Why I Went to Washington, and What I Found There
When satirist Jon Stewart invited people to come to Washington, DC for a rally to restore sanity (and/or fear, in a joking addition to the program by Stephen Colbert), I decided to go. My reasons were simple: When someone says, “If you want to see more cooperation and civility in our public discourse, and maybe have a few laughs too, raise your hand,” and when showing up on the Washington Mall is the equivalent of raising your hand—well, then, I get on a train from Philadelphia and show up on the Washington Mall.
And I’m so glad I did. I’ve never before been in such a huge gathering where there was no pushing or shoving, where people said, “Sorry” or “Excuse me” every single time they accidentally bumped into you (and given the vast numbers of people there, bumps were inevitable). I’ve never felt such good, positive energy from such a large crowd. I’m sure the sunshine helped, but mostly it was just a relief to know that I’m not alone in wishing for more listening and more finding of common ground.
And in that “I’m not alone” department, the size of the crowd was awe-inspiring. I think the rally was only supposed to take up space as far as Seventh Street, but people filled the mall up to the foot of the Washington Monument. The energy when we did the wave, or jumped in unison, was breathtaking. Afterward, when we spilled into the streets, every road I could see in every direction was a solid mass of people. They walked calmly, enjoying themselves. Nobody seemed to be in a hurry, and even when we clogged the restaurants and had to wait in huge lines, I didn’t see anyone getting impatient or obnoxious.
People carried signs endorsing civility. They carried signs for diverse political causes, emphasizing how many different things are important to us, and how single-issue campaigns don’t capture everything we hold dear. They carried signs that were just silly jokes. There were people in Halloween costumes (and for those who wonder “Where’s Waldo?” I can tell you he was at the rally and also dined at a Mongolian barbecue restaurant afterward). I saw people of different races, and of all ages: families with young children, teenagers, senior citizens, college students. I saw same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples. In my immediate vicinity, there were a man wearing a U.S. Army jacket, a man with an athletic-association jacket, several families with kids of all ages, an older couple, and—(my writer friends will appreciate this)—a blanket where two preteen girls sat, one reading a book with complete absorption. I suspect everyone had their own reasons for being there, and Jon Stewart himself said all he asked for was people’s presence. Perhaps he just wanted to see that “show of hands,” as I did, for the idea of sanity. Sanity in a crazy, fun kind of way. Let’s laugh together more.
And I’m so glad I did. I’ve never before been in such a huge gathering where there was no pushing or shoving, where people said, “Sorry” or “Excuse me” every single time they accidentally bumped into you (and given the vast numbers of people there, bumps were inevitable). I’ve never felt such good, positive energy from such a large crowd. I’m sure the sunshine helped, but mostly it was just a relief to know that I’m not alone in wishing for more listening and more finding of common ground.
And in that “I’m not alone” department, the size of the crowd was awe-inspiring. I think the rally was only supposed to take up space as far as Seventh Street, but people filled the mall up to the foot of the Washington Monument. The energy when we did the wave, or jumped in unison, was breathtaking. Afterward, when we spilled into the streets, every road I could see in every direction was a solid mass of people. They walked calmly, enjoying themselves. Nobody seemed to be in a hurry, and even when we clogged the restaurants and had to wait in huge lines, I didn’t see anyone getting impatient or obnoxious.
People carried signs endorsing civility. They carried signs for diverse political causes, emphasizing how many different things are important to us, and how single-issue campaigns don’t capture everything we hold dear. They carried signs that were just silly jokes. There were people in Halloween costumes (and for those who wonder “Where’s Waldo?” I can tell you he was at the rally and also dined at a Mongolian barbecue restaurant afterward). I saw people of different races, and of all ages: families with young children, teenagers, senior citizens, college students. I saw same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples. In my immediate vicinity, there were a man wearing a U.S. Army jacket, a man with an athletic-association jacket, several families with kids of all ages, an older couple, and—(my writer friends will appreciate this)—a blanket where two preteen girls sat, one reading a book with complete absorption. I suspect everyone had their own reasons for being there, and Jon Stewart himself said all he asked for was people’s presence. Perhaps he just wanted to see that “show of hands,” as I did, for the idea of sanity. Sanity in a crazy, fun kind of way. Let’s laugh together more.
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