Letter From A DC Jail

Remember my friend Joe? I heard from him today.
I didn't ask his permission to post this, but I'm sure he won't mind.

His report from the inaugural:


"Lincoln used the same bible in 1861 in which he professed "It is not can any of us imagine better? but, can we all do better? The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise -- with the occasion."

January 20, 2009, a frigid but beautiful day in Washington DC, I tried remaining vigilant to my appointed duties. Concepts of plausible threat, emergency operation centers, joint regional intelligence centers, national incident management systems, active shooters, and improvised nuclear detonations all bounced in and out of my conscious and subconscious vision.

For the previous 45 days, I had toiled within the negative “what-ifs”, developed plans, consulted and revised, all bent on the common purpose of ensuring a safe and incident-free inauguration ceremony.

Days prior, I walked the grounds of the mall watching the freezing sun fade to the west, marveling at the magical effect transitory light had on color, tone, and focus while transforming the nations monuments into faceless grey giants. But, I persevered, on-guard and on the job.

“Game day” arrived without incident; millions crowded the historic mall. I walked around looking at excited faces, some participating in hopes of change and new direction, others for redemption and payment of a check written long ago, made famous by Dr King as his words roared across this same piece of land over forty years ago, that all men, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I had listened to the entire Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech the night before in a crowded DC bar. Even today, his charisma and soulful delivery seduced a martini amped crowd into an emotional silence…for the entire seventeen minutes.

And now, today, I listened to, in person, the words of Barack Obama, while continuing to hear the words of Dr King and Lincoln. My charge and duties now complete, I could relax. In my mind, these three men whom I admire so much, were singing together, their collective words thundering overhead like great chords of beautiful music, inspiring us all towards a better tomorrow.

One of the great days of my life.

Joseph"