Yesterday, I made my way to Capitol Hill to watch as Sen. Edward Kennedy’s motorcade drove past on its way to Arlington National Cemetery. According to CNN, there were approximately 1000 people gathered to witness history.
The crowd waves and applauds as Sen. Edward Kennedy's motorcade pulls up to the U.S. Capitol
I was a bit surprised by the atmosphere when I arrived – it felt more like a picnic than a funeral. People brought their dogs with them (I saw plenty of Portuguese water dogs), and children were running around and playing. Once the motorcade pulled up, I did not see any tears. It seemed as if the entire crowd was applauding and cheering. Some even began chanting his name.
Because I got to Capitol Hill so late, I was not able to see the ceremony that took place, but from my vantage point, I very clearly heard them singing America the Beautiful (the people around me joined in).
I was curious as to what I didn’t see, so I’ve included video I found of the ceremony outside the Capitol.
As I watched coverage of Kennedy’s funeral on TV, I’ve constantly been impressed by the way his family members have conducted themselves. My mom passed away in April and I cannot imagine what it would have been like to have to share my grief with the world.
As the Kennedy family left the Capitol to continue the journey to Arlington, I was struck by the fact that they shouted thank yous to those who had gathered to watch.
I almost didn’t go to the Capitol. It was a text message from my dad, asking if I was there that motivated me to head out. As he told me afterwords, I saw history yesterday.
A news crew getting ready to file a report from a building across the street from the Capitol
The hearse bearing Sen. Edward Kennedy's body stops in front of the Capitol where his current and former staffers joined members of Congress and the Senate to say farewell.
Kristen Becker's Blog 