The Inauguration of Barack Obama, 44th President of these United States
By Carolann S. Najarian, M.D.

Writing about the inauguration of Barack Obama which took place on January 20th, 2009, is not easy task. Putting aside any lofty goals I might have had of capturing the event and emotions of the day in elegant prose, I will try to tell you simply some of what we did, felt, and thought – what that day meant to me in a simple way.

Although we had been invited to a number of receptions and luncheons, George and I decided to not attend and save our energy for inauguration day. It was a good decision. Thus, we went to bed early on Monday night but like two kids awaiting Santa’s arrival, we could hardly sleep. We finally rose at 4:30 am and by 6:00 am were on an already crowded metro-rail headed toward D.C. The train ride itself was an unforgettable trip. Packed with folks of all sizes, shapes, colors, ages, well and infirm, American and not --- we were all moving toward and anticipating the same event. It was, if you think about it, strange to be on a crowded urban train where every single person was headed for the same place. The train moved along through several stations but then slowed down indicating problems. The conductor could be heard saying something over the loudspeaker, but what? Finally, we understood there was a medical emergency in the train ahead of us. Later we found out that a woman had fallen off the platform and was saved from the next oncoming train by other passengers who helped pull her off the tracks to safety under the platform --- saving her life. The trains were halted for 45 minutes. We started talking to some of the folks we were pushed up against in the car. One very pleasant woman told us in her thick southern accent that she was meeting much younger friends on the Mall --- she had the sandwiches and they had the blankets. She described herself as a political activist from Kentucky. “Kentucky? You’re an activist from Kentucky?” It seemed an oxymoron! She went on to explain how she became politically active after her son went to Iraq and began hearing from him what was really going on. She said they almost defeated Mitch McConnell --- next time, she assured us, they would . There was a group of black young women from Toronto. “From Toronto? Why have you come? “ I don’t exactly remember how they answered. Whatever it was, I replied, “We surprised you, didn’t we?” And the tall, strikingly beautiful woman looked me in the eye and said, “We never thought YOU would do it --- NEVER.!!” A feeling of pride swelled up in me and I thought, “YES! We did it!!”

Finally --- we reached our stop --- Capital South. George and I braced ourselves for a NYC type rush hour scene. We were right --- but it was congenial. People smiled while being pushed, giving way and being polite. The crowd on the platform swelled as we added to the people already there on the stairs moving along up to the long escalators exiting the station. The metro worker was yelling, “Keep – it – mov-ing, keep it mov-ing – don’t stop --- keep moving ---right through the exits --- keep on go-ing, accenting each syllable. Within minutes the crowd –all 500-600 strong – broke out in response filling the entire station and the air above with the chant -- “Keep-it-mov-ing, keep –it-mov-ing --- don’t-stop- don’t stop – keep-it-mov-ing- yes-we-can-yes-we-can-O-ba-ma-O-ba-ma --- keep-it moving --- yes we can……..” With cheers and great yelps of happiness! And this was all after being on a stalled train for nearly two hours –it was now 7:45 AM. Emotions were running high!

The inauguration

Even with coveted tickets for the seated and standing areas, the waiting lines were very long and in some areas, as you may have read, people were shut-out (like our kids) despite having done everything right. But, George and I were among the fortunate --we got through the line and security in about an hour, to find ourselves seated in the cold at 9:00 AM. It didn’t take long to realize that we were too far back and too far to the left of the staging to see much directly although the podium and the semi-circular staging were visible. One of the huge screens setup for viewing the event, a jumbotron, fortunately was right in front of us so we were quite content.

We could see enough to be impressed by the spectacle of our government --- each branch coming out, taking their seats as announced one by one. The entire government of the United States was assembled on that stage --- the Congress, the Senate, the Supreme Court, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, our Ambassadors, many cabinet members, all of our past presidents, the current President and Vice-President and the President and Vice President elect. They were all there on one stage --- in one place along with their families and honored guests.

What was my impression from where I sat? They looked so small --- they looked like the tiny toy figures my grandson plays with. It was an astonishing imagine and one that surprised me. Then, when I looked up at the jumbotron at views of the Mall or behind me at the crowd I could see --- I realized it was the people who held the real power. We the people looked so much bigger and more powerful in comparison, filling more than a mile to the Washington Memorial and beyond, while the heads of government fit on one stage – small by comparison. It was an amazing image. That is the way it really is --- and I think, many of us understood it on this day more than on any other day. Those people are all up there because we put them there --- and we can take them down.

