Aside from a few months on a US Army base in Europe where I was born, and some USMC training and combat tours overseas as an adult, my primary residence has been inside the beltway for all of my 50+ years. The last 30 I have lived within a few miles of the National Mall, which I consider a great privilege. Whenever I am in town and there is a march, gathering, protest, etc., I take a jog or stroll down to our Great National Gathering Space to participate, or to observe or people-watch when it suits me.
I was there on Jan 20, 2001 when the Court-appointed President was sworn in and protestors wore black. I was there for the “first” Tea Party gathering near the Capitol on Sep 12, 2009 to see the professional-looking “bury Obamacare with Kennedy” signs (Senator Kennedy had just died a couple weeks before) only outdone in nastiness by the homemade racist signs—President Obama as witch doctor, monkey or minstrel-show character—a gathering which happened to coincide with the National Black Family Reunion only a few hundred yards away near the Washington Monument. I was there for the George Floyd protests during COVID when police took a very aggressive stand in Lafayette Square (though not at the moment when Trump came out with his upside-down Bible).
I was also down near the Ellipse on January 6, 2021, and I was there again today.
The difference in those last two visits was enormous. What I saw on Jan 6 was stunning to me at the time, and out of sync with any gathering I had seen previously--even before I found out what transpired at the Capitol after I left. The unusually high proportion of males in the crowd--mostly white, the number of non-LEO with military gear--even open-carrying handguns (I didn’t see any long guns but it didn’t surprise me when I read later that some were present), and the number of huge Trump flags (with 10 or 20-foot flag-poles! something not typically seen or allowed in political gatherings on the Mall); and lastly the relaxed stance of much of the LEO present, some taking pictures with participants in Trump gear. It felt ominous.
Tonight was much different, almost a return to something approaching normalcy. There was urgency for sure—booing whenever Trump or one of his crazy ideas or lies was mentioned, anti-Trump signs, both funny and scary; but I felt there was more excited anticipation for the Vice President. The crowd was diverse and looked like the USA, or the world for that matter. LEO was generally back to their traditional role—ensuring an orderly and safe gathering—not openly hostile like the BLM protests, but not mingling with the crowd like on Jan 6.
I thought VP Harris struck a great balance in her speech. She executed the important task of acknowledging the weight of the moment, the criticality of this election and the danger of another Trump presidency; but also weaving in a forward-looking positive vision (with some specifics) which was ultimately the emphasis by the time she concluded. Along the way, she emphasized why her life experience made her uniquely suited for the moment. Nothing really new I don’t think, but I was left with the feeling that she neatly tied-up the message she wants to close with as the last stage of the campaign begins—the sprint to the finish.
I honestly do not know what will happen on Nov 5th (or after); but I am more hopeful after attending today. I could quibble with some small decisions or performances here and there, but those are just that—small. The truth is the Vice President has run a masterful campaign, and she has set us up to run through the finish line. Let’s fucking go!
On a personal note, this is my first day as a member of DK, though I have been a fairly avid reader for 16+ years. (Probably overly cautious, but I have previously held positions which made me uncomfortable with the idea of actively participating in an online community.)
On another personal note, I remembered just as I got to the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial this afternoon, that today is the 80th anniversary of my grandfather’s death. He was a Private in the 29th Infantry Division when his patrol was ambushed in northwest Germany in 1944. As I walked toward the Ellipse to meet my Mom (who was a baby when her father was killed), I decided to grab a pic to commemorate the occasion, looking back toward the sunset. In front of the WWII Memorial in the photo stand a fraction of the tens of thousands that came to support the current fight against fascism.