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O.K. I've reported my findings with RPD and SCPD and WTVD. Now, on to the report for the day.

Raleigh Rally Report.

Arriving, I saw dozens of signs up on Hillsborough Street about not parking. So, I pulled into the church where I attend and walked. Since it's only a block, and it was BEAUTIFUL weather for a rally, I decided to walk. I was treated to the sight of barricades and about 150 people in the crowd. I was about 10 minutes early. By the time it started, the crowd had moved up to about 500, and the music was getting people stirred up. Then it started. Moving speeches, lots of fun, great time meeting other Freepers and people who hadn't heard of it before, who have now. Beautiful weather. Great singing. Congressman BillyBob and the "I know what it means to be an American" speech. The very nice lady from the Republican Women with a wonderful speech. The prayer that stirred us all on. Senator Ballentine (who should be our next Governor). Jim Snyder (who I HOPE takes on Edwards and would be our next Senator). The wonderful lady from Iraq who told what it meant to live under the thumb of Saddam. All the signs and banners. The flags. The British flag that two ladies brought. The vet who got up there and I'm sure was wishing he was back in his unit which is right now freeing Basra. I'm sure I'm forgetting some (like Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Agar). The lovely young lady who sang with heart and soul with a very stirring song she wrote herself. The wonderful couple who sang several songs, including Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA. Wow. I was thrilled to be a part of that. All in all, by the middle, around 1:00 or so, I tried to estimate the crowd. It was enormous. Nearly 1000, if not more. No less than 850. There were people stretched back to most of the barricades in two of the directions.

I've been to some of these types of events before, but not a Freeper event. Once the applause dies down, it's a race to get to the cars. Not this one. Most stayed to mingle, get acquainted, clean up. This was not a trash fest like the corrupt Anti-Bush, Anti-America crowd. When I walked back after the resturaunt, I saw one plastic band from probably the barricades. There was maybe one or two pieces of paper, no more than notepad size. Apparently, the previous group left graffiti on the statues, trash all over and broken glass in the streets and grass.

When Dei23 and I were walking down to his car to take something there, we ran across a Raleigh PD. I asked him about the demonstrators a few weeks before. He just sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. He couldn't comment. But his attitude shift when asked about them was enough to let us know what he meant. RPD found out we weren't like the "other" group. They were prepared if we were. There were snipers on the roofs of a few buildings. It was significant to know that the bad guys rattled them so much that when the good guys came to meet, they needed that precaution. Anyway, it was great meeting some of you in person finally. And when I finish putting it together, I'll post the speech I had been working on presenting. (Since I didn't get to finish writing it, only one person's heard it.)

Paul (Spacewarp)