the funeral of James Earl Carter

10:02AM ⚙️( all times Eastern Standard) - The honor guard is at National Cathedral in Washington. The casket is leaving the vehicle.

Inside, the front two pews on the right have the row of Presidents. The current regime (Biden, Harris, and +1s) in the first row, the previous (Carter, Clinton, Obama, Trump) in the second row. No Michelle Obama in the shot I saw. 🔥( I wonder if Carter wanted his funeral to be while Biden was still President?)

The USA has no "established" religion, but the Episcopal Church in Washington DC is less un-established than the others. At least when a certain type of pomp is required.

⚙️ According to Wikipedia, the Cathedral is the third-tallest building in Washington DC.

🤖 From Reagan onward, the Cathedral has consistently served as the location for modern presidential state funerals in Washington, D.C.

When a young man dies, there is talk of how it was such an unspeakable tragedy.

When an old man dies, the mourners read eulogies written by dead men. Gerald Ford, Walter Mondale.

10:18AM - the casket is proceeding down the aisle. 🔥( state funerals are not hasty affairs.)

The colors are predominently black, with some white from the clergy. I see more "Vatican red" than "CoE purple" ⚔️( officially called "lilac").

10:39AM - a technical glitch in the broadcast, during the speech of the son of Gerald Ford.

10:47AM - Walter Mondale's son is on. The chyron does not say his name. He read "1977" as "1971".

11:21AM - Jason Carter (a grandson) is on. 💡( Supposedly Biden will be speaking as well. This is going to run late. State funerals are not hasty affairs.)

The speeches are hagiographies (of course), but what the speakers are saying is good about the late Mr. Carter does tell us something.

11:34AM - Joseph R. Biden is on. 💡( his public speaking is ... fine? as long as he sticks to short sentences, or takes a pause during the long ones)

11:48AM - a Homily by Andrew Young.

11:58AM - and now, Garth Brooks performing Imagine. 💡 nope. I'm out.