AFTER ACTION REPORT:Texas Chicken Run FReep

[DrewsDad]

The Heart of Texas Chapter of FreeRepublic.com and many other dedicated Texas FReepers had a great time FReeping the Texas Chicken Run Rally today at the Texas State Capitol. There were probably about 1,000 democrats brought in on luxury buses from all over the state. We had 10-20 FReepers and others there to take them on. Honor Roll includes basil, Gracey, The Bat Lady, hocndoc, CindyDawg and husband, jobshopper and wife, JimNtexas, DeadCorpse, and of course PetroniDE(proudly representing the HAT Chapter). There were several others who joined us including Verona, the "Get us out of U.N." guy, and a few others as well.

There was a high level of confrontation since the rats were upset that we showed up to crash their party and challenge their delusions of keeping in place their "shrewdest gerrymander of the 1990s". One raggedy old man started coming at us pointing his finger and cussing up a storm. Someone said something to the effect of God helping him change, to which he replied, "What god?" Part of the Chicken Run Rally actually included singing "God Bless America", so we were joking that they probably drove off half their audience with that.

The State Capitol Officers didn't make much of an effort of keeping us apart but stepped in a few times when things got really heated. I think Gracey was accused of assaulting some lady that kept pushing her way in to get behind one of our folks being interviewed. I'll let her tell you about it herself.

Several of the democrats decided they had to stand right next to us and try to drown out our chants, but only helped disrupt their official program even more. Some of our chants were, "Just show up for work", "They ran away", a "Where is Thumbkin" rendition naming the Senators who "ran away, ran to Albuquereque", and a few others.

I was probably engaged in a "friendly discussion", but someone mentioned that a small airplane flew over with the banner, "TEXAS HEROES DON'T RUN AWAY". We talked to several reporters(in spite of the disruptors best efforts) and irritated the Albuturkey supporters to no end. News 8 Austin gave us good coverage with DeadCorpse in a "Just show up for work" shouting match with one of the dems, my "Remember the Alamo! Remember Ardmore and Albuquerque? REAL TEXANS Don't Flee the State" sign , a "Please Don't Feed the Chickens", and a "Chicken Dems - Gridlock,Obstruction,Cowardice - Real Texans Don't Run-must be French" sign.

Afterwards, we headed to El Arroyo to feast on chicken and other foods. All Freepers survived and had a good time. It was more confrontational than I would have preferred, but we got our message out. GREAT JOB ALL!!!

Click on picture or link to see larger picture

Group Shot

The Bat Lady exposes Moveon.org

Cindydawg, JimNtexas, and hocndoc

Gracey and Verona

basil and DeadCorpse

PetroniDE and jobshopper with the flags

[DrewsDad]

Feel free to add your observations.

[DrewsDad]

Chime in with stories and pics.

[DrewsDad]

Texas checking in.

[MistrX]

Well Done!

[shetlan]

An appreciative, "Thank Y'all!" from Florida.

[hocndoc]

Good job, Drews Dad.
My pictures are at http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/hocndoc

We made noise!!!! Surprisingly, we got a lot of help, as DD said, from the Dems, who inadvertantly added their voices to our efforts to let 'em know we were there.

Please help post my pictures on here, if you know how. And, let me know if I mislabeled any of the pics.

Our message to the runaway 11 was: JUST SHOW UP! And we said it loud and clear.

[humblegunner]

of course PetroniDE(proudly representing the HAT Chapter).

Hooray for our intrepid PetroniDE!

[hocndoc]

The Bat Lady has a thread at
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/961188/posts?page=4

[humblegunner]

Hoo yah!

[The_Victor]

Greatful bump!

Thanks Y'all!

[hocndoc]

Can we post this on Breaking News or Activism?

[Angelwood]

Looks like a great bunch of patriots gathered to greet those who would obstruct and run away from their responsibilities! Great pictures, too!

Gracey, I love the poem on your sign! Hey, basil, you're looking pretty good -- glad I could see you in a current picture at least.

