An ordinary inauguration for an inordinary election

On January 7th, 1789 the nation faced its first ever inauguration. Everything was set in stone, the great George Washington was to become commander in chief of our nation. Despite the near perfect circumstances conflict still arouse. Moments before Washington was to be sworn into office organizers of the event discovered that there was no Bible on hand. A borrowed Bible was quickly placed under the hand of Washington and the first president was sworn in. 

Since the beginning of our nation the Inauguration has been the prime setting of conflict, crisis and mishaps. In 1829 the inauguration of Andrew Jackson could be described as nothing less than chaos. As described by a Washington Socialite “Ladies fainted, men were seen with bloody noses and such a scene of confusion took place as is impossible to describe.” The controversial evening concluded as Jackson was forced to jump out of a window to protect his life and fulfill his duty as the new man in office. President William Henry Harrison died 31 days after taking office because he caught a cold after the extreme weather during his inauguration. Vice President Andrew Johnson drank a few shots of whiskey before giving his speech at President Lincoln's inauguration. Lincoln was forced to sit in embarrassment as the drunk, newly inaugurated Vice President gave a twenty minute slurred speech at the inauguration of 1865. In 1873 the 100 canaries used for a performance at the inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant froze to death in their cages. The "bird incidents" don't stop there, in 1973 an "escapee" rooster interrupted a ball following the inauguration ceremony of President Richard Nixon. 

All of these historical stories can be looked back on in laughter and lessons learned for today's people. The peaceful transition of power has always and I repeat ALWAYS involved mishaps, accidents, brawls, violence, and bloopers. No inauguration has gone pristine. There will always be protest, wardrobe malfunctions and escapee roosters.

January 20th, 2017 the inauguration of Donald J. Trump. Performers refused to perform to show their support for "equality" and "nondiscrimination" but ended up showing disrespect to their country, and promoted discrimination against opposing views. Designers refused to contribute their specialization in trade to the Trump family's wardrobe, a perfect opportunity to leave a legacy in history. I believe the inauguration is not about one man. The inauguration is about our nation coming together under new leadership. I don't care if your candidate did not win if you want to promote a peaceful transition of power and you are a strong political figure you better show face at the inauguration. By not showing face you are making our nation about one man.  Yes, there were protests, riots, and violence. But were there is protest there is freedom.

Leading up to the inauguration. The media discussed the rather "small" crowd that would be present at the 2016 inauguration. I believe that this was another stance that a liberal media took in order to add an emphasis to the "horrid" event that was to occur to our nation. Sources from the White house state that the media downplayed the crowd in order to increase views and add a "dramatic flare" to what was presented as an elegant and serene event. 

I believe these next four years will keep our nation on the edge of their seats. People who never cared about politics will begin tuning into the news to watch our president. I think my generation will be more involved in politics than any other generation, because with a president like Donald J. Trump how can you not? Whether you agree or disagree you will want to know the latest news. It's like a new awakening. Everyone is beginning to be involved in politics. Now that politics is more common those who succeed in this new world of will have to be those who are educated in the history of our nation. Therefore, I would like to conclude with the fact that no, this was not an "out of the ordinary" inauguration. In comparison to past events, January 20th, 2016 went smoothly. Trump's speech was extremely presidential as he not once spoke of himself but rather added flares of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan's speeches. A summary of the speech could be described as power being given back to the people. 

  

"For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

(APPLAUSE)

That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment, it belongs to you.

(APPLAUSE)

It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.

(APPLAUSE)

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people."