Waking up at 5 AM, only to find that the Metro doesn’t open until 7 and all the other adventures of October 30th 2010 were completely worth it for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. Marches and rallies have always been my favorite form of political expression, and this was no exception. It was an amazing atmosphere, not only as a Jon Stewart fan, but also as an American citizen.
Although the show itself was not the most incredible thing I have seen, it was the rally atmosphere that made it a memorable experience. There was an impressive guest list, but the constant stream of songs became a bit tiring. Also, Jon Stewart’s closing speech was a bit melodramatic and overly simplistic, but it was overall inspiring and enhanced the surrounding mood. Regardless of these aspects, I am still glad that I attended. The clever signage and chanting always make rallies magnificent. Add in the Mythbusters, and I was sold.
The current political situation has become one of inefficiency and disunity. Even if we disagree with one another, it is always important to keep the conversation civil, reasonable, and purposeful. As all these characteristics have been lacking, the Rally to Restore Sanity was necessary. Furthermore, it was impeccable timing to have right before the mid-term elections. Hopefully it will motivate people to vote based on credibility and policy, not merely party affiliation. On November 2nd we shall see if we actually did restore sanity this Saturday.
Anna, I could not agree with you more when you said that “it is always important to keep the conversation civil, reasonable, and purposeful”. During the rally I felt that one of the strongest points that were brought up is that divisiveness is killing is. Politicians need to address the issues and answer our questions. To an extent the threat of fear is everywhere and in everything. The media, in my opinion, is over focused on the negative issues to the extent that they are not being taken seriously for serious issues. I hope that you’re right on election day that people will come out to vote so America can have less posturing and bad mouthing and more sanity in Washington.
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