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No where have I ever found a more eloquent or better delivered description of how the experiment of America is supposed to work than Aaron Sorkin (West Wing) and Michael Douglas' President Andrew Shepherd from the movie "The American President."  If you have never seen the whole movie I implore you to watch it in its entirety (I'm sure it's on Netflix) but at the very least especially today please watch the speech below and consider the powerful words as you celebrate today in your own way.

And just for fun Bill Pulman's speech from the movie "Independence Day".

(Please scroll down for my own thoughts on the experience.)

(Update: Added the video above, I think it is appropriate and inspiring to hear the story told by the children.)

Redcoats march on Lexington Green, Red Sox game start time 11:05am, oh and a little marathon. It can only be one day and in New England it's known as Patriot's Day.  It occurred to me as I was heading down RT 3 at about 4:45am this morning that perhaps no other day of the year better represents the true spirit of New England.

Certainly there's no doubt we love our sports here in the six states that make up New England, and if it's sports you're looking for we've got plenty on tap for today.  Red Sox and runners aside what today is about celebrating the events that kick started a revolution that lead to the birth of the nation and way of life we take for granted.  It was in fact the celebration of these events, that occur some 234 years in the past, that had me up and on the road at 4am this cool and foggy New England morning.

Each year a dedicated group of reenactors and the citizens of Lexington, MA and New England at large gather on the town green, just as a similar group did 234 years ago, to commemorate the Battle of Lexington and what's often referred to as "the shot heard round the world."  For 27 years I lived in New England and always said I wanted to get up and witness it for myself but I never did, until today.  Having never been I didn't quite know what to expect and I, perhaps naively, assumed that there wouldn't be much of a turnout I mean who is going to climb out of bed for 5:30am in the morning to watch as history lesson?  Well I as in for a surprise. I made my way to the Lexington green where I joined easily a couple thousand of my fellow New Englanders from all walks of life and all ages.  To my extreme amusement the same New England resolve and determination the Minutemen had displayed on that green two centuries ago was on full display as the locals and veterans erected their step ladders and hand built platforms and climbed them with their children to get a view above the crowds.

The reenactment itself was certainly a very unique history lesson and I learned for example that on that April morning in 1775 Samuel Adams and John Hancock were actually using Buckman's Tavern as their headquarters and in their haste to flee left several important papers behind.  Paul Revere who had been captured but then released by a British patrol learned of this and was able to retrieve the documents from the tavern just minutes before the British arrived on the scene and this was depicted quite accurately in the reenactment.  Perhaps what struck me the most being able to actually see some of the events unfold in person was how intimidating the British Redcoats must have been, you could hear them coming well down the road with their dumb corps and they arrived on the scene as a well oiled military machine in full formation barking commands and replies. Seeing the presence with which they arrived on the scene I can't say that I blame some of the colonials for having second thoughts and backing off. 

I also found the attention to detail in the costumes and the reenactment of the vents in general very impressive as well. One example of this was at one point after the battle had broken up the British had marched up the street and as I was walking back to my car a group of several British troops came marching down the road, in formation, complete with drummers and pipers. Seeing them that closely with the level of detail I paused and watched them march by and it really honestly looked and felt like I was standing there and they had marched straight out of 1775.  Another example of this detail was on display as I continued up the road, several British Redcoats were milling about outside one of the local churches and there were young colonial girls serving them water from period pewter dishes.  It's also interesting that the people who live in the houses along the green also open their homes so that the appropriate Minutemen, etc., can come from that actual house. I guess the bottom line on the reenactment itself was that I bought it, I bought that what I was seeing was probably not that much different than the scene that had unfolded 234 years earlier. 

For as great and unique a history lesson as the reenactment was I found myself most moved by some of the little moments I was privleged enough to witness.  First off the number of kids, teenagers and people in general who turned out was truly inspiring and frankly reaffirms my beliefe in the experiment we call America. Perhaps equally inspiring was witinessing this scene: A group of asian men walked up to one of the Minutemen as I passed and asked for a picture, he asked "Where are you guys from?" and they replied "China." Yeah just ponder the symbolism of that picture. Or speaking of symbolism how about the group of several current U.S. service men in dress uniforms posing for a picture with the British Redcoats.  Or the child who innocently asked his dad "Are they starting a war?"

As I walked away one of the things that surprised me was I felt some sense of anger that we don't do a better job in this country of honoring and caring for those who currently serve in our Armed Forces.  What they do on a day to day basis is no less heroic than those who passed on the green. It's the collective responsibility of the entire country to play the part of the bonneted women and girls for those who choose to serve today.

