A new twist on an old haunt

I had the most distinct honor and very surreal experience of attending a dinner at the US Supreme Court. Yeah, I know, I didn't realize that you could rent out the highest Court in the land either. Leave the jokes aside for a moment. It was beautiful. The best part is really coming up to those front steps and looking at the grandeur of the building itself and all that it should stand for.

I actually entered the building from the side but it was the front and then the side so it was sort of like entering up those steps. What was so weird for me was how many times I had protested outside, at the base of those grand steps. I couldn't help but think of all those Roe v. Wade demos freezing in the cold and snow. I was reminded of the time that we slept out to ensure our spot in the court for the reading of the Webster decision. I remember all too well protesting the Gore v. Bush decision. there is now a semi-circle of those metal/concrete pointy things -- I'm sure there's a more technical term than that -- that they use all over the city now to keep trucks and what not from driving right up onto the steps.

How odd, or should I say familiar, that I was more at ease with the workers standing out in the rain greeting guests or hovering outside of the dining room than I did inside the room with members of our board of trustees. No matter. Its a beautiful building. So much is off limits, however, that once inside it looks much the same as other buildings of the same period and style. Huge marble building, lots of pictures of old white men. Almost looks like the bowels of Union Station or 30th Street Station in Philly. It didn't feel like the Court on the inside.


What it did feel like was a full circle for me. Its what I love about DC. the ability to take your issues right to those hallowed halls where the laws are made or interpreted. I've been so lucky to live here in the capital all of my adult life and I could run a tour of all the places around the city where we've demostrated.


Vatican Embassy anyone? Attempting to sell soda at a Grateful Dead concert to raise money? March after march after march? Promise Keepers? Antis? SEC demos? Burma shave demos early in the morning? Hunger strikes. Daily vigils. Innumerable supreme court nominees. Tracking anti abortion demostrators deep into the wrong neighborhoods or traipsing on private property trying to find the goods on a guy who it turns out bombed clinics. sheesh. sometimes I do wonder what we were thinking. But I digress. I am waxing nostalgic on all of those adventures. It was heady times. That's for sure. Luckily I was young and fearless. When I think of some of the things we did, I am amazed we came out unscathed. So given the choice, while dinner was amazing, I think I'll stick to the "outsider" strategy and leave the fancy insider to others.