Posted on 09/18/2007 4:56:48 AM PDT by mdittmar
Over the weekend, hundreds of patriots attended a rally in our nation’s capitol to show their support for our military. Did you hear about it? If you get your news from traditional media, it’s not likely. FSM Contributing Editor Pam Meister was there and has the full report on a very uplifting day.
Pro-Troop Rally Draws Patriots from Around the Nation
By Pam Meister
This past Saturday, September 15th, patriotic Americans from around the nation gathered in Washington D.C. to honor our troops serving both at home and overseas. It was the same day that anti-war protestors descended upon Washington like proverbial locusts to give sustenance to our enemies, despite their cries of how much they “support the troops.”
Sadly, this may be one of the few full accounts of the day that you’ll see, because the mainstream media was in scant attendance. More on that later.
The day began with a rally on the Capitol Mall. Move America Forward was there in force, their “Fight for Victory” cross-country caravan having arrived in D.C. on Thursday night. Serving as MCs for the event were Kristinn Taylor of Free Republic, and Melanie Morgan, San Francisco talk show host and chairman of Move America Forward. As the rally progressed, so did the size of the crowd. Behind the stage we could see the Capitol Building. It should have been a motivating background, but the antics by our Congress these past six years cheapened the view.
I saw people from various places. Representatives from California, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Virginia, and many other states were there. Among those there was a group of College Republicans from American University. My friend Aaron, with whom I attended, said, “It always amazes me to see how Americans come in all shapes and sizes.” He was right. There were veterans, bikers, college students, professionals and retirees, all with the same goal in mind: to pay homage to our military and to those who fight to keep our nation free and strong.
It was an inspirational morning. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Megan Ortega, and the National Anthem was sung by Kit Lange – and a lot of people joined in. After the invocation, there were many speakers – ultimately more than there was time for. They included representatives of Gathering of Eagles; Peter Hesgeth, president of Vets for Freedom (who reminded us that “now is the time to stand by our troops, stand by their leaders, and stand by their mission”); Merrilee Carlson, head of Families United (and who spoke of her son’s service and ultimate sacrifice in Iraq); and Lt. Col. Buzz Patterson (author of the recently published “War Crimes: The Left’s Campaign to Destroy our Military and Lose the War on Terror”).
All of the speakers were popular, but the ones who elicited the most response from the crowd were Blue and Gold Star family members who all spoke of their loved ones with pride, although it was often mixed with sorrow. Most of them had difficulty in keeping themselves from breaking into tears, like Debbie Lee, Jan Johnson and Greg Garvey. Whenever these people spoke, shouts of “hero” and “thank you” could be heard amongst the crowd. It was easy to see many of these speakers didn’t relish the spotlight, but felt they had to make their voices heard – in order to nullify those who would use the sacrifices of their sons, daughters, husbands and wives for their own selfish ends.
The rally received a surprise visitor – Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA). Hunter, who is also a presidential candidate, received a warm welcome. His speech included quotes from Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inaugural address, as well as his own father (who was a Marine) and his son, Duncan Jr., who is a Marine who served in Iraq and is now serving in Afghanistan. He was, notably, the only elected representative to make an appearance.
At one point, several war protestors tried to rain on our parade, but orange-shirted “marshals” kept them at bay. Later, a lone woman holding a sign with anti-war slogans stood quietly among us. Although the rally organizers encouraged attendees to leave her alone so that the marshals could deal with the situation, she was quickly surrounded by those unhappy with her presence. She left a short while later.
A young man, Corp. Finelli, was among the last to speak. (Note: I missed his first name, and hope I’m spelling his last name correctly.) Although he lost an arm and had his legs badly injured while serving in Iraq, he said he wished he could still be there, fighting with his fellow soldiers. He praised the treatment he received at Walter Reed Hospital, and claimed that, “I don’t fight just for America; I fight for the world.” You can imagine the response this courageous young man received.
Entertainment was also on the program, and Lloyd Marcus and Diana Nagy were among those who sang inspiring songs that touched the hearts of many.
