Like Paul Ryan and Henry Marsh, I
had a bad day on the mall.
By Alana Baum
President
Barack Obama’s second inauguration definitely had its high points: his
uncharacteristically liberal speech, weather that broke 30 degrees, and a
tour-de-force from inaugural poet Richard Blanco.
This
was my first barely-up-close-and-not-so-personal interaction with a president
who, both times around, has stood for the causes that matter most to me,
including gay marriage, equality for women in the workplace, and a more liberal
healthcare policy that includes contraception as a basic benefit.
Take
Virginia State Senator Henry Marsh. The Democrat and longtime civil rights activist
traveled to Washington for the ceremony. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, his
Republican colleagues took advantage of the daylong de facto majority his
absence afforded them and scrambled to pass some Grand Old Legislation.
Normally the chamber is split equally between the two major political parties,
but Marsh’s absence tipped the balance for a handful of hours. That was just
long enough for the passage of a gerrymanderingredistricting measure. If approved, the new
district lines will pave the way for a Republican majority in Virginia’s senate
in 2015.
Paul
Ryan didn’t have a good day either. The guy whose biceps were supposed to carry
Mitt Romney to the White House was greeted with resounding boos during the
inaugural festivities. In addition to the audible woe brought on by Ryan’s
close-up on the jumbotron, Obama dropped a Romney-Ryan reference in his address.
Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security “strengthen us” and “do not make us a
nation of takers,” he declared. “They free us to take the risks that make this
country great.”
Take
that, Ryan.
And
then there are the befuddled Beyoncé fans who remain, days later, desperate to
find out whether their beloved Bey resorted to a prerecorded rendition of
the national anthem. And why. A source from the Marine Corps band revealed that
Beyoncé chickened out last minute, but none other than our diva and her sound
technicians can be truly certain. What is certain is that this flurry of rumors about a potentially
lip-synched performance is casting a shadow upon her stardom. C’mon BK, we
thought you were invincible.
As
for me: I’m a wide-eyed intern, almost 3,000 miles from my home in Berkeley,
California. I was eager to be part of an event that many a peddled badge,
banner, and button promised would “make history.”
Yet
I too fall into the category of Inauguration Day’s most despondent. A
card-carrying member of the anti-abortion club shimmied up a tall tree, evaded
the stunted police ladder that couldn’t compete with his altitude, and remained
there for the duration of the ceremony. His four-hour tantrum blocked out everyone
from Sonia Sotomayor to James Taylor.
I
can’t tell you if I thought Obama’s speech was more poignant than last time, or
what it was like to hear the words of the first gay inaugural poet, because all
I could hear was, “Obama kills babies! Stop the American holocaust! What about
the babies?! Stop the bloodshed!” But what better time to exercise his First
Amendment rights?
Dear
tree-dweller: Not only did I find your free speech vile and offensive, but I’ve
already made a donation to Planned Parenthood in your honor.
So,
what did I learn? Beware of antsy Republicans in your state Senate, watch your
mouth on the campaign trail because you might be embarrassed as millions
witness your opponent’s speech, if you’re Beyoncé you’re just too famous to
fake it, and, of course, keep a spare 50-foot ladder with you at all times.
Alana Baum is an undergraduate at the
University of California, Berkeley, and an OtherWords intern
at the Institute for Policy Studies. OtherWords.org