I live just a few miles from where the inauguration and the parade following it are scheduled to happen this Thursday. I’m a citizen of these United States with no criminal record and no FBI file (that I’m aware of :-). I should be able to go into DC and watch the historic events, right?

Not so fast… I don’t have a ticket. But this is a public event so the tickets should be free, right? Maybe, but I have no way of knowing. In order to even get information about the tickets I must call Ticketmaster and give them my "special identification number".

So where do I get one of those numbers? They came in the invitation from the Presidential Inaugural Committee, a private organization funded by donations – very large donations. So, not being a wealthy fat cat, I didn’t get an invitation (maybe it was lost in the mail). Can I still get a ticket? The fact that I have to ask should provide the answer.

But let’s face it. I don’t even want to venture down to Pennsylvania Avenue (still a public street, I believe) to watch all the "family values" crap on parade this Thursday. Especially since it’s supposed to be in the 30’s and rainy. But consider this: a person who did want to go won’t be able to get close enough to this event to hear the band music much less see what’s going on without having paid a large amount of cash to a group that looks strangely like a political fund raising organization.

All you people who supported W, please explain to me again how the guy on the platform with his hand on the Bible is the leader of everyone in this country.

* Orwell