What are you protesting for?

I recently became active in the Overpass Protests that are springing up all over our country. I have been amazed at the outpouring of support from passersby but also dismayed by the fact that even after every...thing that’s happened, most people still seem disengaged. Today, at our Overpass Rally, I was rendered nearly speechless, when a car with several women stopped to ask questions.

The car stopped on top of the overpass, blocking traffic and a very elegant black woman opened her door and turned in her seat. I thought she was getting out of the vehicle but she just sat facing us. First she asked what the flag was for. She wasn’t rude. She was merely asking a direct question. I was shocked momentarily but recovered and asked, “Ma’am, you don’t know what the flag is for?” She must have realized that her question fell way short of what she intended. I was ready to have that conversation when she regained her composure and re-phrased her question. She asked, “What are you protesting for?” Not, what are you protesting against; not who or why….but what….are you protesting….for?

It took me a few seconds to register the question and it has haunted me ever since. My reply to her inquiry was, “We’re protesting against the destruction of our country!” By this time the woman was getting back in the car and they were pulling away. But there were so many things left unsaid. We needed to have a conversation over coffee to discuss these topics. And yet, the moment was gone….over almost before it had begun and I can’t help but think it was a missed opportunity….and I’d blown it.

The next thing that crossed my mind was that this should NEVER happen again. IF I was going to put myself out there…..to make my voice heard….I needed to be fully prepared to explain my motivation at a moments’ notice. I have to be able to think on my feet and have a ready response for these situations.

How in the world can I explain how I believe that our freedoms, rights, constitution, our country and everything we hold near and dear, is being demolished right before our very eyes and very few people are willing to take the time to do anything about it? How can I accomplish this in a 45 second window?

Well, I guess the first thing to do is to ask myself the question; what, exactly, am I protesting for…and to ponder this question until i have an honest answer. I need to have a firm grasp on what I truly believe is wrong here so that the next time an individual asks me something….I can speak with authority and will be able to verbalize it in a calm, intelligent and engaging manner. And so I begin at the beginning….as best I can recall.

A few years ago I was a huge fan of Oprah Winfrey. She was on my ‘Most Admired Women’ list, along with Dolly Parton and a few others. All the women on my list were from humble backgrounds and had achieved much but had never forgotten whence they’d come from and had gone above and beyond to give back to others. Those were the requirements.

The first time I ever heard of Barack Obama, he was a guest on Oprah. He was discussing his new book ‘Dreams From My Father’ and announced on the air that he would be tossing his hat in to run for the office of the President of the United States. After watching the show, listening to Oprah’s affirmation and observing the audiences response, I realized that I was looking at the man who would become our 44th President…..and for some reason, there was a knot in the pit of my stomach.

I recorded the show for my husband to watch and when he got home I told him I wanted him to get a sneak peek at our next president. We both watched as Mr. Obama did a quick reading from his new novel and spoke some of his upbringing, his maternal and paternal grandparents and his political background and aspirations. When the show ended, I remember telling my husband that Obama had the opportunity to unite our county in a way that no one before him could ever do but I was concerned about his exposure to Communist ideals and his Muslim background, because if he was not a Christian then he could also bring our county to its knees …like none other. Sadly, I now believe with all my heart and soul, that the latter was, and is, his life-long aspiration.

Well, you all know that Barack Obama became our President and entered that office during a time of great despair and apparently, great opportunity. Our nation, and the world, was teetering on the brink of financial disaster. And as we have all come to realize, this administration has never let a good crisis go to waste.

He has, from the very beginning, used every opportunity to systematically destroy our great nation. He has driven our national debt so high our great grandchildren will never see the light of day. They will be taxed into oblivion. He has passed several, thousand-page bills that no one had time to read. It was imperative that they were passed right away. We’re just now finding out how intrusive and destructive they really are. He has pulled the plug on the best medical care the world has ever known and we will, God willing, live to regret it.

We now have government controlled schools and on a daily basis, are hearing of unspeakable things they will be teaching and subjecting our children to. He refuses to close the borders and has threatened Governors, Sheriffs and Border Patrol Agents who have made efforts to uphold our constitutional, federal, state and local laws. He has decided to implement amnesty to millions of illegal aliens living in our country, knowing full well, that this will do irreparable damage to our already strained economy.