The rally wrapped up at noon with a musical tribute to our fallen troops. Onstage, Gold Star family members held hands with rally sponsors. No one spoke during this time, and there were few dry eyes by the time the music ended. We were all then encouraged to make our way to Pennsylvania Avenue to line the route for the anti-war march on the Capitol Building, which was to kick off at 1:30.
Well, we waited an hour and a half before we caught our first glimpse of the war protest crowd. Shortly before they arrived, we were treated to a display by about ten members of Code Pink, including the group’s founder, Medea Benjamin. They paraded about in front of us several times, and at one point a pro-troop supporter confronted them. The police got involved, but I’m not sure if anyone was actually arrested.
Enter the media. There were a few cameras at the Move America Forward/Gathering of Eagles rally early in the morning, but none stayed for the duration (with the exception of blogger/columnist Michelle Malkin and her HotAir.com associate Bryan Preston). Do yourself a favor: don’t take media claims that they are impartial and unbiased at face value. While pro-troop supporters lined both sides of approximately four avenue blocks, few reporters took advantage of the opportunity to get their point of view. They were too busy jockeying for position for the onslaught of the International ANSWER crowd. And once the march was upon us, there was even a truck full of reporters and cameramen moving slowly along with it. (My friend Aaron was so incensed he began shouting, “Biased media!” He was definitely heard, but no reporter deigned to approach him.) Maybe the large quantity of American flags and patriotic clothing was what kept them at bay; much like garlic keeps vampires away.
There were a couple of things that struck me about the march itself. First, that some parents dragged their young children along, children who likely didn’t know what the fuss was all about. One young girl who looked to be about eight years old was among a line of marchers “tied” together in solidarity. She looked terrified…and who could blame her? With all the noise, shouting, and angry people surrounding her, I know I truly felt sorry for her, and angry at the parent who forced her to take part in something so…so uncouth. Unfortunately, she was not the only frightened, confused child I saw. I thought of my children, ages 14 and 11, who I left at home, determined they shouldn’t be at such an event until they are both much older and freely willing to take part.
Then there was the profanity that flowed easily from those who claim “peace” is the answer. There were angrily spouted R-rated epithets and middle fingers aplenty – from senior citizens who should know better, right on down the line to college students who most likely believed they were being cool by sticking it to “the man.” One girl, who looked like she was about 15, walked past us shortly before the march began, shouting an obscenity while mimicking another obscenity with her hands. Where was her mother? Oh, she was right there with little Susie, egging her on. What a, er, precious mother-daughter moment.
Where I was standing there were no violent outbursts, thanks to the outstanding job done by Capitol police. One war protestor did rush the barricade a few feet away from me, but the person she was rushing moved out of the way, and she backed off without further incident.
(Was there profanity from the side of the troop supporters? It’s possible, although I didn’t hear any myself.)
The usual suspects were in full force: people with scarves over their faces to avoid being recognized, 9/11 Truthers, IWW representatives, Palestinian sympathizers donning kaffiyehs, and plenty of warmed-over hippies reliving their glory days. Obscene signs about our president and vice-president were proudly hoisted, and the obligatory man wearing a George Bush mask and a devil’s suit paraded about near the end of the line. I fully expected to hear the song “Time Warp” from the Rocky Horror Picture Show to start blasting in my ears.
At the end of the day, both of us sporting sunburns, Aaron and I collected our flags and our signs and made our way home. We’d been on our feet for nearly eight hours and were ready to flop. Turning on the news later, though, I wasn’t really surprised to see just a quick mention of the day’s activities, and most of that dedicated to the war protestors. You see, O.J. Simpson is in the news again, and that takes precedence over anything else – including events that might show the military and patriotic Americans in a positive light. Biased media? You make the call.
Thanks to the dedicated people at Move America Forward, Free Republic, Gathering of Eagles, Protest Warrior, Vets for Freedom, Families United, Freedom’s Watch – and those individual patriotic souls who made the sojourn to our nation’s capitol – the war protestors can no longer claim the streets of Washington D.C. as their own. Those who support our military and its mission made their voices heard this weekend. It’s not the first time, nor will it be the last. Congressional leaders may be turning a deaf ear, but they do so at their own peril. Americans are tired of the voices of the few drowning out the voices of the many – and they’re finally fighting back.
