Posted on 09/23/2006 10:46:44 PM PDT by conservative in nyc
Backers of the war on terrorism rallied on the Mall yesterday for the second annual Support the Troops and Their Mission Weekend in Washington.
A crowd estimated at between 70 and 100 people waved U.S. and military flags as they listened to speeches by family members of soldiers and representatives of groups such as FreeRepublic.com, the sponsor of the rally; Project 21; and Military Families Voice of Victory.
Kristinn Taylor, co-founder and spokesman for the D.C. chapter of Free Republic, moderated the event, which honored Gold Star and Blue Star families.
"The myth is that we've all come together after 9/11, which isn't entirely true," he said. "The left [wing] is the left. It will always attack America first, will always blame America first, will always work with our enemies to bring down America.
"So, we made a vow that we would not allow the anti-American left to do to this country and this generation of our military what they did to them during Vietnam, and we've kept that vow for five years now," he said.
Mychal Massie, a member of Project 21, a network of black conservatives, agreed.
U.S. troops "place service to America before service to themselves, realizing that service to America is indeed service to us all," Mr. Massie said. "They need to know that we support their families, their friends and, most of all, their children. ...Tomorrow's freedom rests on their [children's] shoulders."
Richard August of North Kingstown, R.I., whose son, Matthew, was an Army captain killed in Iraq two weeks before his 29th birthday in 2004, said he doesn't regard his son's death as a tragedy.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
The link is slow, so I'll check that later. I don't think they needed the sound system on for Kevin's talk, or was it even on? Wow. That was the first time I've met Kevin. Wind me up that tight, let go and I'd fly all the way to Baghdad! Way to go, Kevin.
Bump.
BTTT
He was visiting the capital and the monuments and wandered over to the rally after hearing the speakers. He was surprised to find us and ended up hanging out and talking to us for a couple hours.
Great news!
And we missed you.
I agree with the sound system and with the fact that we had somewhere between 70 - 100 people.
This was my first year of attending. It was so thrilling.
My husband, who is not a FReeper, came and enjoyed it very much, as well.
I got a chance to meet many FReepers. I met JimRob and got a chance to thank him for the Free Republic.
I remember seeing one young man sit down not too far from me with a tape recorder. I am not sure who's side he was on or why he was taping, but he did not stay long. I saw one young couple who I believe were with some tour group stop over at one of the tables and start talking to some of the FReepers. I'd glance behind me one in a while and would see people standing or sitting and listening. It was thrilling to see so many people walk by and pay attention. I kept thinking that this may have been the first time many of those people had heard "our side".
I am going to do my best, between now and next year, to let as many people know about the rally.
You cannot imagine how badly I wanted to be there! Have not fully recovered FRom the heart ablation procedure I had on Wed., 13 Sept. Recovering nicely, but not all the way back, yet.
OurFReepingstanding!
OK get better.
JAN!!! LOL! Thanks!
It's incredibly difficult to believe the seething hatred and contempt much of the left has for the United States and its citizens. In my opinion, they are doing quite a bit of transferrence. For they have such a self-loathing that has been projected onto anything that is good and right...
free dixie,sw
MY NAME IS DIANA IREY.
SOME OF YOU KNOW ME AS THE WOMAN WHO’S STANDING UP TO JACK MURTHA.
I’M HERE TODAY TO JOIN WITH YOU IN SENDING A MESSAGE:
A MESSAGE TO OUR TROOPS IN IRAQ, AND IN AFGHANISTAN…..
IN EUROPE, IN CUBA, AND ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA…..
AND IT’S A MESSAGE TO ANYONE WHO HAS EVER WORN THE COLORS OF OUR NATION, AND GUARDED A POST ON A DARK EVENING, THOUSANDS OF MILES FROM HOME AND FAMILY…..
EVERYWHERE AMERICAN TROOPS ARE STATIONED, DEFENDING THE FREEDOMS BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY PREVIOUS GENERATIONS…..
THE MESSAGE IS THIS:
YOU HONOR US WITH YOUR SERVICE…
YOU GRACE US WITH YOUR WILLINGNESS TO PLACE YOURSELVES IN HARM’S WAY……
YOU MAKE US PROUD WITH YOUR COMMITMENT TO DEFEND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL FOR WHICH WHE STANDS.
AND WE AS A NATION ARE GRATEFUL. FIFTY-NINE YEARS AGO, A MAN MADE A FATEFUL DECISION.
EUROPE WAS IN CRISIS.
IN THE WAKE OF BRITAIN’S DECISION TO PULL BACK ITS ARMED FORCES FROM AROUND THE WORLD FOLLOWING THE END OF WORLD WAR II, GREECE AND TURKEY WERE IN DANGER OF SOVIET-BACKED COMMUNIST SUBVERSION.
THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER CALLED THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND SAID HE WAS PASSING THE TORCH….
BRITAIN COULD NO LONGER AFFORD TO SERVE ITS CENTURIES-OLD ROLE AS THE DEFENDER OF FREEDOM AROUND THE WORLD.
