I have never thought of myself as a thug.....interesting. Anyway, I hope that you are right.....however, the money being spent on the inauguration (which it is my understanding has been mostly privately funded) seems to me to send a message of excess that is disrespectful in the face of the current situation that many Americans find themselves in right now. As the inauguration is going on I will be working at a job that I may not have in a month. Many of my students (most of who are in my class because they score below average on state testing) will find themselves in classes that have increased to more than thirty per class, before next year. Four of my neighbors homes were being auctioned off/foreclosed this weekend and several of my neighbors have sons and daughters on one of two war fronts......the extravegance is something that I can not identify with and is offensive. Thug - no......time to get busy fixing things, YES......A dignified ceremony noting the historical significance of the moment and a single & modest reception/"ball" would have been just fine.