I also felt a great deal of pride in New England.  I think New Englanders in general are pretty aware of the role our ancestors played in the birth of this nation, as evidenced directly by the number of us that turned out on the Lexington green this morning.  What bugs me is that the rest of the country doesn't seem to understand or have the same level respect of respect for the role New England played. New England is so often written off as elite, to those who would apply that stereotype to New England I invite you all to come and visit the Minutemen National Park and to walk the Freedom Trail in Boston.  Perhaps then you will appreciate the early sacrifices of New Englanders who believed in the promise of a country many of them would never live to see.  You might say elite...but we say PROUD!

Like it or not the seeds of our revolution and democracy were planted in the soil of New England's farms, and watered with the blood of its patriots. Were it not for that sacrifice the 50 leaves that flourish today would never have blossomed and it is that which ALL Americans should remember and honor today.

One morning recently as I was working my way through the seemingly endless pile of stories in my Google Reader I came across one that struck the proverbial chord on plans to "deal" with the homeless population in Washington D.C. during the upcoming inauguration ("Finding havens for D.C.'s homeless", Washington Post, 01/15/2009).  The issue is apparently one of security in that during the inauguration a secure perimeter is being created around the Mall and Capitol for the swearing in and along Pennsylvania Avenue for the parade. As a result security sweeps will start to make sure that no unauthorized persons are within the security zone and this includes the Capital's homeless population many of whom make their home in the doorways and alleys of Pennsylvania Avenue. 

The plan created by authorities is I suppose about as humane as it can be given the circumstances. An outreach campaign has been on going attempting to inform those on the streets that once the perimeter is in effect their best option to avoid crowds, security sweeps, etc. is to take one of the busses to the city's shelters where they can watch the inauguration on TV, get a warm meal, bed, etc.  I respect that provisions were made to allow the homeless to attend the inauguration itself.  What amounts to a bag check has been setup, they can check in their belongings to a secure warehouse, and then attend the inauguration on the Mall with their fellow citizens.  Is it perfect? Probably not. Will there be isolated incidents? Probably. Reading this story though reminded me of the larger plight of the homeless in our Nation's Capital.

I guess it was about five years ago now that I was last in D.C. on a personal trip as a tourist.  I remember one day as we were walking from one attraction to another being slightly lost and wandering out about a block or two from the Mall area.  Now by no means were we in anything close to the roughest areas of D.C., our guidebook had warned us sternly not to even contemplate a trip to one of those areas with anything less than the 1st Infantry Division as an escort, as we made our way back to the mall I remember passing some kind of shelter, soup kitchen, something and the line that must have stretched the entire block.  The people in door ways, on street corners, etc. also increased significantly in these areas.  The experience that made an immediate mark on me. 

The point I'm attempting to make here is this, there you are in the seat of the world's largest and most powerful democracy and all it takes is a block or two and you're smack dab in a city with one of the highest poverty rates in the country.  Really think about that for a bit here you are in a city with grand monuments, dazzling architecture, culture, museums, a place where power, money, and influence flow on an unparalleled scale. Funny though it just seems some how wrong to know that just a few blocks down from the power lunches, cocktails, and hallowed halls of power people are sleeping in the streets and struggling to find the discarded remains of that night's black tie dinner for their next meal.

D.C. has it's share of problems no doubt.  I have to wonder though how much of a role its unique status plays in those problems. It's not a state, it's not part of any other state. The United States is the only country in the world where the people that live in its capital aren't even represented (with votes) in the legislature. As I understand it the city government, such as it is, in D.C. has relatively little power with the real strings being controlled by the U.S. Congress.  Yes ponder that one the federal legislature of the entire United States is essentially also the city council for the nation's capital. I mean really how much more convoluted can we get in this country? Oh wait, Electoral College.

I have to believe that at least part of D.C.'s problems stem from this convoluted system. I mean even just from a money perspective if they were a normal city in a normal state (in a normal economy but that's another matter) they would be eligible for both state and federal money. As it stands now their budget is completely separate from the normal channels. 

My solution to this problem is actually quite simple and while I'm not saying it will end homelessness in the District it seems like it would have to be better than the current state of affairs. The remaining land that currently makes up Washington D.C. is land that was originally part of the State of Maryland. So we just give it back to them. Simple really. Federal buildings and land remain under the control of the federal government and free of state influence.  In all other respects Washington functions just as any other city in Maryland would.  Maryland would probably gain a couple of representatives maybe an electoral vote or two and the increase in population might even help the state secure more federal funding. In addition we end this weird representational state of limbo for those who live in the District.

So this week as you're watching the inauguration give some thought to the plight of those, particularly those on the streets, in the Nation's Capital and ask yourself if maybe we can't do better. Surely for the world's richest (for now) nation we ought to start with the capital after all it's sort of the brochure for America with the number of people who visit there...what do we want this country's first impression to be?  It's been said nations are judge on how they treat the lowliest of society. What's our scorecard look like right now?