Out of thousands of registered Freepers and lurkers in the DC, MD and VA area, fewer than one hundred attended the rally last Saturday. Their loss.
We had around twenty Freepers who traveled from: PA, NJ, ME, RI, TX, CT, SC, and probably a couple other states that I've forgotten at the moment. Thank you all for your great effort and dedication to the cause, and for traveling great distances to be here with us. Your friendship and support is golden.
I could tell all of Freeperville my thoughts about the attendance, but I think you probably already know what they are. Oh, heck, maybe I will tell you...
We built it, and people chose not to come.
What kind of message does that send to our troops?
We have soldiers and Marines doing their second, third and even fourth tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and people can't step away from their keyboards for three hours to even show up at an event dedicated to them.
It does get old to read comment upon comment on FR about how the media only covers the bitch in the ditch, and never covers people who support the troops and their mission.
We know the media is mostly rooting for our enemies, so they are loathe to show anything positive in the first place. Our side's history of low attendance rallies only adds to their reluctance to cover them.
How do we get people on our side to stop playing around at their keyboard and actually get involved? And I'm not talking about people two thousand miles away, living on Social Security checks and Kraft Mac 'n Cheese. Those are usually the folks who do the most in their own locales to show support for our troops and this country.
I'm talking about the big-talking folks with comfortable lives who voice their outrage over Cindy Sheehan, Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha, Michael Moore, The Dixie Chicks, etc., but who can't be bothered to actually do anything to take back the public square.
I don't expect any answers or solutions. I thinkn we've tried them all. Some folks just can't be bothered, and won't be bothered until they have a personal reason to get involved.
That's a shame, because in the words of one of our fantastic speakers last Saturday, these soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are all our sons and daughters. They are all our neighbors. They are all our brothers and sisters.
They believe in our country. So great is their love for and faith in our country that they offer their lives in its defense. In our defense.
And a hundred people show up in DC to tell them thank you.
Thank you to everyone who sent in donations large and small, to help us put on this rally. And a heartfelt thank you to all who attended and helped where and when you were needed. It was a group project, and you all are priceless.
Our guest speakers were the best.
They spoke from the heart. They spoke of God and country, love and loss, and faith and optimism. Thank you Eve, Larry, Kevin, Diana, Mikki, Frank, Ray, Mark, Cap'n Bailey, Wes, Mychal, Evan, Becky, Leo, Richard A, Nancy (Dana) and Richard L, for sharing your time and your hearts with us. Thank you Jim, for traveling across the country to be with us. And thank you Kristinn, for being an optimist, and for pushing to do the right thing, even if thousands of lazy, indifferent folks wouldn't attend. We did the right thing. And it wouldn't have happened without your work.
The media pretty much blew off the rally, so the only footage of our speakers is what we took. Below are links to video I shot of all the speakers on Saturday. I had to break the day's video up into 9 parts. I hope you all are as inspired by these wonderful speakers as I was (and still am).
Rally Video - Part 1
Speakers: Opening remarks by Kristinn,
Eve Tidwell, God Bless Fort Benning,
Larry Schweikart, co-author of Patriots History of the United States.
Rally Video - Part 2
Speakers: Kevin Martin, Project 21, USN veteran,
Diana Irey, Washington County (PA) Commissioner.
Rally Video -Part 3
Speakers: Nikki Mendicino, POW/MIA Activist,
Frank Schaeffer, co-author of AWOL, author of Faith of Our Sons - A Father's Wartime Diary.
Rally Video - Part 4
Speakers: Ray Davis, Blue Star Father (3x), Military Families Voice of Victory,
Taped Remarks by Mark Levin, Syndicated Talk Radio Host,
Capt. Larry Bailey, USN Ret, Vets for the Truth.
Rally Video - Part 5
Speakers: Wes Vernon, Accuracy in Media,
Mychal Massie, Project 21.
Rally Video - Part 6
Speakers: Evan Sayet, Writer/Entertainer,
Becky Davis, Blue Star Mother (3x), Military Families Voice of Victory.
Rally Video - Part 7
Speakers: Leo Flood, Blue Star Father (Iraq and Afghanistan),
Richard August, father of US Army Capt. Matthew J. August, KIA 1/27/2004, Iraq.
Rally Video - Part 8
Speakers: Letter from Nancy Hecker, mother of US Army Maj. Bill Hecker, KIA 1/5/2006, Iraq,
Richard Linn, father of US Marine Corps LCpl. Karl R. Linn, KIA 1/26/2005, Iraq.
Rally Video - Part 9
Tribute to the fallen, and closing remarks by Kristinn Taylor.
AMEN!
"But as for your brethren, do not grow weary of doing good." (2 Thessalonians 3:13)
"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary." (Galatians 6:9)
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you maybe able to resist in the evil day, and having done everyting, to STAND FIRM”. (Ephesians 6:12-13)
"He also who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys." (Proverbs 18:9)
The speakers were awesome; spread the videos on the blogsphere AT THE VERY LEAST!
Well said.
You are amazing. What a huge amount of video editing you performed in such a short time, while also being employed, managing a family household, and FReeping once or more per week. Hats off to you, lady.
Kristinn, it was a beautiful rally, and let's hope more FReepers will see just how much care, dedication and sheer excellence went into it by you and all the participants, and will come out to support the troops next time you call them. They really shouldn't have to be asked.
THANK YOU for the video of the Rally. It is great to hear, once again, the talks by all of the speakers.
My husband had the camera but I think he was so engrossed in listening to the talks that he took very few pictures. But, no complaints.....I, too, was absorbed in the talks.
Thanks, too, to you, Kristinn and all others who helped put this together. I was happy to show our military and their families we support and treasure them.
I was also happy to meet you!