Today’s Crowds: Generations On the March
Here’s what "Nightline" anchor Terry Moran had to say about the inauguration crowd this morning at about 9:00 AM.
I just walked from 24th and M St. NW, around the Capitol, through the Rayburn Building, and have arrived at the West Front of the Capitol.
All along the way, people were laughing and smiling. Some sang. Families strode down the streets together, generations on the march. I saw crowds of ebullient young people; they filled the air with their chatter and cries. "Snap!" hollered one as he saw a couple who were passing out free Starbucks coffee.
I saw a group of a dozen or so people, black and white, stopped in the street, hands joined, in prayer. Older folks in wheelchairs, trucking along. Smokers paused in alleyways and entrances. The hucksters selling Obama this and Obama that.
And I was overwhelmed. I thought of a line from Walt Whitman: "The United States are essentially the greatest poem."
And as I look out now over the throng on the Mall–this is what he meant. Our strengths and weaknesses, our nobility and crassness, the noise and struggle and vastness of American life–our dizzying diversity–it is the most sublime articulation of the human soul ever achieved.
And today–whatever your politics–today is one of our masterpieces.
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Amen. Welcome to the UNited States of America. NOT Black American, White America Liberal America, Conservatice America not even Mexian American but the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Posted by: Jenny Rome Ga | January 20, 2009, 1:42 pm 1:42 pm
I am so excited to call Barack Obama my president. What I ask from the news media is to also focus on how he was raised by a single mother and grandparents. I have noticed all the camera’s with the reaction of kenyans. What about those in the proud state of Hawaii? Or where he was born. His mother taught him to overcome adversity and become successful. His grandparents continued to give hime guidance and the support to have strong values and convictions.
As a mother I ask that you stop focusing on someone who was not strong enough to work for a relationship with his child and found it all to easy to walk away.
Posted by: kathy | January 20, 2009, 1:55 pm 1:55 pm
When Barack Obama became president at noon as required in the Constitution though he hadn’t taken the Oath of Office yet, news stations showed Barack Obama, listening to the Musical Selection of John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet).
I think the New Stations should show that moment (at 12 noon) over and over again. It was just so moving seeimg Obama at that point and the music in the background intensifying that historical moment.
Posted by: Tessa Guerra | January 20, 2009, 1:58 pm 1:58 pm
just witnesses the most fantastic event in my 48 years. The numbers were much higher than they are reporting. Absolutley wonderful. Thank you America. Huge step for mankind.
Posted by: leutrell | January 20, 2009, 2:02 pm 2:02 pm
That was absolutely amazing. I can’t stop watching replays of the event. I am so proud to be an American and I feel so lucky, grateful and honored to live in a country which will now be led by such an intelligent & passionate man. The inauguration was beautiful and Obama’s speech couldn’t have been better. At only 22 years old I feel rejuvinated with the American spirit and am filled with emotion to be a present participant on this historical day. Thank you to all who voted for him, he will do great things…he already has. If you don’t believe me, watch the ceremony again and see the 3+ million people crowded in D.C. just to see him sworn in because only a few decades ago this would not have been possible. That alone is great.
Posted by: Samantha Feinerman | January 20, 2009, 2:56 pm 2:56 pm
Did he walk on water for all those in attendance, turn water into wine maybe?
Posted by: Todd | January 22, 2009, 11:45 pm 11:45 pm
Obama is overrated,reckless and everyone is blinded by the fact of him being the first black president not realizing what he has actually done within the two days of being in office.So,I believe everyone should stop thinking he is god because he is just another Martin Luther King who has a dream! Look at the economy,especially the oilfield has dramatically decreased when everyone seen he was going to take office. So what is he really fixing?
Posted by: Robert | January 23, 2009, 12:17 am 12:17 am
I am very glad to Call Barack Obama my president…
Posted by: DENNIS JUNIOR | January 23, 2009, 12:29 am 12:29 am
I find this absolutely stunning. I’m completely stunned. After what Terry Moran had to say about George Bush’s $40 million inaugural (openly questioning whether the money, in 2005, should be spent so “lavishly”), this is all he can say about Obama’s inaugural, which by some reports came to $240 million?
What an Obama shill he is. And those of you who can’t see that must love the taste of the koolaid.
Utterly stunned.
Posted by: wlv | January 24, 2009, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
On January 20, 2009, on Nightline, Terry Moran referred to the inauguration crowd as Generations on the March.
Three days later on January 23, 2009 there was another “Generations on the March” that Nightline failed to cover. His description of the crowd made me think of the Hundreds of Thousands of people that gathered for a peaceful march from the plaza to the front of Capitol on the 36th Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.
On th e20th he said “All along the way, people were laughing and smiling. Some sang.” Well, its a little harder for the supporters’ of Life to smile on the 36th Anniversary of the legalization of abortion, since it has lead to 50 million deaths of unborn children in the United States, but amazingly, they sang and prayed and took a stand to joyfully say that they love LIFE.
Terry said ” Families strode down the streets together, generations on the march. I saw crowds of ebullient young people; they filled the air with their chatter and cries.” This is exactly what happened in the March for Life. Young families with strollers, teens came by the thousands, the elderly, those in wheelchairs, from all walks of life and religious persuasion came together on the capitols doorstep, to be heard. They numbered several hundred thousand and were indeed “Generations On the March” but, the news media did not cover this momentous event.
Again Terry said: “I saw a group of a dozen or so people, black and white, stopped in the street, hands joined, in prayer. Older folks in wheelchairs, trucking along. The hucksters selling Obama this and Obama that.” Except for the huckster part, this is as it was at the March for Life. Every Race was present and not only joined hands and prayed by the hundreds, but linked arms and walked together begging God’s blessing on our Country and our new President. And the President and the news media, didn’t acknowledge their presence, or hear their voices. As a matter of fact, the President signed an order that will have the U. S. funding millions upon millions of abortions in other countries.
Quoting Terry again “And I was overwhelmed. I thought of a line from Walt Whitman: “The United States are essentially the greatest poem.”
And as I look out now over the throng on the Mall–this is what he meant. Our strengths and weaknesses, our nobility and crassness, the noise and struggle and vastness of American life–our dizzying diversity–it is the most sublime articulation of the human soul ever achieved.”
This amazes me too, and yet, I wonder why Terry and Nightline turned their back on this beautiful display of American Life and diversity and expression of the human soul expressed by those assembled on January 23, 2009. I believe they covered the “Sex Book” from the 70’s that night,. I was so upset, that I turned Nightline off. Actually that book might have contributed to the loose attitude Americans have concerning sex and to the need for easy abortions. I really find this an atrocity.
I was a faithful Nightline viewer, and had always thought it was fair and unbiased. However as the election neared, it became increasingly difficult to watch, as all coverage had become so slanted toward Obama.
Terry said “And today–whatever your politics–today is one of our masterpieces” This is simply absurd. If this is our masterpiece, the election of a man who will lead American to the extremes on murdering innocent children at home and abroad, then this shows how seriously flawed America has become.
Posted by: lkaumann | February 3, 2009, 7:26 pm 7:26 pm