Purple Gate 2009 - a short documentary

[Binageach]

I am from Michigan. I feel bad for all of those holders who were denied access. Everything for me went so smoothly. I met with friends that morning. They manages to find me in the crowded streets.There was singing and chanting an everyone was just in a good mood. When we realized that we weren't going anywhere, we decided to turn left, even though it looked empty. Turns out, the crowd we were in went into the tunnel- since we turned left we got in with no problem after asking security for help.

[etteilla12]

No diss to those who think this important. But I searched for Raymond Lee Washington and this was the first hit. No significant other hits. Come on we gotta do better yall!!!

[Munnville]

Well done!

[MichaelMWelch]

VERY sorry to hear of your lousy experience. 8-( In fact, the Purple Gate *did* open when it was supposed to at 8 (not at 9; tix said 9, but they announced the week before that it would be 8). I got in the Purple Gate line at 5AM and was fairly close to the front (only maybe 200 or so people in front of me). It opened at 8 on the dot for wheelchair-bound. That took 20 min or so, then the regular line moved in A-OK, no problems up through where I was. Dunno why it broke down further back. 8-(

[msolis6924]

I got in with my purple ticket at 11:00 a.m. when they opened up the purple flood gate.

[asauter2]

I also was waiting in your line, right by you (I think but who would know?). I just know that intersection well. Thanks for the documentary, it was really to the point. Good thing is..with all of the puching and poking, we couldn't get too cold, right?

[haley9210]

Thank you for that. I had a bad experience as well.

[eddivinity]

Count yourself at least a little lucky that you weren't stuck in the tunnel for 4 hours. We flew all the way out from California with purple tickets from Nancy Pelosi. We eventually made it in after they opened a gate sporadically while the crowd was surging. Only minutes before the actual swearing in.

At the end of the day, while the ceremony was disappointing for a lot of people, it's still nice to know Obama is Pres.

[Steele360]

Having a purple ticket went from making me happy as hell to disappointed as hell. thanks for the video

[MissFrickster]

This guy is a good communicator. At least the video is something productive came out of it all.

[LifeIsPityful]

Excellent documentary! OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[beninabox2000]

How long will it take for planners to realize that communication is job 1? People are patient if they're told what is going on and given clear instructions. I thought the big lesson of the Bush years is that accurate info is key. Why were there no megaphones? This is a - a no-brainer. I saw inaug from behind Wash Monument (no tix req) but ran into mob at Union station trying to catch trains home. Same prob, disorganized and no megaphones. And Homeland Security overriding things

[ABLWhy]

Great video.

[bethybrat]

My friend and I were standing right by you during the long wait. We didn't get in either. Thanks for sharing this video! Be sure to send it to the person who gave you the tickets. This really captures the day gone bad.

[bigblue1986]

The only reason we got in is because my friend and I decided to make our own decisions and were very aware of what was going on. I feel for those who could not get in.

[moales38]

Great documentary. My wife and I were stuck in the tunnel for nearly 4 hrs with no updates. The worst part was not being kept informed, that was totally irresponsible on the part of the police and inauguration committee.

[genebrake]

Great video, that was a mess and no, I didn't get in either.

[darcskies777]

I heard a lot of people got past security and the Secret Service told them to just shut down the gate.

Which makes no sense because the people who passed were able to see the show and everybody suffered because of it.

Either way the Sergent-at-Arms had a meeting with Purple Gate reps about what happened and the reps said "it was a productive meeting"

But this had to hurt badly. I feel sorry for those who waited for 2 years to see this moment.

[amoergosum3]

Great job with your documentary!

[moroveus]

Same crap happened to me and my wife. We waited for over four hours at the blue gate and never made it in.

[LynnRachel4015]

I was there also. And when people began turning around to seek other means of participation, the crowds continued to flow toward the mall, all with the hope of getting in on their own purple tickets. I witnessed people being knocked to the ground, stepped on, and mobs not getting out of the way for people needing emergency care. I also witnessed people attending this function in cold weather that were ill prepared for the conditions.

Yet I was reminded, WE CARE, since WW ARE ONE.

Right!