FReep On, H.O.T. Chapter! It's really a treat to see good friends again (bless the Internet).

[The Bat Lady]

Thanks HocNDoc for letting me know there were 2 threads.
I will quit posting there but this is what I had so far

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/961188/posts?page=3

[hocndoc]

Thank you!!
I have no idea who that guy in the chicken D t-shirt is. He was fairly well behaved, but hung around us and got in all the pictures.

Some of the Dems spoke a lot of "demospeak" including those 7 words that used to be illegal. One man even called me a "Whore." I (forgetting who I was talking to) told him, "Well, God bless you for showing up." He demanded to know "What God." and "Which God." I told him "My God." (I mean really, don't they teach these guys anything?)

The next song sang by the Dems was "God Bless America."

That God.

[hocndoc]

I'm so proud of Verona, who says she's a lurker.
She said that she gets tired of the assumptions of the Democrat racists. But she did laugh that no one tried to confront *her* for being there.

Go Freeepers!!!

[Doctor Raoul]

Excellent, excellent. Thanks for FReeping those Chicken Sheets....

[The Bat Lady]

the one sign I did take (moved from other thread)
SIDE ONE
"Why does MoveOn.org have a link to the Communist party site?"

SIDE TWO
"Who do you March with" and then I printed the homepage of CPUSA and it had the link to MoveOn.org right above the ACTION section.

So I said that MoveOn.org is the Action wing of the Communist party of America.

GET THIS!!!! The most common comment was.... So what is wrong with the Communist party.

I said everyone has free speech and so does the Communist party, all I'm saying is that if MoveOn.org has organized the rally and paid for the buses and the music and you are marching with them, I just want you to know.

If you want communism for your children and grandchildren then get out there and fight for it, but be honest about it. Don't let them use your body here for a counting for their purposes, if that is not what you wish.

One girl did take the time to talk calmly and said is the link there as a Communist part or just (I don't know )advertising (can't exactly remember how she put it, and I said well I'm not sure but she said that she will check into it. That is all I ask that you look into WHO you are marching with.

[hocndoc]

BTW, my car thermometer said the temp was 95 in Austin, but it was 104 when I reached the town of Kyle.

That red plane with the "Real Texas Heroes don't run away" sign was fantastic. Who was that?

[The Bat Lady]

The best comment I had from my MoveOn.org sign was this guy who yelled at me the whole time he said this and wouldn't let me speak but GET THIS:

I must be a Communist because I have the word written on my sign and just because MoveOn.org has a link there I'm assuming they are related so I must be one too.

A little twisted logic there but once I realized he didn't want to let me talk, I said OK and just walked away (back to the front of that crowd who wanted to hide us)

[JimNtexas]

This is the first rally I've been to since November 2000. When I came up on the west side of the building, I kind of paused, because there were a lot of Dems around. Just then Drews Dad came up and showed me where the Freepers were. Thanks, DD.

I wish I could have gone to lunch, but I had some work stuff I had to do. It was a lot of fun, and I'll be at any future freeps if I possibly can.

What was up with the altercation that broke out? I saw a DPS trooper run off a demo who was hysterical.

Here is a note I sent to a friend about my impressions of the event:

I just got back from a Freeper counter-protest that was held at the Texas Capitol building during a Democrat party rally to support the Chicken Ds. The Dems bused in about 2000 people, there were about 20 of us Freepers. I had one of the best signs there, I thought.

It was a lot fun, although very, very hot work. My wife told me to wear a hat, but I hate hats so I didn't. I should have.

I have several polite conversations with some Demos, but several members of the Chicken party followed us around screaming four letter words at the top of their lungs. Godwins Law was operating in overdrive.

One guy got right in my face screaming "YOU FAT F**K" over and over. It was just funny, I started laughing and pointed out that while that may be true, it was kind of irrelevant. He kept at, standing literally nose-to-nose with me. I stayed very calm and smiled a lot. I told him that this wasn't the sixth grade playground, and suggested an anger management class.

