you.
XOXOmom