He has put choking regulations on business and industry that is, no doubt, a deliberate attack on our national independence from foreign nations….the very one that mean us harm. He has disrupted governments all over the world in his endeavors to support Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood; the same entities that view themselves as our worst, known enemy. He has aided and abetted our enemies by financially supporting them and supplying them with weaponry overseas and setting up training camps in our country. He’s done all this while attempting to disarm American citizens, which would leave us vulnerable and weak in the face of our enemy, who many believe has crept across our borders and is fully capable of starting Jihad right here on American soil. He has insulted our allies on countless occasions.

He has left our brave military men and women in harms’ way repeatedly and left some to die needlessly at the hands of those same enemies. He has shown blatant disrespect to our military, both enlisted and retired and has put together his own unconstitutional military while deliberately castrating ours.

He has compromised our elections. He has insulted the intelligence of the American people. He has lied to us repeatedly. He has financially supported and actively encouraged dependence on government assistance for everything from food, to health care, to phone and internet service, as well as housing and now he has begun the process of whittling away at the entitlements people have become dependent on and believe are rightfully theirs. And in my opinion, by continuously stirring the melting pot, which is America, by promoting resentment and chaos, he is, in essence, attempting to bring us to the boiling point. He is deliberately attempting to start a civil war or at the very least, civil unrest. He has committed all these atrocities. He has offended all Christian and God-fearing people and yet…. this is not the real answer to the question at hand.

The question is…. what are you protesting for? It’s personal. Yes, all these things are well known problems in our great nation. Any one of them and all of them are reason enough to raise hell and do whatever we can to stop the madness. But is that what I’M PROTESTING FOR? These are the things that frighten me and make me angry at the man in the big, white house on the hill. And this isn’t racial….this has nothing to do with the color of his skin….nothing at all. Yes, I’m angry but I don’t have many years left. So, I’m not protesting for myself. I’m not angry because this will have a lasting effect on me, personally.

I protest because I love this country. I love the freedoms we all enjoy and I want my grandchildren to have every opportunity to succeed in life…..to be all they can be and to grow to appreciate the rights and freedoms and advantages this great nation offers. I’m proud of the accomplishments we’ve made socially, in regards to race. I’ve always felt blessed to have been born in a country with the best doctors and medical facilities in the world; one that offers clean, running water, electricity, indoor plumbing, decent roads and the freedom to worship as you please. I am proud to be a part of something so much larger than myself….something so fiercely independent….something so beautiful.

I understand why many in the black communities consider this a racial thing….but it’s not. Not for me, anyway and not for 97% of the people I come into contact with. There are a few individuals that have racial tendencies but they are quickly ostracized by the majority, who are deeply concerned about the road we, as a country, have been put on. It’s like someone put a detour on the highway called the American Dream and you know, nowadays, they do such a fine job of this that you don’t even realize you’re not on the same road…..or that you’ve even taken a turn and are blissfully traveling in the wrong direction…at breakneck speed. Most people don’t realize the pathway to freedom has been jeopardized. They aren’t aware that they’ve detoured and are on a completely different path….a highway to hell.

Back to the racism argument…..this is our nations’ first black President and I understand the pride that goes along with this accomplishment. It was a monumental achievement for Black and White America. A visible display of the strides we’ve all made regarding racism. But I don’t think the man is any more loyal to the black community than he is white America. I don’t believe that time or history will shed a favorable light on him in regard to race relations. The man speaks out of both sides of his mouth. He made promises to the poor and uneducated, the black and the white and sold himself as a non-racial product of an interracial marriage. Although he grew up with some degree of affluence in a white neighborhood, he was born in another country and his father was not a citizen of the US. His father’s side of the family was immersed in civil war against British Colonialism for many years and, if I’m not mistaken, was arrested for sedition and imprisoned for 2 years and endured torture at the hands of his captives. His loyalties seem to lie with the Muslim beliefs and his childhood education was one of Islam teachings. His mothers’ side of the family, as well as his fathers’ family, was immersed in Socialism and he was mentored by a man who fully believed in Communism. And let’s face it, we are all is a product of our raising. If you aren’t aware of these simple truths, please educate yourselves before it’s too late. These are facts that we all need to fully comprehend in order to truly understand what we’re up against.

