Thanks for going, armymarinemom! You do us Freepers proud!!!! If I didn't live way up here in Aroostook, I, too, would have been there with you!
This picture was taken around Bangor at one of the rally's.
Posted on 03/20/2004 6:47:07 PM PST by armymarinemom
I arrived in Augusta about an hour before the protests was to begin. Traffic was light all the way from Bangor to Augusta and I didn't get lost. This gave me time to just sit and observe the traffic in front of the Armory which was one of the proposed staging areas for a counter protest. Potential participants in the protest were easy to spot. I still don't understand why extreme left wing people feel the need to cover the whole tail end of their car with wacko bumper stickers. A few other people began to show and we were told to move about a half a mile down the road to stage as one group. This had me worried that turn out for our side would be extremely small. I packed both my flags and my two posters into my car and headed out to other staging area. I think this is how I never did meet up with anyone else from Free Republic.
When I arrived at the second staging area I was relieved to see a sizable crowd. The AP stated that we numbered about one hundred compared to their one thousand. I think their numbers were off. I would guess it was about at a ratio of 500/150. By the time a found a spot that could hold me and all of my gear I was set to stand off and not try to find anyone that I knew. I wanted for the group from Military Families Speak Out to notice my sign that I had made specifically for them. It had photos of my three sons in uniform, a print out of a three star flag and in big letters stating "Proud Mom Supporting Her Sons" "You DO NOT speak for us". I had made a second poster which I gave away to somebody who only brought a small flag. It had a photo of a soldier and the statement "Thank a warrior for your right to protest". I had brought an Army flag and a Marine Corp flag. I asked a little girl with her dad if she wanted to wave the Marine Corp flag in honor of a Sgt. who is serving. She jumped at the chance. While we were staging we could see the protest marching one block over in the opposite direction. I noticed that they were pretty widely spaced in order to try to make their numbers look larger. It seemed our organizer noticed the same thing and had us all line up shoulder to shoulder single file to cover more ground. During the wait for the protestors to make it around the block I gave an interview with channel 7. Bet we never see it. LOL The police removed a lady that was on crutches that had infiltrated our side and was handing out George Bush Dollars. When she was asked to leave, she picked up her crutches in one hand and walked off not using them. What a idiot.
When the group of the great unwashed finally made it around the block I noticed that they were led by Military Families Speak Out. There were only two marching with the banner and promptly stopped to argue. Yippeeee. They noticed my sign. I was able to tell them that they speak only for a minority of the families. They moved along and the rest of the painted rag tag group marched by making as much noise as possible. I don't know why but I always feel like an observer to an out of control mental ward when I watch these things. This group seemed to enjoy trying to chant USA. When our side liked the idea and chanted USA right back they shut up. They finally just seemed happy to try to say that they supported our troops. Yeah, right. Most of the 150 on our side were made up of military families. That didn't seem to work for them so they just made noise. The protest was along a divided highway so traffic was actually able to move between us and the protestors. We got a lot of positive honks and a few peace signs. They got a lot of birds. I left happy. They left as always unhappy and still dirty.
Thanks for going, armymarinemom! You do us Freepers proud!!!! If I didn't live way up here in Aroostook, I, too, would have been there with you!
This picture was taken around Bangor at one of the rally's.
You may want to post to Alabama also. I would have made the time to be there. Thanks for being there!
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