Posted on 06/26/2004 2:45:57 PM PDT by ItsOurTimeNow
AFTER ACTION REPORT - DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE RALLY!!
Well, what can I say? It was a HUGE success! We had about 300 men and women in attendance, not including children. The guest speakers were phenominal, and the music was awesome!!
Here's how things broke down:
Item 1: All week, the weathermen had been forcasting rain and thunderstorms for Saturday. Prayers went up for a dry afternoon, and as God would have it, we didn't have a sprinkle! Not a drop! 45 minutes after we got home this afternoon, it started pouring! Praise God!
Item 2: The rally was not without incident, I'm sorry to say. A small contingent of rabble was gathering while we were setting up. A total of 8 were there, lead by a skinny white boy in an ANSWER t-shirt. They were handing out flyers and had their usual signs and chants...which I thought was interesting that they could call us "bigots", "right-wingers", and "hate-mongers" without even hearing a word of our message.
Once the band started playing, the Rabble of 8 started marching THROUGH our protest area (that I had paid for), IN FRONT of the band, and making small circles around the crowd...chanting through bull-horns the whole time their ridiculous, and frankly, overplayed, slogans.
Here's a picture of them in all their glory. Not sure what the garden hose is for. Maybe Gunny Sgt. Hartman was right, and this particluar rabble CAN do an amazing trick involving the hose and a golf-ball.
Anyway, I had about 2 dozen of our people form a phalanx around the band, so that the rabble would have to walk behind the band, and up on the capitol steps, just to get around us.
They tried this once, and found it difficult, so about 2 dozen more people took to the steps and stood behind the band, thus making the Rabble's job of circling us all the more difficult.
At this point, the State Capitol security showed up and told the Miserable 8 to take a hike down the hill, to the end of the Capitol walkway, at edge of the curb. Essentially, about 100 feet down the hill from us.
Poor widdle sad commies:
It was at this point that one of the speakers, Pastor Jay, walked down to them to talk. He said to them, "I just want to let you guys know that we all love you and are here to help." To which the Rabble of 8 replied with...well...nothing except the same slogans they had been shouting. He then asked, "Why are you guys doing this? Why are you attempting to silence us? Why can't you let us have our say?" To which they replied with more moronic chanting. Apparently they weren't interested in debate, or even decent conversation. Pastor Jay then said, "Well, if any of you want to pray, you can come find me. I'm here for you, and I love you.", they cursed at him, and he left.
They, of course, the took to waving at cars and shouting their slogans, which we couldn't even hear at this point. After about 10 minutes of that, they got bored and left.
After they left, a group of "our" people, about 12 strong, walked down to the end of the walkway with our "Save Marriage", and "Let not judges put together what God has kept asunder", and "Marriage - One Man, One Woman" signs. About half of those 12 were kids aged 8-15...they came with a whole contingent of the local Homeschooling chapter, and let me tell you, those kids were so proud and happy to be a part of something like this!
However,
The former Rabble of 8 decided to take to their vehicles, and drive around the block over and over. Each time they'd pass the group of 12 (6 of which were kids), they'd shout obsceneties, flip the middle finger, spit, and curse. One time, towards the end of the rally, the threw a handful of coins at the group, and one of the girls, aged 10, was struck in the eye by a quarter. The father of the girl takes off after the car, which turns into the mall parking garage. The guy takes off after them, and runs into the garage, with the Capitol Security in tow.
Eventually, the cops got ahold of the kids who threw coins at CHILDREN. I'm not sure what happened to the perps after that point, if they were arrested or not.
But, yes, ANSWER and pro-gay protest groups...these are your brethren. Idiots with body odor, poor taste in clothing, who curse, spit, and throw things at children. You must be so proud.
Item 3: But, all in all, that was a minor event in a day filled with praise, worship, testimony, and prayer. Everything went according to schedule, our opposition was pathetically few, the band was rocking, the speakers were passionate, the crowd was loud and joyous. Man...what an event!!!
Item 4: Here's something that was particularly odd, yet refreshingly nice. During the entire rally, there were two large "butch" looking women sitting atop a knoll near the rally. Since one of our guest speakers is a reformed lesbian, she went off to talk to them. They said they were there to listen to what we had to say. After our speaker left them, the Rabble of 8 leader went over and tried to hand them a flyer. They refused to join up with the rabble, and remained seated. They actually stayed for the duration, took some of our literature, and listened to what our speakers had to say.
Odd, that. But nice all the same.
Pictures to follow
LOL...with this shot, it was just one camera...but I think it was a REALLY BIG camera.
That made me smile. Not only can I relate but what the camera adds keeps growing. We recently changed our diet and followed the advice in What Would Jesus Eat?. 
While I'm not into the recent What Would Jesus [Whatever], we found the book quite helpful. I lost 25 pounds in 6 weeks following the diet (and only the diet). We're changing our lives to better follow this diet from now on.
We just took our boat out last weekend and the resulting pictures tells me I need to lose another 25 pounds. So I was just telling the wife the camera adds 50 pounds. But this was just a small digital camera. The camera used at your event was probably three times larger.
Believe it or not, this is me minus the 40 pounds I've already lost from living la vida low-carb.
I'd be pushing Michael Moore density in that photo if this rally had happened a year ago.
Homosexual Agenda Ping - I just noticed I never pinged this out to everyone. Or rather, I thought it did and instead of the list I pinged myself. Duh.
Anyway, although the pro-marriage rally that ItsOurTimeNow organized is a couple of weeks in the past, it will cheer you all up to read this thread. Shows how one person's determination, courage, and patience can make a difference. No time to waste with getting depressed or hopeless.
Let's Roll!!!
Let me know if anyone wants on/off this pinglist.
Bump
8 rabble rousers? That works out to about 900 protestors in "liberal speak".
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