Now, I am fully aware of how the black population came to America and I firmly believe that those individuals responsible for the callous and inhumane way some of the slaves were treated will be dealt with by a fair and just God. However, not all slaves were treated badly and throughout the history of America, there’ve been those who stood and fought, toe to toe, brother against brother, to stop the horror. This was a terrible wound in America history but we have come so far from that place in time. The majority of America has true respect and regard for individuals, regardless of race, for anyone who believes in the American dream and strives for success; for anyone who speaks out against atrocities, either political or religious in nature and is unafraid to stand up and do the right thing.

The point is, that in spite of all the turmoil, the growing pains….we have come together for the good of our country on more than one occasion and I believe, although I could be wrong, that most of the black community, is grateful that they, too, live in a country of such amazing opportunity.

Our nation has suffered through terrible birth pains…..we labored long and hard….we didn’t always agree. That’s the beauty of it all….we could speak freely and disagree openly….we were unafraid to fight for what we believed in….for right and against wrong…..and when the going got tough….we just got tougher. We made it through the adolescent years….we grew stronger…..we pulled together and we prospered. We may have argued, fussed and fought amongst ourselves but on those rare occasions when someone else came along and hurt us….we all pulled together….like one big family.

I was too young to remember Pearl Harbor. I cried through the movie….I read about it in history books but I didn’t live through it. However, I lived through 911 and I experienced the pain and horror right along with every other American. We all cried….we all lost something that day…and we grieved….as one. Then, we got angry and we pulled together and shouted a resounding ‘NO’ to the terrorists who’d attacked us so ruthlessly. When I think of America, the land of the free, the home of the brave…..that’s the picture that comes to mind; the day we all stood as one for the good of all. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life; the righteous anger, the purest form of Patriotism….and the true spirit of ONE NATION UNDER GOD. We were attacked that day by enemies from abroad….be a foreign nation who has a completely different set of values and beliefs. They believe that Muhammad is the Messiah and if you don’t believe that, then you must die. This is a religious war that will end ugly.

The enemy, Islam, had a plan to take out our financial system…..our military….and our government in one fell sweep…..and they were nearly successful. They took down the towers and killed thousands. They plowed into the Pentagon and although the damage wasn’t as significant as the destruction of the towers, there were still many deaths and were it not for a plane loaded with some truly patriotic citizens…..the Capital would’ve been demolished. As it was….the plane went down in a field somewhere in Virginia….and did absolutely no harm whatsoever to Washington, DC.

So, is Osama Bin Laden dead? Well, that’s a mystery in and of itself. The story we get is that he was buried at sea….whatever. If he’s dead, does it end? Any rational person knows that we are still, for the most part, a Christian nation and the enemy wasn’t ever OBL…..he was the, per se, Colonel of Al Queda and Taliban during the religious battle against our nation, until he was taken out. But the fact of the matter is that the war rages on and Islam has sworn to kill us all, to destroy us, unless we change our beliefs and accept Mohammed as the Messiah. Our nation, our independence and our Christianity …..our entire way of life is under attack.

Our enemy has infiltrated our government…..Obama has appointed many Muslim Brotherhood members to extremely sensitive positions in our government and military…. Check out the secretary of Homeland Security. Our President not only usurped a sitting president in a foreign land but is sending billions of dollars via his brother to the Muslim Brotherhood to help support the overthrow of the military there and to help fund the rebels in Syria as they attempt to overthrow Bashar Assad, the Syrian President. Just look at laws passed to protect and insulate Muslims….pay attention to how the Mosques are being established in our cities across the land and what they are teaching there. Something is VERY wrong here and many already know this…..they feel it in their gut….they watch the news and are horrified at the implications. So, they are making a concerted effort to enlighten the rest of America. So, you could say we protest for YOU, to wake the sleeping giant…. And that is part of it but not nearly all of it.

The attack on our country isn’t so obvious or visible this time but there is no question….we are under attack. The attack is subversive and insidious but no less destructive than 911. Our laws are spongy, our Constitution is suddenly a living breathing thing subject to change on a whim and only applicable when convenient. Our religious freedoms have been undermined to the point where Christians are somehow labeled as anarchist. I mean, did I miss something? When did being a Christian become a form of extremism? Our constitutional rights are being squashed. Our schools are in shambles. Our economy is being choked by a constant barrage of regulations. The finest health care the world has ever known is on the brink of destruction. Our nations’ credit rating has been downgraded for the first time and who knows what the actual unemployment numbers are. Our debt is immeasurable. The world is smoldering and most countries are at the point of no return… and there is talk of a third world war……all this while our military men and women are strung out far and wide, fighting battles under rules of engagement that make no sense at all, under a Commander in Chief that has no respect for our military, our laws and no regard, whatsoever, for the fallen or their families.

