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Posted on 12/18/2001 10:40:25 AM PST by Hail Caesar

Epilogue to the Tyranny Response Team's Kensington Santa Ban FReep...

It was cold, dreary and rainy last night (Monday 12/17/01) and after fighting through grid locked Beltway rush hour traffic around our Nation's Capitol, I finally made it up to the Town of Kensington. I went to attend their final town meeting of the year being held in the Kensington Armory's downstairs meeting hall. I was there with fellow Tyranny Response Team (TRT) member, John Latham, in order to witness any official on-the-record reaction to the 12/2 Santa Ban FReep by the Mayor, Kouncil members or the citizens present at the meeting. If it were not for the actions of a certain local senior citizen patriot named John Kelly, with the support of the TRT, the subject of the council's Santa ban would never have come up. Also, special thanks goes out to Doctor Raoul for providing the "ammo" of four specially designed and individually labeled Christmas stockings containing dead branches and lumps of coal for each of the Kensington Town Kouncil members!

Less than twenty townspeople, including children, from a total population of over 1800 people, attended this regularly scheduled town meeting. Even counting the town officials and TRT members present, there were no more than two dozen attendees there last night. The meeting started a little after 7:30 p.m. and after several discussions regarding traffic lights, local school gym issues, the usual (boring) local gov't stuff, etc., the floor was opened up to discussion of "unfinished business".

Four individually labeled Christmas stockings filled with dead branches and lumps of coal presented...

At that point, Mr. John Kelly made his public presentation of the aforementioned Christmas stocking "presents" by giving one to each of the individual Kouncil members sitting behind the front table. At first some of them seemed both surprised and pleased to receive a present from one of their own townspeople. Then, the awkward smiles and looks of surprise soon turned to frowns and sighs of disdain as they realized what they had actually received. Even the Mayor looked like she had just been given an enema. ROTFL

While some of the townspeople were amused or dumbfounded by that presentation, both the Mayor and one of the Kouncil members kept asking Mr. Kelly to "state his name for the record." Mr. Kelly, who uses hearing aids, did not hear their requests as he continued to verbally chastise the Kouncil members for what they had done by their Santa Claus ban. He ended his presentation by saying that whether "they believe it or not, there truly is a Santa Claus." The Mayor quickly referred the audience to the minutes of their October meeting where the Santa ban was discussed and decided upon, etc., (yada, yada, yada). She then made a few more quick statements regarding other issues and then entertained a motion to adjourn which quickly passed. She commented that this was the shortest town meeting they have had in a long time. LOL

I had the honor of meeting Mr. Kelly that night and took a few pictures (below) at this FReep with my cheap digital camera. As the townspeople, John Latham and I left the meeting hall, John yelled out to the Kouncil members:

Merry Christmas to you, tyrants! ;-)

Front-page editorial opinion cartoon from the 12/6/01 print edition of the Montgomery Journal.

John Latham (TRT) and local Kensington patriot, John Kelly

Kensington Kouncil members look sullen shortly after discovering the contents of their stockings. Was the Mayor jealous because Santa forgot to give her one too? ;-)

Right after adjournment, Kouncil member (far left) Cowan's son looks inside a stocking. We hope he and his father learned even more about Santa (naughty or nice?) from this experience. Notice the Cross at the top of the Maryland State flagpole (upper right). Do you think they will soon ban this symbol which represents the historical fact that Maryland was the very first Catholic colony (state) here in America, too?

Kouncilman Bruch remains smug about the Santa ban as he talks to Kouncil members Scharman and Mayor Raufaste.

John Latham cheerfully points to a stocking filled with dead branches and lumps of coal left behind by an ungrateful council member. Kouncil member Cowan threw his on the floor before he stormed off. LOL

Patriot John Kelly poses with Doctor Raoul's stocking creations behind Kouncil member Bruch's spot at the council table. As I was taking this picture, the remaining Kouncil members and staff were trying to rush us out of the meeting room. :-)

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

Catholic ping!

Christian ping!

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