Tuesday, January 20, 2009: Inauguration Day. By 6:00 a.m., Jil and her crew of able-bodied O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers were up and working. The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. camera crews were already in position on this cold, blustery morning in what used to be the nation's capital. Tom Chandler, Hooter, and Mike Osborn were confounded trying to hang a massive American flag that would be used as the backdrop for the inauguration ceremonies. "Hammy' and Dee (!!) showed up to help, freely distributing what Hammy called "primo gaunchey", claiming it would keep them warm while they worked. Yeah.....then Phil showed up with an urn that everyone expected was coffee. Yeah, right.....he'd been up all night concocting a special brew of hot-toddies that he claimed would keep them warm while they worked.
Somehow the work still got done. And as the new Presidential Triumverate and all the newly-elected members of Congress, assembled in front of the demolished Capitol Building, the swearing-in ceremonies took place with a unique blend of dignity, and informality. This was not the typical pomp-and-circumstance usually associated with such proceedings. There was no 'special seating' for prominent dignitaries or powerful and influential snoots. A small crowd had gathered (without any gold-encrusted invitations) to observe, but most Americans chose to stay home and watch it on television. Colin Powell spoke first:
"Three days ago," he began, "we honored all of those who died on January 17, 2008. Today, we honor all those who will be sworn in to give birth to a new, refreshed national society. As Thomas Jefferson once said, 'The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants'. Our country had been on the edge of disaster for years, and no one did anything about it. We all simply plodded along, content with our materialistic lives and distracted from the larceny that had overtaken our nation. While I was deeply offended by the murderous actions O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had taken, I was also compassionate to its cause. The devious skulduggery and unscrupulous conduct of our public officials had combined with the overt avarice of the corporate world and the lusty audacity of a vulgar society that culminated in a cesspool of national corruption and obsessiveness with all things decadent, gladsome, and material. This nation lost its spirit, and - with that - also lost its spiritualism. We mired ourselves in a quicksand of greed. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. became the colonial revolutionists of our modern times, picked up the gauntlet, and took upon itself the Constitutional right of our people to keep and bear arms against a tyrannical and oppressive government. Today, as we stand before you here amidst the ruins of our U.S. Capitol Building, we will pledge a solemn oath of personal poverty; abject and absolute commitment to the well-being of all Americans instead of a fortunate few; and the reform and rebirth of this great nation into a sovereign state of happiness, equality, contentment, peace, providence and harmony for all."
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, perhaps the two most insane and insalubrious leaders in United States history, had been among the very first to be assassinated by O.U.T.R.A.G.E. cell phone-detonated bombs. Members of Congress, 'big business' corporate executives, outlandish movie stars, wretched media goons, greedy industrialists and elitists, grotesque celebrities, frivilous sports figures, self-absorbed bureaucrats, and the idle rich who believed their privilege allowed them to use the world as their playground - all had been killed.
The public officials who had been elected on November 4, 2008 were installed as America's new class of public servants.
As the Chinese watched.
And the Russians watched.
And the North Koreans watched.
And the Iraqis watched.
And the Iranians watched.
And the Europeans watched.
And the Scandanavians watched.
And the Australians watched.
And the rest of the world watched.
What would happen next.....??
And the American people watched.