For further coverage, including photos, you can go to: my blog, Michelle Malkin, and Hot Air.
Thanks for the post. This is the kind of thing I browse free-republic to find, things I’m interested in that I’d never get from the main-stream media.
I loved the report too....thank you for taking the time to write and share it.
It is the kind of report that we will NEVER see in our local newspapers.
There were a couple of things that struck me about the march itself. First, that some parents dragged their young children along, children who likely didn’t know what the fuss was all about. One young girl who looked to be about eight years old was among a line of marchers “tied” together in solidarity. She looked terrified…and who could blame her? With all the noise, shouting, and angry people surrounding her, I know I truly felt sorry for her, and angry at the parent who forced her to take part in something so…so uncouth. Unfortunately, she was not the only frightened, confused child I saw. I thought of my children, ages 14 and 11, who I left at home, determined they shouldn’t be at such an event until they are both much older and freely willing to take part.”
Further, they made a chain of kids, holding hands, with a few adults sprinkled in the chain. The chain was taken along the perimeter between the communists and the patriots. Can you say “human shields, anyone”?
It was difficult to watch.
Support our troops: Send Pink over there.
Thanks for the post.
I was blessed to be there to participate in this event.
I also felt bad for those kids.
My 14 year old was with me at the event,but not because I forced her,but because she wanted to be there.I talked to her about what she will encounter and what she will hear from the moonbats long before I made the decision to agree to take her along.
She was very persisting on wanting to do this and since it was her choice I took her along.
She handled herself well and told me she would do it again in a heart beat.
She understands the importance of supporting our troops and why we have to counter the likes of Code Pink.
I too was shocked at the people using their kids as shields. As we were waiting for the moonbats to start their parade, a man came over to our corner and started chanting USA sucks w/ a very small child on his sholders. Of course we could not say anything to him since this very very small child was on his sholders looking afraid. So I went over to the police officers, who by the way, did a wonderful job at keeping the peace, and told them about the situation. They kindly removed him.
This man was a coward, a yellow bellied coward, just like the rest of them. It was sickening to watch.
The rally received a surprise visitor – Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA). Hunter, who is also a presidential candidate, received a warm welcome. His speech included quotes from Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inaugural address, as well as his own father (who was a Marine) and his son, Duncan Jr., who is a Marine who served in Iraq and is now serving in Afghanistan. He was, notably, the only elected representative to make an appearance.
B4DH!!!!
This speaks volumes about the integrity of Duncan Hunter. He was the ONLY elected representative to make an appearance!
Not only that, he showed up at 2 other Fight For Victory Tour events and spoke to the crowd in support of our troops.
Duncan Hunter has always made our troops one of his top priorities and for GOOD reason. Our nation needs to stand STRONG in the face of the terrorists.
WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN! WE WILL NOT SURRENDER! TOWARD VICTORY!
“This speaks volumes about the integrity of Duncan Hunter. He was the ONLY elected representative to make an appearance!”
DUNCAN HUNTER - a true patriot!!!!
http://www.gohunter08.com/Home.aspx
This speaks volumes about the integrity of Duncan Hunter. He was the ONLY elected representative to make an appearance!
Not only that, he showed up at 2 other Fight For Victory Tour events and spoke to the crowd in support of our troops.
I’ll bump to that! For DH!
And a Job Well Done!
There are Many , Many GREAT AMERICANS and Pro-Troop, Pro-Surge and Pro-VICTORY Americans out there!
About time that the Senate & House were reminded of that fact THIS last weekend to! I called this our " ARE YOU LISTENING TOUR " really-cause THAT was what it was all about!
Big Thanks to TO Mr. Sen. Hunter- I am SURE his tales will spread to all others that with ONE of "US" There this weekend being the equal of 200-250 Moonbats who got there/ate/had signs/traveled/boarded for FREE! OUR NUMBERS More than Equaled 85% 17 year olds and under-and those 70 year old Commie/Socialist Party Hippies who MUST have had help getting to D.C. in the first place!
God Bless you and everyone for their Great Effort!
NOW!!! ON TO GLORY!!!! for Remember! it's 08' where we will be making our last stand!
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