He finally stormed off, and came back on a bicycle and tried to run over me.

One old lady came up and bopped me with her umbrella.

One Democrat was dragged away by the DPS when he attacked a small female Freeper who was being interviewed.

I was interviewed for the local Time-Warner cable news, but I don't have cable so I won't get to see it.

I bet 200 people took our picture, it was kind of like we were rock stars.

One guy came up and said "Republicans are the War Party!!". "You mean like Korea and Viet Nam?" I asked him. "Yeah" he replied. "I didn't know that Truman, JFK, and Johnson were Republicans" I answered, and he just looked confused.

[Dead Corpse]

Checking in. It was great getting to meet some of you in person. As soon as I crop the photos I took (got the camera set for max resolution so the photos are 800K each), and find some place to put them up on, I'll let y'all know.

Gotta warn you though, I've got some volume to add to chants and taunts, but I'm not the worlds greatest photographer... ;-)

[woofie]

Come on out here to New Mexico and bring some horses and rope

[hocndoc]

I really enjoyed pointing out to the dems that at least women in Afghanistan can get medical treatment nowadays. Maybe, someday, they can drive cars, thanks to American troups under our Commander in Chief, President George W. Bush!

[Flyer]

Great job! Thanks for being the voice of so many Texans that believe in truth and justice.

[hocndoc]

I knew I forgot something last week. Hi, woofie! I thought about you and the NM freepers , today. Sorry about y'all havin' to put up with our runaways.

[The Bat Lady]

I got interviewed by Houston radio 91.??? not sure where. She did record me for sometime so curious about what she will put on. PetroniDE can you let me know?

Dead Corpse thanks for coming, we will be looking for you more.

I did have a history teacher come over to find out where I bought the flag and that was a very calm discussion but he high tailed it out when someone asked about my sign and I was showing the home page of CPUSA, I guess he didn't want to know about that.

Also before everyone got there, a big crowd of people came over to take a picture of them with the flag which they spread out so they could see it well and I made sure that my sign was in their picture. I wonder if they read it at the time and what will they think of it when they get the pictures back?

[Dead Corpse]

Thank you for letting me join you. It would'a been awefully lonely standing there by myself. ;-)

BTW, News 8 Austin already has a clip of our counter protest on their cable news channel broadcast. They got good shots of a couple of us as well as the signs. Pretty fair blurb to go with the spot giving an only moderately bied report.

[diotima]

That is great work. I know it is unfortunate that these are your state politicos, but it is great entertainment to follow their desperate activities.

[Dead Corpse]

biased. Sheesh...

[Flyer]

I got interviewed by Houston radio 91.???

That may have been 90.1 KPFT, our local Pacifica station.

[The Bat Lady]

Wasn't it amazing how it was all Bush's and the Republican's fault for all the money being wasted while nothing gets done?


One very nice lady was against the unfairness of the plan and I asked if in 1992 she also registered complaints about it then and she said yes, she always speaks out against unfairness on both sides. I gave her a thumbs up and said that is all I ask.

So back to the 22 buses, music, speakers and people. Who paid for this? the Democrat party or MoveOn.org? Enquiring minds want to know!!!

[sweetliberty]

Great FReeping. They really hate it when their designs and hypocrisy are exposed, as if their yelling louder improves their image.

[Dead Corpse]

Last paragraph mentions "a handful of Republicans"

[The Bat Lady]

Usually I take pictures of their signs. I didn't do that this time, however, I noticed that more looked like each person did their own sign. Not like the anti-war rallies where they were mass produced.

However, I did take one:
SPEND MONEY PAYING FOR ABORTIONS, NOT PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS

did I get that spelled right? Anyway a STRANGE sign, just goes to show that ALL the different special interest groups come out for their rallies.

[bluebunny]

How come the Republicans are not having rallies? Republicans better be glad they raise more money than the Dems because their political instincts stink.

[hocndoc]

What a classic.
Maybe Planned Parenthood or NOW paid for one bus?

