Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear (but mainly Truthiness) - Diary of events 10/30/10

Split everything up by day just to make it easier for me, lol. I wrote five and a half pages of things I witnessed, so...yeah. Anyways...

10/30/10 (AKA The Greatest Day in America's Universe) National Mall Walk

(written Sunday morning.)

We arrived around 7 or so in the morning, and after dropping off a bag in storage (20.00, and when I picked my bag up the guy told me 120 others had done the same...Someone made a killing! Damn!) I made my way over to the Capitol, a beautiful building to see first thing in the morning.

After taking photos of some of the stunning architecture, I realized that I was rather turned around, lol, and made my way down to the National Mall.

It was already busy, with more people showing up in droves all the time. I wandered around a little bit, taking photos of signs (a popular past time, as it turned out) and while I originally did have a good view of the proceedings, I decided to get some sightseeing in as my time after the rally was rather scheduled. So, with that said, I began to walk down the Mall to the Lincoln Memorial. It was a longer trip than I expected; I had no idea that it was that huge; but eventually I made it.

Lincoln Memorial, as seen from the WWII monument

If you've been following the Daily Show for the last couple of weeks, you know that Jon's chosen recipient of any money made during the rally or selling of merch is going back too the national mall, in order to help pay for upkeep of the grounds. This is important, because while the mall is beautiful, other parts of it...not so much.

What...? This rancid pool is THE reflecting pool? I don't believe it.

...okay, never mind.

Half-empty, it still fulfills its intended purpose; however, when taking a closer look you see that one of our greatest monuments has been neglected. Garbage and dead leaves float in the shallows, and green algae lies stagnant on the bottom. It is truly, regrettably, in a sad state of affairs.

Next up, the Lincoln Memorial. It was beautiful, what else is there really to say? People milled around in a respectful silence, staring up at the giant marble statue or reading the Gettysburg Address which is carved into the walls of the memorial. One of the most moving places I've ever been to, for sure.

Anyways, later on today I will post about the actual rally. See you then!