Finally, Something We Can Rally Around

     As I write my latest blog post from the Georgetown DMV – one of D.C.’s more desirable places to spend a Saturday, an interesting topic comes to mind.

     Everyone at the DMV has a newspaper in hand to pass the long hours waiting for their number to be called.  I keep seeing headlines from all over D.C., from Politico to the Post, but one in particular catches my eye, “Answering Beck and call? Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert head to the Mall”.  Two of the women next to me excitedly discuss the October 30^th rally hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

     I was going to write about this week’s somewhat disappointing mayoral election, but the rally seems much more upbeat.  I had glanced at news alerts earlier this week about it, and one of my friends from the summer who lives all the way in France showed me the announcement clip on The Daily Show.  I loved the idea and thought it was hilarious, but had no clue it would make such a splash in the area.

     The planners of the event expect a modest turnout, only about 25,000 people compared to Glenn Beck’s estimated 87,000 rally attendees a few weeks ago.  But I still think that is an impressive number of people in the Washington area who are willing to put past political antics in a more comical light.  Although the event is being marketed as two opposing rallies, Stewart’s “Rally to Restore Sanity” and Colbert’s “March to Keep Fear Alive”, the joint message is clear: Americans need to chill out.  Yes, our country is facing recession and major party divides over issues such as healthcare and gay marriage rights, but there is a point where we need to pause and take a look at ourselves.  I think the Comedy Central-hosted rallies are the platform for Americans to do so.

     In August, when I first heard about Glenn Beck’s plan to rally in D.C., I thought either one of two things would happen: 1.) no one would take him seriously and go, or 2.) D.C. would be overrun by radical religious conservatives for a weekend.  I was wrong on both counts.  Though I may not have agreed with the motivations of the rally downtown, it was well attended and orderly.  After all the antics that have occurred on the Mall and elsewhere over healthcare and other recent party issues, it was a nice change of pace.

    The conduction of the Beck rally gives me high hopes for Stewart and Colbert.  Now they are holding a rally that moderate Americans, from either side, can support.  It is also more accessible to a younger audience.  I don’t think I’ve met a teenager who hasn’t watched Comedy Central at one point or another, and most of them have watched or heard of the Daily Show or the Colbert Report.  By pairing comedy with moderate political action, the average age range of the rally will be considerably lower than Beck’s, thus in a way, more influential. 

     This rally is the type of event that makes me proud to call D.C. my city, and I can’t wait to drive down and attend the “Rally to Restore Sanity” and “March to Keep Fear Alive” on October 30^th.

Progress on the Potomac

     A study was released Tuesday announcing the Potomac River is the cleanest it has been since the 1950s.  Though male fish are still growing eggs and mercury is on the surface of the river, it’s still a huge improvement from decades past.

     The Potomac River is one of D.C.’s famous natural sites.  Crew and sailing teams from D.C. area schools spend their early mornings on the water.  Boat tours take tourists past monuments and there are always families on boats in the summertime.  Joggers can be seen at all hours of the day running the concrete path along the river.

     Now, all of this sounds nice and looks beautiful on postcards, but I can tell you from experience, that water is gross.  I’ve been in the water twice after accidentally capsizing in a sailboat, (yes, we couldn’t keep it from going down twice) and it was not a pleasant experience.  It took hours for me to get rid of the smell.  I’m just happy I wasn’t there in the 1960s when “green goop” was common on the surface.

     Along with the pollution, 8-foot-long bull sharks have taken to swimming in the Potomac in the past few weeks.  I love sharks, they’re my favorite animals and I look forward to Discovery Channel’s Shark Week every August, but I’m not sure how I feel about them swimming so close to home.  With all of these happenings in the Potomac environment, the river seems more like the set of a sci-fi movie than a national site.

     The pollution in the river is slowly starting to clear up, thanks to steps taken by federal regulators.  And local fishermen enjoy catching and using the sharks as souvenirs.  The Potomac clean-up is exciting in more ways than one. 

     Maybe in later years the river can become more than just a waterway for boats to enjoy the monuments.  Maybe people will be able to swim in the river without fear of emerging a mutant or being featured on Top 5 Eaten Alive.  Maybe people could come to D.C. and go fishing for genetically normal fish.  Maybe the increased amount of sunlight that reaches the bottom of the river will allow for a more diverse and healthy wildlife.

    And maybe, one day, sailors won’t be afraid to accidentally capsize in the Potomac.