So many Americans are planning to boycott this year’s Presidential inauguration. It’s the first time in most people’s memories when the majority of the population is absolutely aghast at the prospect of seeing our new President sworn in.
Hollywood stars and pop stars and musical stars are all refusing to perform for this inauguration. Some of the Democratic members of Congress are refusing to attend, saying that they can’t be part of an event that is designed to “normalize” racism, misogyny and a complete lack of personal ethics.
Hundreds of thousands of people are planning to go to Washington to protest the event while hundreds of thousands of others are promising not to watch it on television.
But what if you didn’t have that freedom? What if your job requires you to stand at attention, look professional and maybe even make music while you watch the country being turned over to a giant orange buffoon?
That’s the dilemma for a group of workers who spoke to the Huffington Post.
A woman who called herself “Diane”said that she considered finding a new job before January 20 when she realized that Donald Trump had won the election. She is a federal worker, and she was very worried about how the new administration might treat workers like her.
But she couldn’t walk away, she said. She is a member of the National Guard, and her unit is assigned to work the inauguration. She thought of it this way:
“Oh for heaven’s sake. Hopefully we show our best for this inauguration, despite who is being inaugurated. You’re no better than you are on your worst day, I guess I would say. We have a job to do, and I support our troops doing that job.”
Imagine. Standing at attention in respect for the incoming President almost sounds like combat duty.
There are also musicians, like the man who wanted to be called “George” for his interview. He is a member of a military band and played for the second inaugural ceremony for Barack Obama in 1012. He will do his duty, he said, but he isn’t happy about it. He said:
“It’s going to be a job. I don’t think I’m going to have any patriotic emotions like the ones that I experienced during Obama’s last inauguration.”
Just a job. Just a boring, stupid job that doesn’t give any sense of satisfaction.
Individual members of both New York’s Rockettes and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir have refused to attend the event.
And for the past five inaugural parades, at least one D.C. area marching band has been in attendance to celebrate the new President. This time?
Not one even applied to participate.
January 20 is going to be an interesting and historical day. Apparently a large number of people who will be there to witness it will do so through their tears.
In the video below, you’ll learn about one more band that has made plans to be there in spite of their own better judgement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIkKjioWmT4
Featured image by Maryland GovPics via Twitter. (CC BY 2.0)