The moment power was transferred

Biden took his oath --- and the electricity started to build in the crowd. We couldn’t wait --- but there was a musical selection --- we had to wait. Then Obama stepped forward with Michelle holding the Bible, and I do believe that some people felt something would happen to prevent him from taking the oath, because this was simply too good to be true --- it was just that unbelievable. And then it happened --- the oath of office taken, Hail to the Chief played, and the twenty-one gun salute started booming in the distance. Everyone was shouting – I started yelling as loud as I possibly could: Congratulations America! Congratulations World! Congratulations Every MAN! --- We have a new President!!! And then the chanting started again in a wave of sound carried over the people--- --- O-ba-ma-O-ba-ma-----People around us were crying, yelling, hugging each other. From North Carolina –an African-American lawyer and his wife next to us – an African-American woman in front of us with her young children--- the white people –brown and grey people all around us --- we would all have taken flight if possible – emotions propelling us to such heights of excitement and happiness. It was hard to calm down even when Senator Feinstein next announced using words to the effect, “Let me present to you President Barack Obama.” And, another wave of wild emotion surged through the masses -- Barack Obama being the only one who could have calmed the people this time as he began the inaugural address.

Good-bye to Bush

Many gathered on the Mall booed and, as you know, chanted, “ney, ney,……” when Bush was introduced. Interestingly, many of the African-Americans on the Mall tried to stop this each time. The woman in front of me turned her head around to the crowd behind us, and said, “Stop --- you are being disrespectful. He is still our president.” She was right, and I had hoped that Bush couldn’t hear the booing above “Hail to the Chief” played for him one last time.

President Obama, however, did not hesitate to bid farewell to Bush in his inaugural address repudiating the policies of the Bush years. Approval was palpable with the crowd applauding and shouting agreeing with the implied disapproval Obama did not hesitate to express. But, there was a greater moment awaiting those of us who were seated there that day --- one we hadn’t anticipated --- a chance to say good-bye to Bush. .

Probably equal to all the other sentiments and thoughts I had up to this point, was what happened at the very end --- not part of the ceremonies and not part of the inauguration..

When it was all over, after the moving benediction by Rev. Lowery – and loud A-mens he called for – the very jubilant crowd started to move slowly off the Capital grounds past the gates headed toward the sidewalks. While still on the grassy area we could still see the jumbotron on which was being shown events taking place in and on the other side of the Capital. I stopped to watch.

President Obama, along with Michelle and the Bidens, was escorting ex-President Bush and Mrs. Bush down the stairs on the other side of the Capital, to a helicopter waiting to take them to Andrews Air Force Base. I turned to George, “Let’s wait --- that helicopter is going to fly right over us!” We watched and waited --- the blades of the massive flying machine were whirling --- they boarded ---the Obamas and Bidens were standing on the steps of the Capital waving --- the doors closed – a few more minutes passed. Were the Bushes really going ? Then – still gazing at the screen we could hear the whirling bird take flight. We followed its ascent and then up it came into our direct vision. It was as if that big shiny helicopter broke right through the screen – the image now reality right over us.

Bush in flight – leaving the inauguration, leaving Washington, leaving the presidency, ending the nightmare many of us felt through his years in office. He was really leaving – he is gone. It was hard to believe!

We waved frantically but it seemed we couldn’t wave hard enough. A different kind of excitement took hold of the crowd this time. The anger was palpable and the waves ‘good-bye’ were not meant kindly. It was the only thing left that those of us there in the Mall could do to show our feelings toward the man who was leaving. He probably only saw our arms waving --- maybe even my arm waving --- but didn’t hear the jeering that went with it. After all, he was no longer our president --- we could jeer and not be disrespectful. It was the least he deserved.

The next day, in her NY Times column, Maureen Dowd focused on that image and the wave made by nearly a million arms waving their goodbye – following the helicopter as it flew over the Mall and out of sight.

That is the moment that reality set in for me and I really understood that the Bush-Cheney era was over, though the consequences of their reign will be with us for years to come.

A closing thought

The level of excitement and jubilation among the people gathered in Washington on that day and across this country is something we’ve not seen in our lifetime. What was it all about? Why were people so happy? Yes --- we had just inaugurated Barack Obama the first African-American president! Yes, George Bush and Cheney were leaving! Yes, the Democrats have not been in office for 8 years! Yes --- we have majorities in both houses! Yes, we’ll have Democratically appointed Supreme Court Justices! And yes to many more of the changes our new president is bringing to Washington. But, does this explain it all? I think there is something else.

It is the joy of people who have once again felt their power and understood that they did something very important in this last election. Over the past eight years we felt our democracy slipping away. Two elections had been stolen from us --- Democratic voters prevented from voting--- the Supreme Court debacle in 2000, Ohio in 2004. Our rights have been curtailed and a despicable war has been raged in our name.

Why have there been few demonstrations, little public outcry. Why? What happened to ‘we the people?’ During this period I began to feel for the first time in my lifetime that what the Constitution said didn’t matter.

Then, election 2008 --- Hillary and Barack started slinging it out and they reminded us what political campaigning was all about. The people were back!

And today, every person on that Mall, attending that inauguration, was there because he/she had a part in making this day happen. Every knock on a door counted, every dollar donated counted, every voter counted --- we the people counted. We made the difference. We won that election --- and we put Barack Obama on that podium today to take the oath of President. That is why we are so excited --- he helped us to regain our power.

People were excited because our democracy is back, our process is back, our power as a people is back. Let’s never forget it and let’s never let anyone take it from us again.