[The Bat Lady]

So just a note, why aren't the Republicans presenting a map that has the districts kind of in a block so that the person who is the rep. has some compactness? If Texas is really voting 60% then draw it from a computer, be really fair and let the voters decide.

We shouldn't be gerrymandering, just because THEY did!

As we say it isn't fair, so we shouldn't do it either.

[The Bat Lady]

I saw a NOW sign there. Maybe they did pay for one of the buses.

[The Bat Lady]

I had a guy in front of me with an American flag, do you know how RARE it is to see an American flag on the other side?

So I leaned forward and thanked him for bringing the flag and we got into a talk about the Communist Goals of 1963. he was in his 40's and I said just look at them and see if you have seen a differance just in your lifetime. He wanted to debate point by point and there are 45 of them so I said just keep the paper, I have tons of them and read it over and see if you have noticed changes in your lifetime.

They are really accomplishing their goals!

[DrewsDad]

Any change to the current map would have to pass the Voting Rights Court requirements. Making a major change such as blocking the districts probably wouldn't pass. You also have incumbant issues involved.

I would have just waited and let you start the thread if I knew. President basil gave me a nudge and asked me to get one started. Oops.

[Sen Jack S. Fogbound]

Well done, guys and gals! Well done!

[DrewsDad]

Come on out here to New Mexico and bring some horses and rope

If you can hold off the NM State Troopers, we just might consider a chicken raid. How are the protests going in Albuquerque?

[The Bat Lady]

Hey, Doesn't matter who starts the thread. I did do a search but not for chicken D's. Did after action, moveon.org, redistricting etc.

Anyway back to the plan, so if they change it a lot but gerrymander that is OK because the incumbant is protected.

And that won't have to go to that committee?

But if we do a fair one, it will have to go to the committee. Is that right?

But in 2010 will we do a fair one, computer based and get this fixed to some semblence of normalcy? Or just gerrymander because that is what is done?

[PetroniDE]

I did an interview with an AP reporter. Most of the discussion centered on roles of the legislature vs. the judiciary, redistricting efforts in the '70s - '90s, and the effects of the latest GOP redistricting proposal.

Another good time. My estimate count from the leftists was 2500-3000. Noticed their presentation lasted about an hour (our typical rallies during "Rally for America" were 1-3/4 to 2 hours. Guess we have longer attention spans.

One final note.
I WASN'T BUSSED IN, AND I WASN'T PAID !!! I DROVE MYSELF.
Let's see the left draw when they're not given freebees. We had a sample when they protested Tom DeLay on Friday, 8 August. About 15 people, compared to 30-40 counter protestors.

[PetroniDE]

I got interviewed by Houston radio 91.??? not sure where. She did record me for sometime so curious about what she will put on. PetroniDE can you let me know?

I have a strange feeling that is KPFT. Regarding what she will broadcast, I wouldn't listen to that station even if you paid me.

[Flyer]

I WASN'T BUSSED IN, AND I WASN'T PAID !!!

Yeah, you rich Republicans can afford that. The worker class, being constantly raped by the likes of you, needs assistance from our Communist friends.

[PetroniDE]

That is great work. I know it is unfortunate that these are your state politicos, but it is great entertainment to follow their desperate activities.

You want some of them? We can work out a trade.

[woofie]

How are the protests going in Albuquerque?

There aint nothin' going on out here as far as I know

[Wacka]

If you freep again and get a lot of "one finger salutes", do what i did in SF in 2000. Blow them kisses and say "Thank you-we're #1!"

[PetroniDE]

Flyer, you getting snippy with me? ROFLOL

ME, RICH ???

You think I am made out of money? (Where have I heard that before)
You think I have a money tree in the back yard? (Where have I heard that before)

At lunch, Verona who was in our group received a comment from a leftists "Only rich people vote Republican". Her comment (paraphrasing) was "That's strange, didn't have to pay any money to cast my vote".

How come I never think to come backs like that.