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We attended the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, along with a few million other people. Our tour bus picked us up at our hotel and dropped us off near the National Mall before sunrise. We were greeted by dozens of people wearing red ski-caps with Obama's name printed on the front in big letters. They were saying welcome to everyone. The greeters had large boxes of American flags and they were giving them away. The warm welcome gave people the courage to keep moving forward in the dark towards the National Mall, despite the crowds and freezing temperature. The energy in the crowd was incredible.

When we arrived on the National Mall, we saw a huge crowd of people. Some people were sleeping in piles like puppies. They were huddled together under blankets trying to keep warm. We were amazed that they did not get stepped on, as the crowd was incredibly large, and people were trying to get as close to the front as possible.
People were being kind and considerate. Some people laughed when they saw the people sleeping in piles.

We heard people say "precious cargo coming through", and then the crowd parted to allow an elderly woman in a wheelchair to make her way to the front. People were keeping each other warm and helping each other. We were like the huddled masses. No crimes were reported and there were no arrests. Our new President speaks about positive ways to come together and move forward. The people at the Inauguration responded positively to President Obama's powerful message of peace and love.

There were a lot of children at the Inauguration. Some came with their parents. Others came with groups from their schools. The children we talked to were very knowledgeable about politics and history. The people in the crowd were careful not to step on the small children and helped them get to a place where they would have a good view of one of the jumbo-trons . We saw several children climb high into a tree on the National Mall. Those children stayed up in that tree for hours. They had a bird's eye view.

We met people from all walks of life. We met doctors, nurses, teachers, accountants, students, journalists, business owners, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and more. People were hugging strangers, crying tears of joy, and sharing their stories. There were people from all over the United States at the Inauguration. People from all races, religions, and socioeconomic situations came together to celebrate this awe-inspiring historic event.

Many people were wearing purple and waving the American flags they were given that morning by the greeters. People said they were wearing purple because red and blue make purple. As our country faces an enormous national debt and an economic crisis, both Republicans and Democrats attending the Inauguration said they felt a strong need to support President Barack Obama and the United States of America.

Learn more about this author, Linda Shortell.
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