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George, If The Shrub wins by some strange stroke of "luck," I plan on being at the inaugural with a sign as big as I can carry reading: "Thief, Thief, Thief!" Susan McCleary (electronic mail, November 17, 2000). George, At this time, I don't have a clue. I might join good friend Susan McCleary in DC for the Democratic inauguration parade of President Al Gore . . . or a "Hail to the Thief" inauguration protest of El Presidente Bush. During the 1957 inaugural parade for President Dwight Eisenhower, I indirectly interrupted the event when my Mother started her birth labor. On route to the hospital in DC, the parade was stopped momentary so Dad could navigate through the event. And forty-three years later, I'm still a nuisance to the Republican Party. Steven Sisson (electronic mail, November 18, 2000).
Dear George, If Bush and the Republicans steal the election of the Presidency, on Inauguration Day I plan to be marching in protest in DC, just as I did in 1972 at Nixon's second inauguration. Why would any real Democrat question what Gore is doing in Florida? He's a hero. Best regards, Kay Peaslee (electronic mail, November 24, 2000). Editor's Note: "Coming less than a month after Nixon unleashed the Christmas bombing of Hanoi in an effort to force North Vietnam to the truce table, [Nixon's] second inauguration was accompanied by a massive anti-war demonstration of between 25,000 and 100,000 people who marched from the Lincoln Memorial to rally at the Washington Monument. Thirty were arrested. In addition to the demonstrators at the monument, bands of hecklers badgered the parade itself with skull masks, Vietcong flags and mock coffins, chanting 'Nixon is a racist swine, make him sign on the dotted line.' 'Nixon said, "Peace is at hand,"' said the coordinator for the National Peace Action Committee. 'But looking around here today, it appears not everyone is convinced'" (Ken Ringle, The Washington Post, January 10, 2000). George, I think as many of us as possible should go to DC to protest the inaugural. It should not be a joyous party but a reminder of injustice. Alex Searls (electronic mail, December 13, 2000). George, I'm considering taking my daughter out of school that day and both of us protesting the inauguration. Democracy is dead. Milosovic is a Republican. Ellora Young (electronic mail, December 14, 2000). George, Where will I be? I will make every effort to be off work and at home watching this wonderful event on tv. Unlike many others who may not quite understand how this country is supposed to work, I will not be protesting a supreme court decision with which I disagree. Our new president is one who believes in the sanctity of human life (all human life) and will do all he can to protect it. His economic policies will enhance the strong robust economy created in 1994 by our conservative led congress. Yes, I may even break out a bottle of champagne and toast the end of 8 years of immoral and incompetent leadership. Jay R. Brown, Richmond, Va (electronic mail, January 7, 2001). * * * * * George: Jenn and I will be in DC attending the ceremony, watching the parade and the Inaugural Ball at the Ronald Reagan building on Pennsylvania Ave. In reading your other reader's comments, it appears that others from Charlottesville will be attending too (though not for the same reasons...) so I hope to see some faces I recognize up there. Jenn and I love to run into people from Charlottesville whenever we are away (we ran into Marshall Pryor - Young Men's Shop, while on our honeymoon in Ireland). I guess if Susan McCleary, Steven Sisson, Kay Peaslee, Alex Searls, Ellora Young and others want to go protest they are more than welcome but I hope they remember that we are all Americans and we all live together under the same basic guidelines of morality. If anything it's always nice to say hi. I wonder if someone would treat me differently in DC than they would here in Charlottesville just because they were protesting an event - probably ..... Will Lyster (electronic mail, January 11, 2001).
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