AND IF FREEDOM WERE TO BE DEFENDED, IT WOULD BE UP TO THE AMERICANS FROM THAT POINT FORWARD.
OUR PRESIDENT DID NOT BLINK.
HE DID NOT SHIRK.
HE DID NOT COMMISSION A BLUE RIBBON PANEL, OR ASK PERMISSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS.
ON MARCH 12, 1947, HARRY TRUMAN COMMITTED THE UNITED STATES TO DEFENDING GREECE AND TURKEY, AND DECLARED BEFORE CONGRESS THAT
“IT SHALL BE THE POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES TO SUPPORT FREE PEOPLES WHO ARE RESISTING ATTEMPTED SUBJUGATION BY ARMED MINORITIES OR BY OUTSIDE PRESSURES.”
THUS WAS BORN THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE…..
AND EVER SINCE, IT HAS FALLEN UPON THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WEAR AMERICAN FATIGUES TO DEFEND LIBERTY, BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD.
IT IS BECAUSE OF THEM AND THEIR SACRIFICES THAT WE CAN GATHER TOGETHER TODAY IN THE SHADOW OF A MONUMENT TO OUR NATION’S FIRST AND GREATEST SOLDIER.
BUT TODAY, THERE ARE VOICES OF DISCONTENT.
THERE ARE CALLS FOR WITHDRAWAL.
THERE ARE DEMANDS FOR REDEPLOYMENT.
THERE ARE DECLARATIONS THAT OUR ARMED FORCES ARE FLOUNDERING.
THERE ARE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE CANNOT WIN.
I REJECT THESE STATEMENTS BECAUSE I HAVE LOOKED INTO THE EYES OF OUR SOLDIERS AND FOUND THEIR HEART, AND THEIR LOVE FOR THIS COUNTRY.
UNLIKE SOME IN THE CONGRESS, I DO NOT BELIEVE OUR ARMY IS “BROKEN”.
UNLIKE SOME IN THE CONGRESS, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT “WE HAVE BECOME THE ENEMY.”
AND UNLIKE SOME IN THE CONGRESS, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS RIGHT TO DECLARE THAT AMERICAN SOLDIERS
“KILLED INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN COLD BLOOD” BEFORE THE FIRST MARINE IS CHARGED,
BEFORE THE FIRST COURT MARTIAL IS CONVENED, BEFORE THE FIRST SOLDIER IS CONVICTED!
AMERICAN SOLDIERS ON THE FRONT LINES SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DEFENDING THEIR REPUTATIONS………………..
WHILE THEY ARE IN HARMS WAY DEFENDING OUR FREEDOM!
I HAVE COME TO KNOW THESE SOLDIERS.
MANY COME FROM MY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN PENNSYLVANIA.
I HAVE TALKED WITH THEM, AND I HAVE VISITED WITH OUR RECOVERING WOUNDED AT THE WALTER REED HOSPITAL.
I HAVE THANKED THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE,
AND THEIR GALLANTRY,
AND THEIR COMMITMENT.
AND I HAVE FOUND IN THEM A RESOLVE AND COMMITMENT TO DUTY THAT REACHES THE VERY SOUL.
AND I KNOW I SPOKE FOR ALL OF YOU WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT IF IT WEREN’T FOR THEM, WE WOULD NOT BE THE NATION WE ARE…..
THAT WE AS A NATION ARE SO VERY GRATEFUL.
AND THEIR RESPONSE IS SO HUMBLING,
“I WAS JUST DOING MY JOB MA’AM”.
THEY DO NOT SEEK PRAISE, OR THANKS, OR MEDALS OF HONOR……………
THEY SEEK TO DEFEND THE FAMILIES OF AMERICA, WITH A SELFLESS RESOLVE.
BUT TODAY WE SAY TO ALL AMERICAN SOLDIERS……
WE HONOR YOU.
AMERICA WILL BE THE LAND OF THE FREE ONLY SO LONG AS IT IS THE HOME OF THE BRAVE.
THERE ARE ONLY 2 WHO ARE WILLING TO LAY DOWN THEIR LIFE FOR YOU…..
CHRIST FOR YOUR SOUL…..
A SOLDIER FOR YOUR FREEDOM…….
THEY ARE OUR NATION’S FINEST………..
THEY ARE OUR CHILDREN’S HEROS………
AND FOR THEM WE ARE, AND SHALL REMAIN, FOREVER GRATEFUL.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU
MAY GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS
AND MAY GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Good on ya! Your closing speech was very moving...and very true. My wife and I both has tears in our eyes.
I've seen the article.....we even had signs made and used them in our protest against the scum in July. ;*)
I was amazed at the lack of visible press. They must have been there, because they quoted the speeches I heard. There certainly weren't any TV camera...at least while I was there.
Congratulations, kristinn, DC Chapter devoted workers, and all who attended Saturday's rally. Many hundreds of visitors to DCs monuments heard our message and saw our flags and banners. The site was ideal for catching the attention of visitors.
I hope you have booked the Dell for next year!
She was a moonbat with a shirt that read, "Quit Bitching and Start A Revolution." A commercial item no less. Dumb as a stump.
Rest up...walk down and get them all....
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