What a Riot
As is my way, I usually skip town during election week, and work from the road. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, we’re able to receive election results and put together a newspaper that is meant to capture the moment for posterity (and as many Parkvillians are about to find out, when their taxes are raised you will be thinking posteriorly).
In a perfect newspaper world, I imagine the Luminary publishing an “Extra” edition the night after the elections, but that seems a bit silly to me. Was there anyone in the world unaware of the election results moments after it happened? Still, we wanted to make sure we put together a nice commemorative edition of the Luminary and special thanks go to Wade Johnston, the talented graphic artist from Hallmark, who lended his talents to our page one this week.
Last presidential election, I reported from Washington D.C. This year, I was in New York. The New York Times sold out completely – I understand they went back for another printing and that copies of the newspaper are selling on E-bay for $100.
The night of the election, I was somewhere in Chelsea (I can’t do the Times Square thing) and experienced one of the most surreal scenes I’ve even been party to. Visiting a typical shot and a beer type of saloon with friends, the jukebox was silenced so the bartender could announce that Ohio went for Obama and the place started to cheer. Soon all eyes were on the TV and people listened silently as John McCain delivered his incredibly classy concession speech and began to wait for Obama’s turn at the mic in Chicago. When he came on the screen, the entire place stood up and watched without saying a word. In fact, I couldn’t hear a thing but Obama’s voice – not even a horn blowing outside.
As most everyone in the room knew, I did not vote for Barack Obama, and though there were parts of his speech that still managed to annoy me (I still can’t understand why he has to paint that bleak picture of the country every time he speaks…if anyone can understand the opportunities that still exist in America, it should be the President-Elect), I did get goose bumps towards the end, realizing that I was witnessing as big a historic moment as I’d probably ever see. And when he was done speaking, the place stayed silent for about 10 seconds before most everyone pumped their fists into the air and literally took to the streets.
It was unlike anything I had ever witnessed – at least not since the Phillies won the World Series a week ago. Thousands of people jumping up and down in the street chanting “O-BAM-A! O-BAM-A!” My cell phone was ringing near constantly through it all, the obligatory “rub-it-in to Vasto” calls starting to flow in. When they heard the shouting and the noise, they asked where I was.
“Dude,” I shouted into the receiver, “I don’t know…but I think I’m rioting!”
It was hardly a riot. Even though New York’s finest did have to come in and clear the streets, it was mostly a family affair…some even had their kids in strollers. After surfing on top of a few taxi cabs and hugging complete strangers for the next half-hour or so, I made it back to my hotel room with a few slices of Joe’s Pizza and thought it all over. We are heading into one of the more uncertain times, probably ever. We’re a nation at war, in the middle of a depression, with a completely untested leader who clearly has the ability to inspire people all around the world. This could be a great moment for America, or this could be a disaster.
As Americans, all we can do is take our new president at his catchphrase and hope.
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