Waiting in line for the paper

Earlier this evening, I passed at least a hundred people waiting in line in the dark in front of an office building at Farragut Square, two blocks from the White House. As I drew closer, I realized the predominately African-American crowd had gathered to buy copies of the day’s Washington Post, heralding Barack Obama’s election as the first black President of the United States. There were young men, elderly women, people from all walks of life — a powerful and deeply touching sight to behold.

The Post printed 30% more copies than usual this morning, but even its expanded run sold out in an hour and a half, so they printed a second run later in the day. There’s some debate among journalists whether the papers should be selling at a premium. As of this writing, copies of the day’s Post are selling for as much as $75 apiece on eBay, and the day’s print plates, as donated to the Montgomery County Police Explorer Post 1986, are now going for $385.

I sympathize with those who think the papers should sell at regular prices, but if I were a Post writer these days, I’d hope my employer would cash in on the moment.

Pictures of the crowd here:

and here:

As heartened as I was by the spectacle in Farragut, I remember a sight I saw yesterday in Dupont Circle, when I stepped into a bakery to escape the rain, and met a wheelchair-bound Vietnam veteran whose jacket bore an unforgettable patch:

Wounds like these don’t heal easily, and there will be more.