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Posted on 01/30/2007 8:25:18 AM PST by kristinn

As many of the longtime Freepers know, D.C. Chapter founder MrConfettiMan has been battling brain cancer for several years.

He last posted an update on his condition two years ago.

This morning I received a freepmail from a coworker of his who informed me that MrConfettiMan's cancer has flared up and the prognosis is not looking good.

Please pray for him and his family. Thank you.

Mod note: Several people have asked to see MrConfettiMan's original thread, calling FR to action. RIP, Joe. Thread below:

DC Protest: I Was There, Where Were You?
September 26, 1998 MrConfettiMan

As promised in a previous article, I went down to the White House this morning with my protest sign. It was the first time I had every done anything that might label me an activist. And you know what? It felt awesome!!!!! It might feel really good to sit around with a bunch of like minded people and complain about Clintoon, but it feels a hundred times better to go out and be proactive.

I was there from around 8:00AM until noon and was joined by a fellow freeper (Thanks Chris!) from 9-11AM. When I first arrived I was approached by an officer from the Park Police. He wanted to know what I was protesting and I told him "my disgust with the current administration". I then asked if there was a problem with that and he said no. He said he just needed to know why I was there and how long I'd be staying. I told him I'd be there for four hours.

About 95% of the people walking around the White House were obviously tourists. Some, mostly foreigners, seemed really excited to be in front of the White House at the exact same time as a protestor. It was as if they felt privileged to actually witness our Constitution at work. My sign and I are going to be in a lot of photo albums and home videos. I lost count of the number of people that wanted me to pose with them for pictures.

Supporters far outweighed the dissenters!!!!

In four hours, only 7 or 8 people said anything negative to me. And none of them confronted me directly or openly. Each one said something just within earshot as they were passing by. I never caught more than a word or two from them. It was as if they were afraid to publicly voice their support for Clintoon because they know the polls are a joke and they are few in number.

Supporters on the other hand, were very direct. They would openly state their approval of and agreement with my message. I shook a lot of hands. The greatest feeling was when a man and his family walked up to me and he reached out to shake my hand. He said, "I just wanted to thank you for what you're doing." It brought tears to my eyes and made the whole thing worthwhile. Overall, about 40 people made favorable comments to me.

I tried to get a polaroid picture taken of me, my protest sign and a cardboard cutout of Clintoon just before leaving. I thought it'd make a great contribution to the FR archives but the street vendor refused to let me use my sign fearing it would be bad for business. Oh well, maybe next time.

My ability to repeat this performance during the week is hampered by my family and work responsibilities. I have no idea when I'll be able to show up down there during the weekdays although I think it would great to have people out where the White House correspondents give their nightly reports. Weekends are a different story and at this time I plan to be back again next Saturday. That's next Saturday. The sidewalk in front of the White House. From 8-12 in the morning. Join me. It'll make you feel really good.
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Some Suggestions:

#1: I've got a few blisters on my feet from walking pretty much non-stop for four hours. If you're doing an event where you'll be doing a lot of walking, take note of the shoes you wear. I didn't and I'm gonna pay the price for a few days. :)

#2: It occurred to me it might be a good idea for all freepers to put some sort of notation on their protest signs to identify themselves with FR. (I was thinking the letters FR with a circle around them.) This way, if they happen to make the nightly news or a newspaper, those who see them will be able to recognize their affliation with the protestors. Anybody think this is a good idea?

Posted by: MrConfettiMan (E-mail deleted) *
09/26/98 11:03:43 PDT

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