[CBULL321]

This is EXACTLY where I was in that crowd of purple people! You must have been close to me. Thanks for a great depiction of the facts, feelings and concerns of that bittersweet day.

[Kelly91782]

Nice work - as a fellow purple ticket holder, I can feel your pain. Two thumbs down to the DC police for their utter lack of organization and for providing us little to no information. You should forward a link to your documentary to the inauguration committee purple ticket comments email address.

[shutki]

Um yeah..welcome to Washington DC guys! That's kind of how things are run here..

Great video!

[BenoitS42]

I heard that it didn't improve that night for some folks who had paid $75+ to attend one of the parties.

[gilga999]

ahahha i had a purple ticket and and got in through the yellow gate njust in time to hear President Obama speak. you should have taken a walk to the yellow gate. They just let me walk in, no line. ill post more of my videos about it later.

[androy23]

To say this is an example of things to come is absurd. The senate inaugural committee organized the event, NOT President Obama or his staff.

[Bfunk125]

Thanks Raymond for a great documentary. I was in line at the same intersection you began at (1st Street and D Street) with my purple ticket in hand. We left at 10:30 after we'd gone about 20 feet in two hours - and two ambulances drove through the crowd - and a police car!

[bahw336]

We were also purple and could not agree more with the comments. There was no one there to tell you anything. We waited for hours. We got very lucky, found our way to another purple entrance as we were heading to a bar to watch on TV. We got in at 11:25. It was a miracle. I could not believe the disorganization.

[LOOKatALLtheBEGGARS]

Congratulations, you two just witnessed how much Obama cares about you.

[mrflashrifle]

A great metaphor for the 4 years of Chaos and lawlessness ahead.

God (oops, I said it) help us please!

[mrflashrifle]

A great metaphor for the 4 years of chaos ahead.  God help us.

[udwi]

Dude, sorry to hear you never made it in. I was stuck at work watching it all on my computer. Great work with the video, though!

[writeonlady]

I wonder if we will ever know what really happened that morning. We weren't in the Tunnel of Doom, but (I think) behind it. People fainted and had panic attacks. Toward the end, we literally couldn't move. Unlike President Obamas swearing-in oath, we wont get a do over. There is no investigation that could ever be conducted that will bring me the once in a lifetime feeling I had hoped to have while seeing the first African American become the President of these United States of America.

[RogerOnTheRight]

The idea anyone in the Obama adminstration, or the Democratic Party will address these issues to any reasonable satisfaction is delusional.

Your job, as an Obamasm member, is to vote and cheer, and otherwise shut up.

[jstele]

Did you get a refund?

[genebrake]

This is a great video of an event I will not soon forget. We too were purple gaters who were shunned and added to it we had parade tickets we paid for and it was no better at the 7th and D gate. Thank you for taking time time to put this together and for posting it here.

[jivemuffin]

And you didn't even get to see ya boi Cyrus!

[thinkpink4582]

My mom, boyfriend, his mother and myself traveled from Atlanta, Georgia to see the inauguration with our purple tickets. We arrived at the purple gate around 5:45 and followed the long line all the way to the tunnel. We finally reached the end of the line about one third down the tunnel. The line never moved. We finally made it out of the tunnel around 1030 but a riot started around the corner so we were afraid to keep going. Our government failed our security. Great documentary!

[johnnylaw181]

I understand the frustration. Police resources were limited that day. The line started forming at 1:00 am and when a mob arrives late and overwhelms the existing line, what would you have us do? Blame your fellow man (purple gaters) not the police. Look to Congress for printing more tickets than there was room on the west front of the Capitol. If we used crowd control techniques we would be accused of police brutality. Stop whining and remember you were there. All we can do is our best.

[Sapphir3blu3]

Blame the purple gaters?? Are you out of your freaking mind? They did nothing wrong; they showed up where and when they were told. "Mob?" nice spin. These were ticketed seats; everyone knew exactly how many tickets were given out; no one can claim surprise.

I wasn't even there, man. I was freezing in the bleachers along the parade route. I have no dog in this fight. But I feel awful for the Purple Gate folks who were literally left out in the cold---and I know bullshit when I hear it.

