Once Upon a Time I was Part of a Moment of History

"The nation's 54th presidential inauguration was a boisterous epilogue to a bitterly fought election, as hundreds of thousands of people cheering George W. Bush shared the soggy streets of downtown Washington yesterday with several thousand others who came to denounce his ascension to power." --The Washington Post, Monday, January 21, 2001
 
"Protest leaders said they achieved their aim of turning America's Main Street into a gantlet of dissent for President Bush's motorcade to pass through. Demonstrators were evident on every block of the 1.6-mile route, and on some blocks on the north side of Pennsylvania Avenue, they outnumbered other parade- goers." --The Washington Post, Monday, January 22, 2001
 
Everyone Gets to Vote - 
Everyone's Vote Gets Counted
At 2:30 PM, the Inauguration parade began for the man who did not lose the Presidential election. Long before, dozens of protest marches were already taking place. I was part of one championing a fair electoral system in which everyone gets a chance to vote and where everyone's vote is counted!

Where the Presidential parade played "Hail to the Chief" my group wore a button proclaiming "Hail to the Thief." At 11:59 AM, as the man who did not lose the election was being sworn in as our 54th President, we held a moment of silence - and followed immediately with the rallying cry, "Impeach Bush!" 
Lapel button - Hail to the Thief
 The 2 1/2 inch cello protest pin we wore

 
 
 

1