What an AMAZING experience! I've been overusing the word "amazing" - but I mean it in the true sense, I am amazed at the wonderful, great and hopeful experience I had yesterday.
It started in mid-September .with a call to action by Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show" to attend his "Rally to Restore Sanity. "We're looking for the people who think shouting is annoying, counterproductive and terrible for your throat; who feel that the loudest voices shouldn't be the only ones that get heard; and who believe the only time it's appropriate to draw a Hitler moustache on someone is when that person is actually Hitler. Or Charlie Chaplin in certain roles."
The heavens aligned, my friends - 2 work schedules, business trips, frequent flier miles, hotel availability (although there wasn't room in my first choice, the Watergate ;-) and fabulous pet sitters fell into place. That's a feat we hadn't achieved in quite a while, it was obviously meant to be. We hopped on a plane in Ory-gone and off we went.
We arrived at the rally around 10:30, an hour and a half before the schedule beginning. There was already an ocean of people - and a veritable forest of port-a-potties.
The crowds pouring in, the Capitol building in the background.
I did not shout, I did not shake my tiny fist in rage, but I must confess this image makes me giggle.
The German word is "schadenfreude" - taking pleasure in the misfortune of others. I'm sure they weren't happy being there.
Our view of the stage, for a few brief minutes ...
... and the people continued to swarm in. It was truly a crush of humanity, we wandered to the perimeters. I was disappointed at first we couldn't always hear what was going on stage, but then I started paying attention to what was going on around me (a little life lesson? Oh yeah.) No worries, we had 2 Tivos recording at home and a friend on the other side of Portland recording, just in case.
The people were fantastic. The signs were creative and funny and obviously spell-checked. The vast demographic was awe-inspiring, literally. There was every color of skin you can imagine - and I do mean imagine as there were green and blue folks represented as well. At one point in the sculpture garden across the street, I shared a bench with 2 little old ladies from New Jersey and eavesdropped on their conversation with a young SoCal surfer dude. One wouldn't think they had much in common but their conversation was about how great the rally was, how it was wonderful that non-extremist, moderate Americans finally had a voice and a place to stand up and be counted.
Then I heard what I think sums up my rally experience best - Yusuf Islam (the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens) singing "Peace Train" interrupted by Ozzy and "Crazy Train" which gave me a bit of mental whiplash, until I heard the O'Jays "Love Train" and it was all alright.
After we left the rally we read Jon Stewart's closing remarks. You can read them here ... and please do, soon. "You go, then I'll go" and we'll reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
