Witnessing the 44th President's First Moment in Office
By RYAN LAWLER Special to the Independent
Photo by Katie Loss Democrats celebrate Barack Obama's inauguration Tuesday at the downtown White House, the closest local namesake to the Capitol building. It was an honor for me to travel to the nation's capital with LeadAmerica to attend Barack Obama's inauguration as a representative for California and Laguna Beach.
This trip was important to me for many reasons. It was my first visit to Washington, D.C., and will be an experience that I will always remember.
The welcoming concert for President-elect Obama was at the Lincoln Memorial. We stood by the frozen Reflection Pool and a strong sense of anticipation permeated the environment. Every soul anxiously waited to catch their first glimpse of the then president-elect. There were roars like I've never heard before. The minute he spoke, you could sense a magical energy in the air. I can't find the words to describe the mood and feelings people were experiencing. It was unbelievable.
Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech moved me now that I'm older. At school, all we learned was the basic meaning of his speech. I thank God that neither my family nor I today experience segregation and hatred as African Americans did.
LBHS senior Ryan Lawler on the Washington Mall for Barack Obama's inauguration. Despite the crowds and freezing temperatures, on inauguration day proud Americans stood vigilant for the first sight of movement on stage. After the arrival of former presidents, President George W. Bush and President-elect Obama walked together as they made their way to the stage. Whenever the president-elect appeared on the screen, the crowd roared and waved thousands of American flags. Words can't describe the emotions of the people around me. The majority of them were in tears.
Everything stood still. The crowd was silent during the swearing in. When he officially became president, cheers and applause erupted. The theme of the inauguration, "We are One," was never truer than at that moment. Tears rolled down the faces of women who were standing near me while others prayed aloud.
Obama's speech resonated throughout the Mall and touched every heart of every witness standing there. The look of optimism on peoples' faces will never leave my memory.
My week in Washington D.C. also included conferences with keynote speakers such Olegario Cantos of the U.S. Department of Justice and Dr. Martin Dupuis, author of "Barak Obama: The New Face of American Politics," as well as visits to several memorials. We were unable to visit others due to their closure for security reasons in preparation for the inauguration ceremony.
I will forever be grateful for this opportunity to be part of history and represent our city.
May God bless President Barak Obama with the wisdom, strength, and courage to rally the American people into working together and changing America for the better. Ryan Lawler is a Laguna Beach High School senior.
