The Inauguration.

[icarus]

Was at school this morning during the inauguration, but my Greek history professor filled us in.

The professors gathered to watch in the Jackson school employee lounge. When the clock ticked past 9am (12 noon eastern time) someone said, "We've now been without a president for two minutes."

The Jackson school has a huge poli-sci department. One of the professors informed everyone that Barack Obama was president regardless of the swearing in. That was just a formality. "Ah."

Glad that was cleared up. :D

I went home after my noon class and watched the taped inauguration on CNN with Monte kitty curled in my lap. Wow. What an incredible crowd. This is the first time I regret no longer living in Maryland, because it would have been cool to have been there.

Watched the inaugural parade live. Conclusion: The US has a lot of marching bands. My favorite was the Navy playing "Anchors Away."

Then... the plumber came to fix the fridge. Tonight: More marching bands, this time in Seattle. I can hear the parties rolling. I, on the other hand, have homework.

Welcome to a new era, where anything's possible. Just ten months ago WG swore that "we'll never have a black president. This country's too racist." Score one for optimism.


ETA: In his first move as president, Obama has already suspended the military tribunals at Guantanimo Bay. Yes! (Hey, did you notice Cheney in the wheelchair? Apparently he hurt his back moving boxes. Heh. Probably hurt it bending over the paper shredder.)

Comments

[mad_maudlin]

I managed to stream it from Yahoo, even if I had to put up with babbling ABC announcers who kept interrupting speakers. That speech!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I streamed it from CNN's website.

As he gave his speech I kept thinking over and over again, "This is our president. This is our president." So dignified. And... noble. I watched my cynicism flake off like rust as I dared to believe, just a little.

[likethemodel.livejournal.com]

Obama also suspended all pending Bush regulations (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/20/obama-chief-of-staff-puts-a-stop-to-pending-bush-regulations/) including, I'm hearing, the HHS "conscious" rule.

I hope it's true!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I have empathy for doctors put in that situation. They sign on to save lives, not take them away. I think they should have the option to refer abortions to another doctor unless the circumstances warrant it, such as the mother's life being in danger. If I were a doctor and had taken the Hippocratic oath, I wouldn't want to violate it either.

[likethemodel.livejournal.com]

Abortion is hard issue and I think it's fair to allow doctors to refuse to perform them as long as there's other options available to the patient. My problem with the "conscious" rule is it can allow health care providers to refuse to give out birth control or even give information about birth control. And while that may not be a problem for some who can quickly find a new clinic, but it is for many Americans limited by transport and money.

And then the rule itself is so vague: "prohibits ... [d]iscrimination against individuals, physicians, and health care personnel who refuse to participate in HHS funded research activities or lawful health services on the grounds that such participation would be contrary to personal religious beliefs or moral convictions." (http://www.lathrophealthlawyers.com/2008/12/articles/hospitals/medical-staff/hhs-issues-right-of-conscious-rule/)

There's a nurse is New Mexico (http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/01/19/whoops-anti-choice-nurse-accidentally-pulls-out-womens-iuds/) who (it seems) has been taking out the IUDs without the consent of her patients and then has refused to replace them. The "conscious" rule IMO gives people like her shelter to force their religious beliefs onto others.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I used to work for the Sisters of Providence, first (briefly) for the Providence campus of Swedish Medical Center, and then later for their investment plan. The sisters built that hospital about a hundred years ago. They volunteered where there was no health care available, gathered funds to buy a building, and nursed the sick themselves until they could hire doctors.

They and Swedish have a terrific reputation. It's one of the best hospitals in Seattle. I have the utmost respect for the sisters and enjoyed working for them. I've never heard of any sort weirdness like that nurse in New Mexico. They would crack down on that nurse hard, and then fire hear (after a blistering talk, which would actually be worse than being fired, trust me, they are tough when it comes to ethical violations).

The hospital has always had the principle that if you can't save both the mother and the baby, they will save the mother. They do not perform abortions. Swedish does provide normal contraceptives, but they do not provide the "morning after" pill, which is sometimes a form of abortion.

