Posted on 03/20/2005 5:39:06 PM PST by Jenny Hatch
Denver Freep 9 News Covers unique story Click on link above to read and watch
(Excerpt) Read more at 9news.com ...
I organized it just a few days before, and with the Fort Collins Freep so well planned, I was the only one to show up for my demonstration.
I had brought two UN Flags. One I had cut up and made UN toilet Paper rolls and handkerchiefs, and the other I desecrated with my boots before the rally with dirt from my raspberry patch.
When I showed up, I set up right on the sidewalk at the foot of the Capitol steps in Denver. I pulled out my dirty UN flag, stood on it and just held my American Flag and the poster I had put together with various pictures, signs, and protest warrior slogans.
Immediately this man came up to me and started to try to engage me in a conversation. I said about twenty times, "I did not come here to talk to you". He kept persisting, and finally threw up his hands and walked over to a group of people to ask them to come "talk" some sense into me.
They told him to leave me alone. Then he came back and again got right in my face, asking me questions, pointing to things on my poster and commenting, and I mostly just ignored him. His questions were weird, personal, and baiting. He wanted to know how old I was, where my husband worked, and he said about ten times, "why don't you go over to Iraq and fight, if you feel so strongly about it".
What seemed to be lost on him while he was questioning me was that I was "fighting" for what I believed in, simply by demonstrating.
One of the guys he had asked to harrass me came over and again told him to leave me alone. He ignored him, but this guy stayed next to me. In a protective stance.
Then additional people came over to "talk" to me, and I was feeling increasingly unsafe. I just about decided it was time to leave, being the only Freeper in sight, and with the tone, noise, and rhetoric of the protest increasing markedly, I felt like I might get hurt.
Then a remarkable thing happened. All four of the other people with the man who was standing by me, came over to stand in a circle around my back so that I could continue my counter demonstration.
Two women and three men. They just stood - protecting me. I think they could feel that the chance of me getting hit was increasing as each person joined the cluster around me and although they had come to support the goals of the rally, they felt it was more important to defend me.
Because they did this, I was able to do some street theatre of my own. The man who initially got in my face asked me a question about the United Nations, then he told me he was offended that I was standing on the UN flag. I told him that I had planned to burn it, but didn't want to get arrested.
I told him that I liked using it as a doormat and that I had a few other uses for it. I pulled out the two toilet paper rolls which I had made up with strips of the UN flag, and asked him if he was in need of some toilet paper. Then I pulled out a square section of the flag, and loudly blew my nose into it.
I wish I had been able to take a picture of his face at that moment. Unforgetable.
I never would have had the courage to do these things without those five people watching my back.
I stayed for a little while longer, sparring politically with some other people, but in a mostly respectful way, and then asked those five people to accompany me back to my car, which was all the way on the other side of the park.
They agreed to do so, and when we got to my car, a nine news reporter was standing close by, taping some verbal sparring going on between another Freeper and his mother (who until that moment, I did not know was demonstrating) and ironically, the guy who had been so vocally abusive to me earlier.
I asked the reporter if he wanted to do a story on what had happened, and he said yes. So he interviewed all of us, and the five people confirmed the man had been harassing me. The reporter put together a story around it and it showed up on the 9News web site last night.
If you want to read his report go here...
http://9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=bd34545e-0abe-421a-01be-891791f54ed7&TEMPLATEID=5991da4c-ac1f-02d8-0055-99a54930515e
And if you want to watch the video he put together of what happened, just click on the video link.
I was pleased with how he reported it, and am grateful to have made it home all in one piece.
In the car on the way down to Denver I was afraid, and I asked Heavenly Father to send angels to watch over me.
He did.
Five self identified anarchists stood in solidarity with my right to protest the protest. They were my angels, my answer to prayer, and I will never forget it.
Jenny Marie Hatch
Perhaps you changed some hearts.
Great job! Your act of courage is an inspiration to everyone here. Congratulations on getting your message out on TV news.
bump
They believe in burning the American flag, in censoring the confederate flag, but if anyone dares desecrate the UN flag, thats when they get their panties in a wad.
It's a little ironic that self-identified anarchists provided a replacement for law and order, when the police weren't there.
Bless Ya, the Lord does provide.
#7
~*~*~*~Woo hoo, good for you! Way to go!~*~*~*~
I'm amazed some "anarchist" types helped you, but like another poster said, maybe their eyes got opened to the hate tactics of the left.
I know what you mean about being kind of nervous when Freeping alone against an entire hive of leftists. But being a 6'2" man I've never felt seriously threatened. It's certainly a different case for female Freepers though, who seen to attract the bullying types among the leftist hordes. Check out what happened at bluesagewoman's solo freep a few days ago, or mollynme's experience at our Fort Fun Freep yesterday.
You were very brave. It's hard to be the only one there but you did it and I'm proud of you. Thank You.
Thank You for standing up for America and our troops!
I am so proud of you!!!!! Way to go.
BTTT !!
Your right Jenny, God is on our side!
Having FReeped leftists for years I am convinced of it. We always come out on top. The leftists always get the worst of it in the end. Sounds like a plan to me.
Thanks so much for taking them on in Denver. I hope to meet you some day at a FReep.
All the Best!
Great job Jenny...you really let your light shine with your actions and it helped!
Jenny, you are our heroine. Thank you for being there, for the rest of us who couldn't.
Just hope we FReepers are going to be better prepared on the THIRD anniversary of the war, so that poor little Jenny doesn't have to take these people on all by herself again.
I want to congratulate you on such a gutsy move in exhibiting the courage of your convictions. I lead the Western Oregon Protest Warrior chapter, and together with one other fellow FReeper/Protest Warrior, and eight other PW's, we stood up to the loony lefties on March 19th in Portland.
For me at 6'3 and 200 lbs. the factor of being as much in danger - or even intimidated was never the up-close issue it was for you. I am glad there was a safe outcome for you and that the Lord so obviously directed His angels to very much watch your back. I hope you have more company the next time out!
Job well done!
A.A.C.
Good for you !
Im thinking of moving to Denver area and its good to know there are fearless freepers such as you out there :-)
PAX
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