By Mackenzie Jones, News Correspondent
WASHINGTON – They climbed into trees, they sat atop porta potties, they waited for hours in the cold just for a distant view of the podium. They clapped through the famous musicians and listened to a ticket of renowned legislators, but they came to see one man put his hand on a bible and take the oath of the highest office in the country.
Approximately 800,000 people gathered in the National Mall in front of the Capitol on Monday to hear President Barack Obama give his second inaugural address. But the discomfort of 800,000 people squished shoulder to shoulder in the crowd paled in comparison to the 1.8 million people at Obama’s first inauguration in January 2009.
For many though, the smaller crowd produced no less electricity. “Despite the fact that the crowd was a lot smaller this time, the energy was exactly the same,” New York City resident Erin Drinkwater, who also attended President Obama’s first inauguration, said
Drinkwater’s observations seemed to ring true. The crowd erupted in approval at the sight of President Obama, his wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha, and also political figures like Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden.
The 2013 inaugural address coincided with Martin Luther King Day, and the recurring theme of the President’s speech fit the the holiday: equality for all. Obama opened his speech by reciting the first lines of the Declaration of Independence and later transitioned to promoting the importance of equality, both economically and socially.
“Our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it,” Obama said. “The commitments we make to each other through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, these things do not sap our initiative, they strengthen us.”
President Obama’s 19-minute inaugural address touched on the importance of tackling climate change and changing gears to focus on new means of sustainable energy. “The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition, we must lead it.”
The President acknowledged that although America has come a long way socially, considering that less than a century ago blacks could not vote, he emphasized that “our job is not done.” He stated, “For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts . . . Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law . . . until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity.”
Many in the crowd seemed inspired by the speech, which some commentators have hailed as the most progressive of his presidency.
“The president’s speech encompassed what this country is really about. It gave us the kind of motivation that we need to move forward and work toward ultimate equality,” said Jim Moran, 25, of New York.
The animated and spirited atmosphere belied the actual temperature, which was 28 degrees Fahrenheit the morning of the speech.
One man climbed a tree more than 75 feet high just to hold his sign above the masses. The National Park Service waited at the bottom of the tree until the end of inauguration for him to climb down.
Several families situated themselves on top of porta potties where, although the smell was less than ideal, the view was something to brag about.
However, some did not adapt so easily to the crowds. When asked how she enjoyed the speech, George Washington University graduate student Anna Brach said, “I don’t know if I liked it. There was a ridiculously long line to the bathroom, I was trampled many times, and the people around me were extraordinarily rude. I guess what I heard of it was nice.”
The crowd got particularly boisterous at the sight of Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. But instead of cheers of approval, a loud and raucous moan of disapproval reverberated across the Mall.
The day was not all speeches and oaths. Pop star Beyonce Knowles concluded the ceremony for the second time with a performance of the National Anthem. American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson sang “My Country ‘tis of Thee” and folk singer James Taylor played “America the Beautiful.”
And for literature or poetry fans, Hispanic poet Richard Blanco recited his poem “One Today,” which evoked his childhood and America’s spirit.
President Obama’s address seemed to convey a sense of optimistic purpose to many attendees. The powerful tone suggested the President might enact tough policy with or without the support of a divided Congress.
“I have great expectations that [President Obama] will tackle climate change and global violence. He has no cooperation from Congress but he has a lot of executive power,” Judith Enck, 53, of New York City predicted.