The nuns founded the hospital with their own hands and still run it today. Their habits whisper along the floor as walk through the halls. They are not whackjobs who pull out I.U.D.s. Nothing of the sort, and it's a gross mischaracterization.

The nuns and doctors at Swedish represent the norm for medical centers and medical professionals who choose not to perform abortions.

The sisters built the hospital. They should not be forced to comply to beliefs of those who think that human life is just material -- which is a belief, one that philosophers have kicked around for thousands of years. No one has the answer. Though many, scientists and religious folk alike, think they do.

Frankly, knowing the sisters, they would not comply. They simply wouldn't accept public funding with that sort of string attached. Which would be too bad because that would mean they couldn't accept Medicaid and Medicare and make their hospital more expensive than others. Honestly, I don't know if they accept public funds right now. Probably not.

So typical of Bush to have such fuzzy language that it could open the door to criminal negligence. Taking out an I.U.D. is minor compared to what could happen. The language should be reviewed and changed.

But there should be a means that the many excellent hospitals run by nuns (look for any hospital with the name "Saint" anything, and it was founded by nuns) can accept Medicaid and Medicare. That would open the doors of these hospitals -- especially to the elderly who are on Medicare.

Truth to tell, it's more important that the elderly get the best possible care. They tend to be in hospitals more than the rest of us. The religious hospitals have a reputation for treating the elderly with more respect. Bush's loophole is likely not the best solution, but abortion -- a non-issue for most geriatrics -- shouldn't be tied to Medicare.

[pokemonjuggler.livejournal.com]

I watched it in the...I guess it's like a student center or something. But there is a big tv in there, and there were a few hundred people watching. And at least on live CNN when it just ticked past noon, the announcer said about how we now have a new president because it counts even if he didn't say the oath yet, and everyone cheered, and then I decided that it was a wonderful idea to watch it with everyone instead of going to the computer lab to stream it.

[stentoriansista.livejournal.com]

Heehee, don't regret not living in MD, even for this. ;) I watched from my folk's house in NC, even though I live in DC. We decided that without tickets (which were basically impossible to get as District residents, since everyone and their mom wanted to go) we'd be watching it on a tv screen anyway, and this way we could do it without freezing our asses off. I'm slightly envious of all my friends who went, but then I remember that they're not going to be able to get around the city for at least a couple of days b/c of the insane(ly awesome) influx of people, and I get to snuggle up and look at the snow on the dunes outside. Also, I can't stop making references to "President Obama". It's so much fun to say!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

The moment that I keep coming back to fondly was the image of former president Bush's helicopter leaving, oh, ten milliseconds after the inauguration. What a wonderful sight.

[cyanne]

There was a group of us watching at work and it was wonderful to be able to see history. We were talking about Cheney too and somebody asked why he didn't get someone to move the boxes for him. I couldn't help it and said "that doesn't work if your trying to sneak stuff out."

And of course living in Maryland I now have to ask where you lived?

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yep, you know it.

I moved around a lot, but mostly I lived in Germantown then Gaithersburg, and worked in Bethesda and Rockville. Where do you live?

[cyanne]

Reisterstown, which is north of Owings Mills/northwest of Baltimore.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inzilbeth_/]

My favorite band was the Gay and Lesbian Assoc Band (I think I got the name right), they were fabulous! Next I loved the band mad up of all older musicians and band front. Our new first lady loved them too. A great day! I took off from work to take it all in. I am very hopeful! Loved your Cheney joke!

[harveywallbang.livejournal.com]

i was there! i was ALLLLLLLL the way in the back just in front of the washington monument, and when the time came for his speech, there were so many people, i was turned around backwards facing away from the capitol, and could barely hear his speech and physically could not move. got friendly with a lot of strangers.
when we were all leaving, people were climbing overtop of the port-a-potties. it was insane.... as we all walked back to our bus parking lot, the masses of us were filling up the streets, and we were walking so slow it was like a zombie invasion.
it was an experience, but i never need to go to another inauguration again, even if a woman gets inaugurated. it's not worth it more than once, if you don't have the actual tickets.