Counter-Inaugural March 2005

Thursday evening I had occassion to attend the largest protest march I've ever been to, George W. Bush's counter-inaugural protest in Westood.



Thousands upon thousands of old and young folks turned out in droves, beating drums, holding signs and shouting in union to the injustices of an imperialist administration. Speeches were read of lies told to a people, hypocricy and racist rhetoric and practices.

After I parked my car, I ran into the nearby Rite Aid for a disposable camera since mine is on the blink. A man in line asked another what the point of the march was since Bush had already been inaugurated some six hours earlier. The sentiment had been echoed minutes earlier by a young girl in the parking structure although I think realistically I'm giving her too much credit since I do believe her question of whether or not the protest would stop the inauguration was a question of ignorance towards when the inaguration even took place instead of sardonic criticism.

So, the questions remains: what is the point of such a protest?

Having the rights of free speech and assembly, it's necessary to exercise them when faced with issues that cause mass dissent. In doing so, we continue to motivate and educate each other, we encourage each other which is critical in times such as these when it's easy to feel dejected. To see the faces of those who are part of your struggle is both invigorating and rejuvenating.

Living in a blue state, I sometimes wonder if maybe *I'M* wrong, perhaps the Red States know better and I'm brainwashed by a liberal community. A black lesbian told me quite convincingly that if the people speak collectively on an issue (i.e. gay marriage) and decide that it is not to be, then we are to just accept that because "the people have spoken". Head cocked to one side, I actually questioned my indignation for a moment.

I think that tends to happen for a lot of us. Feeling outnumbered, we tend to not speak out on how we feel because we question our stances. Coming together, we "come back to the middle" as I like to say. As a collective we have the opportunity to arm ourselves with facts to counter the arguments of those who try to tell us we're wrong, the stories of those who have suffered remind us of why we are angry and the vision of the souls who stand united with us give us the energy to press on.

So, while the counter-inaugural protest may not have had any tangible results, George W. Bush is still in office and we are still still occupying Iraq, it turned the frequency up on the voice of dissent in this country. United we huddled in front of the podium, signs raised, drums beating, listening to Robin Tyler comically assert that the Republican party should change its avatar from an elephant to a prophylactic ("it assists inflation, impedes production and gives a false sense of security when you're getting fucked"). Sage wafting through the air, we stood united, angry, drums beating, chants shouting listening to the stories of those who have endured war and now stand on the side of peace.

So, no, the rally and march did not stop the inauguration, but if nothing else, this administration now knows that the natives are restless.