OPINION:
They all should be in Chicago.
So very, very glad to know, though, that D.C. will be glammed up once Donald Trump occupies the White House. No offense. It’s just that the whole-food, vegan vibe isn’t organic to a little city like Washington, where nearly everything and everyone is from somewhere else.
Consider the lineup of rallies and protestations surrounding Inaugural Week.
New York native Al Sharpton wants to launch a resist-Trump movement on Jan. 14 in Washington. The rally is labeled We Shall Not Be Moved. Mr. Sharpton, the revered Rev. Shaprton, should be holding his rally in Chicago, pressuring politicians, bolstering peacemakers and reassuring children they shall not be moved until the bloodletting subsides.
Another New Yorker, Sen. Bernie Sanders, who stands on the losing side of the Democratic presidential election, wants us to follow the Sharpton protestations in Any City, USA on Sunday, Jan. 15.
In a “Dear Colleague” letter, Mr. Sanders joined Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer in urging them to use the day before the official MLK holiday to rally around the country to vigorously oppose the Republican plan to end Medicare as we know it and throw our health care system into chaos.” (Hmm. Are Christians not expected to attend on that Sunday?)
Messrs. Sanders and Schumer, and Mrs. Pelosi undermine Chicagoans and black America every day they are silent about the record pace with which human beings are being cut down and maimed in the Windy City.
On Monday the 16th, traditional supporters of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday usually perform community work. “A day on” not a day off, the slogan goes. (They’ll be too pooped if they follow Mr. Sharpton’s and Mr. Sanders’ lead.) Shame, shame, shame no peace rally is afoot.
Then, there’s all the official inaugural hoopla, including the main attraction, the swearing in. Afterward, there’s the gowns and tuxedos, balls and parties, drinks and drunkards, how-dos and please don’ts. The frenzied “media,” and worn-out hospitality staffs and political party gurus yearning to be free.
By the time Saturday rolls around? Well, take a gander: Gloria Steinem and the I-am-woman-hear-me-roar crowd wants us to hit the streets after the inauguration. All size bras are welcome, thank you very much. Besides, braless Harry Belafonte is co-chair of the Women’s March on Washington.
Why the women libbers even thought it necessary to genderize their event is beyond post-gender comprehension.
Anyway, one of the most appealing aspects of inauguration week is the money, honey.
A crowd of 400,000 are expected to attend official inauguration events, with 500,000 to 1 million attendees expected at pre- and post-inaugural affairs.
The ca-ching is the most appealing of all: The economic benefits to the D.C. area range between $1.04 billion and $1.34 billion. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Of course, while D.C. is always a yuuuge magnet for government protests and rallies, there’s another city that deserves far more attention, and undivided at that. If you still are unsure what city that is and where, simply click here.
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