Nation comes to celebrate democracy and freedom

From across the nation, Americans gather on a special day to watch a tradition that is nearly as old as the country itself. That tradition is the inauguration of the next President of the United States.

Despite differences in opinion or political preferences, the United States is one of the few nations that always carries out a peaceful transition of power from president to president. On Jan. 20, history was made as Donald J. Trump was officially inaugurated the 45th President of the United States of America.

Among those to witness the historic event were FC alumni Sharyl (Iest) De Jong, ‘95, Melanie (Wright) Swagger, ‘95, and their spouses. The group traveled with California Congressman Devin Nunes, who is personal friends with Melanie Swagger’s husband, Kevin Swagger.

Hundreds of thousands of people traveled to the National Mall to watch as the president was sworn into office. While the crowd was not quite as large as expected, many other people tuned in to watch the inauguration on TV.

For Melanie Swagger, the experience made her proud to be an American. After taking this trip, she looks forward to the future of the nation.

“The atmosphere at the actual inauguration ceremony was absolutely surreal,” Swagger said. “There were so many pro-Trump people, just like us, who were filled with so much joy and excitement as our new president took his oath. Hundreds of thousands of us gathered to watch and applaud Mr. Trump and his beautiful and loving family.”

De Jong enjoyed the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. and believed the experience was worth the trip.

The atmosphere at the actual inauguration ceremony was absolutely surreal. There were so many pro-Trump people, just like us, who were filled with so much joy and excitement as our new president took his oath. Hundreds of thousands of us gathered to watch and applaud Mr. Trump and his beautiful and loving family. –Melanie Swagger

“The feeling at the inauguration was very patriotic and exciting,” DeJong said. “The crowd was mostly Pro-Trump. People were crying with joy. There was a strong sense of pride.”

Following the inauguration, De Jong and Swagger and their spouses were able to attend the Freedom Ball. The ball, one of three that the president personally attended, had around 22,000 people in attendance.

The event was an unforgettable experience for Swagger who enjoyed seeing the president and his family make an appearance at the ball.

“The parties and balls we attended afterward were an experience I’ll never forget,” Swagger said. “The first night we were able to go to the Freedom Ball, where the president and his entire family attended. President Trump gave a brief speech and then they left to go to another event.”

The following night, the group attended the Washingtonian Ball, held at the Smithsonian American Art Venue. Unlike the Freedom Ball, this event featured a fairly even mix of Republicans and Democrats.

De Jong enjoyed this event as attendees were able to view the art in the museum and the mood was light-hearted. While many at the ball did not share the same political views as De Jong, both sides were thankful to live in America.

“The vibe was celebratory,” De Jong said. “We met some Democrats in particular who were fearful about President Trump. However, they were hopeful and we agreed that we live in the best country in the world.”

While many traveled to the capitol to support the new president, others came to voice their displeasure. Protesters were seen taking to the streets as soon as Trump’s inauguration began. However, a large amount of security was able to keep the group away from most of the others.

The Swagger’s and De Jong’s saw a few protesters on Inauguration Day, but the strong presence of military and police forces made them feel safe throughout the trip.

De Jong felt that the inauguration went smoothly and was thankful for the presence of the police officers.

“The only tense moment was when two hecklers were yelling to impeach Trump when the president started to speak,” De Jong said. “The crowd around got very angry. However, it didn’t take long for security to escort them out.”

While the presence of protesters was not strongly felt at first, the following day was much different. Thousands of activists took to the the streets of D.C. to stand up for women’s rights, claiming that their new president would hinder them.

While Swagger supports freedom of speech, she did not believe the profanity and signs the protesters used matched their message of ‘love and equality’.

“They weren’t violent physically, however their vulgarity, hate and profanity that filled their attire and signs was rather sad to me,” Swagger said. “We continued to walk around smiling. We didn’t let them steal our joy.

“They were promoting love, yet all their signs and yelling were full of hate and disgusting profanities,” Swagger continued. “I truly believe in democracy and free speech. However, the way in which most of them were talking and yelling was not in the love message they say they were there for.”

Both Swagger and De Jong believe that this was a trip worth taking and encourage others who are able to, to take it in the future. Regardless of political beliefs, the inauguration is a time when the nation can come together to celebrate the Democracy and freedom that we have.

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