So, I ask all of you….is this the change you bargained for? Is this even remotely, something that you, a legal and patriotic citizen of the United States of America and a constitutionally eligible gun-toting, hard-working, patriotic, bible-thumping Christian man or woman, can believe in? NO? Well then, I guess I have my answer.

The question was….’what are you protesting for?’ The answer, again, is personal and very simple. I am protesting FOR my grandchildren to have a chance to experience the most magnificent opportunity the world has ever known; to be a participant in the most liberating experiment man has ever created.

So the next time I’m asked what I’m protesting for …. I’ll be ready. I’ll tell them… “ I’m protesting for the continuity of our constitutional rights; to worship God as I choose, to speak out when I disagree, to protect my family and belongings to the best of my ability and to give my grandchildren the opportunity to pursue The American Dream…. in the land of the free and the home of the brave”….says I.

I participate every week waving signs and flags on a busy overpass as well. We do not know if what we are doing will make a difference, but at least we are doing SOMETHING. We are such a diverse group, but we all believe that our freedom has been grabbed away.

“So the next time I’m asked what I’m protesting for …. I’ll be ready. I’ll tell them… “ I’m protesting for the continuity of our constitutional rights; to worship God as I choose, to speak out when I disagree, to protect my family and belongings to the best of my ability and to give my grandchildren the opportunity to pursue The American Dream…. in the land of the free and the home of the brave”….says I. “

Waaayyyyy to complicated.

I’m protesting for Freedom. Against oppressive government. For personal choice in healthcare.

The message has to be simple.

I suggested that she post it, but offered to post it on her behalf as well. Sometimes people need to lurk awhile before they are ready to post and I thought this was too good not to share right now. I am forever recruiting my overpass buddies and others. I designed and hand out my personal Free Republic cards every chance possible..

They key word is 'disengaged'. I don't understand why this has happened other than the fact some people get so stressed out thinking about this stuff that they just completely turn off and tune out. Big mistake.

Also, our Commie-controlled education system is teaching students to just take whatever is done to them by their government and don't question it.

'Question authority' only applies when a Republican is in charge.

11 posted on 11/02/2013 6:03:35 PM PDT by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America (If Americans were as concerned for their country as Egyptians are, Obama would be ousted!)

Many low information votes are “me,me,me” kinds of people. They do not want to bother learning or thinking about anything that they do not perceive as affecting them. They have bought the liberal lies that have been spit at them all of their lives, like “it does not matter who wins”. They think that the USA is too big to fail. They do not live in reality. Short is good, but there are times when it is good to have a bunch of your thoughts organized in case you get one of them that is willing to listen a moment or two. Thank God and Jim for FR where we can go to know we are not alone.

That is a magnificent statement of what we’re up against, what it is we’re fighting for, and who we as a people really are. Please tell your friend that she would be welcome here at Free Republic any time.

And thank you both for taking the time to DO something about it.

The link you posted is taking me to my own Facebook page, not the Overpasses page.

Can you please post the correct link to Deborah’s editorial? I’d like to share it with non-Freeper friends.

Well written.

It’s true about the mosques — the one in Murfeesboro TN is 54,000 square feet. ‘Build it and they will come’ seems to be the theory. They chose to build it there because it’s where the buckle is, on the Bible Belt.

Let’s all keep our powder dry.

I copied link from Overpasses group and possibly it will not take you there because we have a closed group? Gee, there are lots of ways to share it though. You can copy the link from this thread to your facebook and share or email your friends the link to this thread. Anyone can lurk and read without being a member. Or just copy the text and paste it to your facebook.

I copied link from Overpasses group and possibly it will not take you there because we have a closed group?

I belong to the Texas Overpasses group and the DFW group. Maybe I'd need to be a member of the main U.S. group - dunno.

You're right that I could just pass along the link to the post at FR, or paste her editorial into an email.

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