"We Are One" Inauguration Concert

The Inauguration ceremonies got off to a great start today with the "We Are One" concert celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. The Gay Rev. Gene Robinson gave the invocation. The concert featured performances by Bruce Springsteen, U2 and a bunch of others, but the highlight, for me, was when Peter Seeger and Bruce Springsteen led the 400,000 crowd in Woody Guthrie's THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, the working class national anthem, including the rarely performed verses about the poor people at the "relief office" and the sign that said "private property, but on the other side it didn't say nothin', guess that side was made for you and me.."

Yes, a (former?) Communist (Pete Seeger) performed a song written by a Communist (Woody Guthrie) at the Obama Inauguration ceremony!


(HBO has pulled ALL the YouTube Video Clips of the "We Are One" Concert--guess they own it!)

UPDATE: For some reason, HBO did not air Rev. Gene Robinson's invocation!

Many people on the gay blogs are angry over Robinson's invocation not being shown on HBO (or any other network apparently), and some are blaming Obama. Folks, Obama had NOTHING to do with this. Do you really think he has the time to be micro-managing this event?? It may not be HBO's fault either, since they were to begin broadcasting at a set time, and for some reason, Robinson's invocation was scheduled about 10 minutes BEFORE the event officially started.. I don't know, but please. The LGBT community must STOP getting angry over things like this... I think we have more important issues to get worked up about!

This was a screw-up by whoever was putting this event together, but I doubt that it was a plot by Obama or HBO against gay people!

Here's a video of Rev. Gene Robinson's Invocation at (before?) the We Are One concert:

You can read the invocation here

I'm an atheist, and prefer that religion be kept OUT of public civil events, but I find nothing offensive in Robinson's prayer, it is a very inclusive "humanist" invocation, one which should be given on Tuesday in place of Rick Warren's Inaugural invocation. Too bad few people heard or saw it, not even Obama!

UPDATE: HBO Blames the Inauguration Committee for not airing Rev. Gene Robinson's Invocation
Why was the invocation (by the gay Rev. Robinson) put in the "pre-show" events???

Huffington Post: Gay Bishop Gene Robinson Left Out Of HBO Coverage