Posted on 04/16/2009 8:07:37 AM PDT by shortstop
I almost cried.
Yesterday at noon, as I stood and watched the tea-party protesters march by, I almost cried.
It was the most beautiful and inspiring thing I had seen in a long time.
I was at Four Corners in Rochester, New York. The tea party there, like scores of others across the country, was put together by local people and brought out folks who had mostly never participated in a demonstration before.
In the middle of a workday, in the cold of early spring, waving flags and carrying signs, something like a thousand people marched past where I stood.
I was so happy, grateful and proud.
And I was wrong.
I publicized the tea parties, but I didnt support them, and I didnt participate in them. As the events were being planned, I was bothered by what I saw as competing egos, and a clamor among national talk-show hosts and columnists to take credit or command.
I got up yesterday morning hoping they wouldnt be a flop, that numbers wouldnt be so paltry that the effort would end up a laughing stock on the evening news.
Like I said, I was wrong.
And that fact happily swept over me as I looked out onto Main Street and saw a steady stream of people, a parade of folks several abreast, that took almost 15 minutes to pass me.
For 20 years Ive been covering demonstrations and protests in Rochester, and Ive never seen one this large. Or positive and orderly. Ive never seen a demonstration where the participants were so upbeat, gracious and determined.
I found myself almost choked up with pride at the decency and patriotism of the events organizers and participants.
It was an historic event in an historic place, and that is no exaggeration. As the tea-party marchers crossed Four Corners on their way to the County Building, they walked the same route marched by Rochester men returning from battle in the Civil War, the First World War and the Second World War.
They marched past the place where Frederick Douglass published the newspaper that was one of the loudest and most influential voices against slavery. They marched past the place where, in 1825, an aged Marquis de Lafayette met with Rochester veterans of the Revolution, to reflect on their service under George Washington.
They walked where heroes and patriots have walked, and in their own way they were heroes and patriots, too. Each generation, each American, is asked to stand in defense of liberty and the Constitution which protects it. Some do this in battle, some do this in protest. All do it by living the precepts of the Constitution and standing in resistance when they are violated.
Like other tea-party participants all across the country, the Rochester marchers were happy people. They were resolute in their opposition to the wrongs being perpetrated in Washington, but there wasnt anger or hatred in their voices, hearts or faces.
Rather, they laughed, cheered, sang and prayed. They carried signs that spoke of faith in God and American goodness. They were the best of citizens saying the best of things.
And they were taking on a regime that, from the White House and Congress, is enslaving our country with debt, regulation, socialism, oppression and rapacious taxation. In an era when those in power want them to be silent, these good Americans demanded to be heard.
There were children, grandparents, moms and dads. Young men and old women, immigrants and business people, groups from work and clusters of family.
And there were tens of thousands just like them all across America. They might be mocked on CNN, and ignored in the White House, but these people have right on their side.
And as Abraham Lincoln said, right makes might.
Which is something the White House and Congress wont long be able to ignore.
“Unfortunately, Cindy Sheehan plus two Code Pinkos would have gotten more MSM coverage than this, were it not for Fox News.”
No doubt MSM was getting it’s marching orders from Obambi.
It is frustrating.
No violence? /s
No wonder Leftists are haughtily dismissing these tea parties. They don't recognize them as protests, because there was no violence.
“Ive never seen a demonstration where the participants were so upbeat, gracious and determined.”
Elections have consequences!....Make sure this danger to America is trashed in the next election....VOTE!
I attended one and it was very moving to be among so many fellow patriots who have legitimate concerns for the direction we’re headed.
And I couldn’t help but wonder: How many LEFTIST protests start with a prayer, include the singing of the National Anthem and America the Beautiful, and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance (including the words “under God”) ???
It was definitely a ‘Proud to be an American’ moment...
Bump.
The Leftists know, but will not say, that when the situation decends to violence it will be their Armageddon.

"There are no Tea Parties. No one is protesting our beloved leader Obama. The American people are behind Barack Obama 100%."
Ohio’s Auditor, Mary Taylor, opened the tea party at the Statehouse with prayer.
No, no. You're wrong. The Lamestream Media told me it was engineered by right-wing extremist Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.
I attended at Jones Plaza also. The final count seems to have been somewhere between 8,000 - 10,000. The organizers stayed up late last night counting the sign-in sheets and they stated they ran out of sign-in sheets so many people were not able to sign-in to prove the numbers.
OMG! Fantastic!
I almost cried.
Yesterday at noon, as I stood and watched the tea-party protesters march by, I almost cried.
It was the most beautiful and inspiring thing I had seen in a long time...
I cried as my daughter sang the national anthem at our party in Arlington, Texas. Great event!
Way to go, Rochester!
On Fox I saw thousands of people who love this country, love being an American, and want the best for its’ future.
It reminded me that there’s hope for this country when good people step up. God bless all who did, and all who wish the could have.
On MSNBC it was an angry (at what I’m not sure) Olberman mocking and insulting. He seemed to be barely holding back some sort of pent up rage... good. He should get in practice for having his warped point of view challenged. We’re all just getting started.
Austin TEA Party report:
http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/04/austin-tea-party-report.html
Where’s the last page?
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