[kateslobsterface]

you can't blame the people who were following the rules! and sorry if some people like myself, who were staffers on this campaign and this was our big event that we had worked for what seemed like years for and all just to be denied at a gate. It was the extreme lack of any organization that did this! most of which could have been prevented this entire mess with the help of some type staff. We were all willing to follow the rules but there were no rules to follow. It was NOT the ticketed people

[RaymondJLee]

i wholeheartedly agree. i believe the ticketed people behaved way better than a normal crowd would have under those conditions. there could easily have been riots but the crowd chose to respect each other and walk away disappointed.

[moales38]

I think everyone has to take some amount of responsibility for what went wrong, so I don't think that you can characterize people's comments as whining. My wife an I got in the tunnel and stayed there for over 4 hrs. In the interest of safety I then made the command decision to get my wife out of the tunnel when it was obvious that there was no one in control of the purple line. Do I blame the police for what went on? No, but someone should have kept the crowd informed.

[moales38]

think everyone has to take some amount of responsibility for what went wrong, so I don't think that you can characterize people's comments as whining. My wife an I got in the tunnel and stayed there for over 4 hrs. In the interest of safety I then made the command decision to get my wife out of the tunnel when it was obvious that there was no one in control of the purple line. Do I blame the police for what went on? No, but someone should have kept the crowd informed.

[serenity67]

Great accounting of this moment! I was also a purple ticket holder. I spent most of my waiting down below in the tunnel. By the time we got out and made it to about 10 feet from the gate... they slammed the gate shut. What a disappointment! My friend flew in all the way from California for this event. We were heartbroken.

[kellysheshe]

pretty much our same disastrous experience at the blued gate. thanks for posting this, it made me feel just a little better.

[kmguntho]

Great job on the DOC! I was a blue ticket holder that got in, but i couldnt see anything and during the speech everyone started to leave and pushed and shoved me. at the point i got separated from my friend and we both got lost for hours. i wish i would have just left early and avoided the crowds... and his oath didn't even count!!! next inauguration, im watching it at a bar and then going to a ball... im sorry you wasted your money and time, but this video will make a lot of others feel better

[RaymondJLee]

thank you for all your comments everybody. please keep them coming. I would love to hear about your own personal stories - whether you were able to see the Inauguration or if you were denied entrance.

[spoonyfork]

Excellent job on the video! I, like thousands of others, shared your experience and share your frustration, paid, and disappointment.

[1moredub]

You didn't miss much. His speech was....meh. The poem was....gibberish. However, the benediction from the crazy racist Reverend....priceless.

Wishing you happy hopey changey and many, many unicorns.

[prince2873]

Must be Bush's fault!

[SunMB]

I feel for you and can relate - I was a Blue ticket holder that brought my family in from LA. I can't even talk in detail about this anymore - it was a complete travesty and continues to go unremedied. Who would have thought government tickets would be worthless...what's next, our money?

[ericnd123]

This is funny because I didn't have a ticket but walked around the west side of the capitol and still got into a standing area spot right next to the reflecting pool around 10am.

[gusgus1128]

Omg I had NO idea the crowd was that bad!!! I'm SO sorry you and Robbi went through that experience. The Youth Ball fiasco was pretty bad too except for the woman who yelled at Rosario Dawson :) We need to drink to this event in NYC!

[raisenrabt]

Thanks for the video-- I was in the tunnel. It hurt my heart to do EXACTLY what we were told to do, only to be left on our own with no information. Like you, I would have gone to the Mall and watched on a JumboTron... but I was never given the option while waiting in the tunnel. Like you, I thought that ticket meant something...

[onigirid]

I dugg the video search for it on dig!

[dara678]

btw, dara678 -> emmy

[dara678]

AWESOME documentary. :) This should be a youtube feature!! I felt so bad for you ray!

[kchibouc]

This is an amazing video. I was there with you. I was too depressed to think about taking video of the madness. I'm so glad you did.

[ts777]

Omg this is great - Rosie was thinking of you as she slept in her warm bed on the couch :)

[jnprk]

THOUSANDS of "Blue" ticket holders never got in either - I was one of them.  Thanks for the video!