Trump inauguration drawing supporters, detractors from Middle Georgia | The Telegraph

As the crowd swells outside the U.S. Capitol for the presidential inauguration Jan. 20, one Macon resident will have a prime spot, thanks to an invitation from the vice president-elect.

Kristin Oren and several family members will be on hand for the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in Washington, D.C. The family’s connection with Pence dates back to when Oren’s father, Robert Kersey, was among a group of Indiana businessmen who decided to back a young attorney for Congress in 1988.

While Pence lost the campaign to unseat veteran Sen. Philip Sharp, he would later become a congressman, then governor before becoming vice president. And Pence and the Kerseys continued a friendship.

“They maintained contact, and my parents supported him for all of his campaigns,” Oren said. “It’s amazing to know someone that my dad has supported for so long, took interest in and has really liked. My mom and dad have admired how Mike has conducted himself and how Mike and (wife) Karen have been public servants.”

Now, the 82-year-old Kersey will be joined by his daughter, son and a daughter-in-law to capture a momentous occasion for the longtime family friend. Pence attended last year’s memorial service for Oren’s mother, Jayne Kersey, who envisioned Pence in the White House years ago, Oren said.

Oren is one of many Middle Georgians expected to visit Washington for the inauguration and the numerous events surrounding the ceremony. The cost for the inauguration, parade, concerts and other official events is an estimated $175 million to $200 million, of which about $70 million will be covered by private donations. The price is about the same for other presidential inaugurations when inflation is taken into account, The Washington Post reported.

And for Oren, it’ll be a busy schedule.

The day before the inauguration, her family will attend a welcome concert in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Later that night they will go to the Hoosier ball, an event that attracts many of the state’s dignitaries. After Friday morning’s inauguration outside the Capitol building, Oren will catch the inaugural parade along Pennsylvania Avenue. The night will be capped with an inaugural ball welcoming Trump and Pence.

“I hope we have a minute to see (the Pences) and congratulate them in person,” Oren said. “When I saw him in Georgia, I said I just wanted to give him some Hoosier love in my adopted Peach State.

Another Middle Georgia resident, Perry City Councilman Robert Jones, is also scheduled to attend the inauguration. He’ll be attending thanks to a ticket from U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga.

Jones said he did not vote in the presidential election, but he relishes the opportunity to attend the inauguration.

“I could not vote in this election in good conscience,” the 32-year-old said. “Regardless of who won the election, this is a chance to witness history. One of the many things that makes our country great is a peaceful transfer of power. I would have gone regardless of who won had I had the opportunity.”

Women’s march

Trump’s rise to the presidency was a transcendent moment in American history. The New Yorker’s comments and actions stirred the emotions of supporters — and detractors. Even while hundreds of thousands will be celebrating the beginning of Trump’s term as leader of the country, others will be in Washington to demonstrate and speak out against the real estate magnate. Among the causes drawing attention are reproductive rights, immigration reform and workers’ issues.

Paula Del Rio and her husband, Jake Petermann, will join the throngs expected to participate in the Women’s March on Washington the day after the inauguration. The Macon couple said they have a unique perspective on how people are treated. Petermann is transgender, and Del Rio is a Colombian immigrant.

Several Middle Georgians who plan to attend say the march is a show of support for anyone who may be marginalized — women, blacks, gays and lesbians and other minority groups. More than 30 groups have joined in, including the Muslim Women’s Alliance, the Trayvon Martin Foundation and Black Girls Rock, according to The New York Times.

The presidential campaign and election results left Petermann and Del Rio despondent, not only from the tone of the rhetoric but possible shifts in policy. The country’s leaders should make sure that everyone has the same rights and ability to succeed, Del Rio said.

“We were ready to celebrate breaking the glass ceiling, and when it didn’t happen we were extremely sad, disappointed and overall scared,” she said. “I was scared for our health care, our children, my husband, our marriage, myself as an immigrant.”

The women’s march was formed by four women of different ethnicities and religious backgrounds. While various marches are planned in different cities on Saturday, the epicenter will be in the nation’s capital.

With her backpack in hand and boots on her feet, Macon’s Susannah Maddux will get off a plane Saturday morning and head directly to the march.

“I’m going because I want to be there on the first day our president-elect enters office, and I want to show him who his constituents are,” Maddux said. “I want to be able to tell my children that I was there, that I walked for you, my friends and people that feel disenfranchised.

“I feel I’m a privileged person and I know that I’m not alone with that, so I walk with my sisters and brothers who perhaps don’t feel they are on solid ground.”

Maddux will be joined at the march by a Middle Georgia contingent, including Jessica Walden.

Walden said she also was disappointed by the tone of the election and that the march is a way to speak out for others and advocate for more female representation inside Congress.

“When the opportunity (came up) to go to the march on Washington with others, who are also feeling the same sentiment and believe in something kinder for society, I was all in,” she said.

Del Rio and Petermann, who have been married for four years, said that while issues such as equal pay for women and immigration remain important, another purpose of the march is to empower others who may feel hopeless or forgotten.

“I’m not one to expose my private life like this, but if it helps one person have some hope that they too can grow up to be who they’re really meant to be, have a family and have a life they believe they should have had all along and find happiness and contentment and most of all peace, ... that is my motivation,” Petermann said.