The hippies are back (by Juana Bimba)

Watched the Inaugural events all day, and all day, like a fool, I was crying tears of happiness and relief. The whole thing was infused with a kind of cautious joy which I found moving in its steely wisdom, and yet, hope was the theme of all the presentations, from Bon Jovi's "Here comes the Sun", to Justin Timberlake's heartfelt message about better days ahead.(And say, who knew JLo could sing? Her clear, high, delicate lilt blew Lady Gaga's soaring belt out of the water.) There was not a single misstep to the whole thing, nothing tacky or inappropriate, nothing that made you want to roll your eyes or cringe.But the best thing was its overall message of love and reconciliation, in stark contrast to all the ugliness of days past. It was like watching the hippies of old,inserting flowers in the barrels of the cops' guns. Who can resist such a barrage of good will, good wishes and sweet words? How can anyone try to combat the loving pull of open arms, of extended hands, with shows of spite, hatred and violence? Next time someone insults your brand of liberal politics, hand them a flower. And tell them the hippies are back