The Chicago Sun-Times is chronicling the journey to Monday's inauguration with the Frazier Family of Marquette Park, and blogging about it. Catch our first story in the series here.
At 11 a.m., sadness sets in, then anger. A rumble moves through the crowd. Just who was responsible for organizing this anyway? In their wisdom, they've placed only three stations at the general admission checkpoint. Three people entering at a time and being searched? What were they thinking?
Pamela keeps her chin up for the grandkids, as she tries to wrap her mind around the fact that this inauguration journey is about to end in disaster. How did this happen? The organizers had predicted the crowds would be significantly smaller this second time around, that the novelty factor had faded. It sure didn't look like it as you pushed through the crowds and scanned the same multitudes here today on the National Mall.
"Did they do this on purpose?" Pamela wonders, as she looks behind her at the folks who clearly will not witness this inauguration, despite traveling from far and wide. "Did they not want so many people out here?"
"This isn't right," another woman nearby complains, co-signed by a growing chorus of the frustrated.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, an angel appears, announcing the 5th Street entrance for ticket holders is now accepting general admission. No one moves, then some slowly give up their place in line.
The Fraziers debate, decide they have nothing to lose -- no one here is getting in for hours. So they hike the two blocks to the John Marshall Plaza entrance.
At 11:35, five minutes into the 2013 inauguration ceremony, the Fraziers make it into this other gate, onto Pennsylvania Avenue, and scramble to a jumbotron....just in time to see Vice President Joe Biden, followed by U.S. President Barack
Obama, take oaths of office....with a little James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson and Beyonce in between.
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