RALLY SUPPORTS U.S. TROOPS! ((INDIANAPOLIS)(YAHHHHHOOOOOO!!)

WISHTV - Channel 8 in Indianapolis ^ | 2/22/03

[areafiftyone]

A rally in support of the men and women of the United States Armed Services attracted thousands of participants. The event was held downtown at Monument Circle at noon on Saturday.

"We want our fighting men and women to know we are behind them," said the event's organizer, Rob Greene.

David McIntosh, a 2004 Candidate for Governor, also spoke at the rally. Other featured speakers include State Senator Luke Kenley and Indiana's most decorated Marine, Don Myers.

Hoosiers from across the state attended the rally.

[amom]

Good News Bump! :-)

[GailA]

We were visiting our son and granson over Thurs & Fri and the mayor of Vincennes, IN is running a commercial on TV in support of our troops Yellow Ribbon and all.

[maxwellp]

The petition you are referring to is: stophollywood@yahoo.com

[FightinJoe]

I Proudly serve in the US Army (Special Operations), and am glad to see that there are those Americans that are *Truly* outraged by thecomplete ly inane acts of these anti-Americans...please keep it up! We all appreciate the support!

[Republic]

Rummychick is right-it was a great rally. Best I have ever attended, and the first here in Indiana.

I was so proud I could have bursted with pride if a small group of pacifists on the outer edges hadn't burst my bubble a little. They were incensed, lol, by one of my signs that said "This war is being brough to US by Iraq's Tyrant!" After a few words were exchanged-I turned to walk up into the crowd. A policeman there told me that estimate was in the 1000 plus ball park-overflowing into the circle (a bricked wide road-capable of three lanes but done in the European style of no lines and no stop signs-like around the Eiffel Tower-a round-a-bout) and over in front of some of the buildings surrounding the circle. As I approached the crowd-the thunderous-and I mean top of the lungs, emotional, empowering chant of USA! USA! USA! was just so great to hear. Families, our precious Vets, Troops, old and young, flags everywhere, signs and TV cameras, too boot. You could almost forget the rain, the 34 degrees, and frozen fingers and toes but for the damn wind. The wind was whipping forcefully-causing umbrellas to go inside out! Thank goodness most of us wore caps instead.

Ran into Hoosierpearl (what an outstanding FReeper), EnemyoftheState, a terrific freeper and college student-with Freerepublic on his signs, too. Indy Freeper who I know from past mtgs but who does not post-intend to force her one of these days, FreepersUp<---that absolute BEST activist going, traveled for three hours to get there and missed hooking up with RummyChick-but maybe another day. And I suspect there were many other FReepers there, too.

I left after the event, after hanging around awhile to see if I could locate any FreeRepublic.com logos on the signs, decided I was wet enough, and left. Too the wrong road out of the circle (of course, if ya knew me, you'd know that was typical-lol), could not find the garage my car was parked in, turned to go back to protest area and was almost accosted by a man, who after turning his head to read my sign that read " I support President Bush" (it was tucked under my arm, too windy to hold my signs up there), began screaming at me, saying weird stuff, like Bush is a in collusion with oil companies and other stuff. He was in front of a semi covered bus stop and everyone there seemed to be just listening-not moving or saying anything. I had to just keep walking, even as he would stand in front of me, until he finally stopped. But he continued to shouting, he was truly enraged. When enough distance was between us-and I was at the corner where I could get to the protest area before he could, I simply yelled back at him-' My guess, you are a Clinton supporter. ' To me that is the supreme insult, don't know how he took it, probably as a compliment.

Back at the protest area-there Channel 13 was still there-and up high on the steps below the massive Monument-I could see several men holding huge posters supporting our troops and the war on Iraq. As I walked up-one of them hailed me-it was FreepersUp!

So I had to stay awhile-and stand with a fellow Freeper! Later we moved to in front of the WIBC radio station on the circle (on another side of the monument) and our lurker, not registered, semi-Freeper joined up with us. Another veteran, named Jim, not a FReeper but soon to be one if FreepersUp promo of our site here took hold, stood there in the rain that was rapidly turning to snow and held ground for our troops as many, many, many folks honked their horns and stuck their hands up, thumbs lifted, to show support! WHAT FUN! (Altho one of the digits held up was not a thumb-hehe I missed that-but several saw it.) It was a great rally! It was joyous. And had the weather not been about as bad as it could be-my guess is we would have had thousands more! BTW-it is now about four and one half hours since the rally finished and we are in a blizzard. A white out. What a day!

Too lazy to reread-just filled with happiness and love for our nation! Hope our troops hear of this. Actually, I pray they do.

Oh, my signs read (two signs, different messages on back and front and completely covered with clear shipping tape to prevent rain from ruining remarks):
I SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!
I SUPPORT PRESIDENT BUSH !
Saddam-this war has always been your choice
This war is being brought to us by Iraq's Tyrant!

FreeRepublic.com at the bottom of each, for sure!

[fnord]

WOW!! Fantastic turnout! I am so jealous that I could not make it. (I was working at Atterbury).

Great to see Middle America out in rough weather to support our troops.

[Valin]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LiberateIraq/

A Minnesota based, grass-roots organization to support our troops in protecting Americans and liberating the people of Iraq.
Your support is needed NOW! Show your support by printing and displaying the Car Window Sign from the files section of this site.

Please check out the streaming video

[Republic]

Missed seein ya...it really was great!

[Bigg Red]

Go, Hoosier Freepers!

[TheJollyRoger]

Eagle's wings
Swift ships
Iron men
Let's Roll!

May God bless America.

[hoosierpearl]

I was there as Republic said. Glad to actually meet a couple of freepers. There were some home school families there and lots of vets. Cold, wet, windy day. I was soaked after an hour.
I don't know the organizers but they did a great job. Imagine how many would have been there in good weather! It was well worth the effort to get there. Lots of children, families, husbands and wives. It was a good look at Americans today.
The few peaceniks that I saw were huddling in doorways to get out of the wet weather.
The television coverage was on more than one station. It was a slow newsday in Indianapolis except for the weather. So it was a good story for them. All the rest of the news was weather and traffic accidents.

[RonDog]

This just in, from www.indystar.com:

Rally supports U.S. troops

By John Tuohy

john.tuohy@indystar.com

February 22, 2003

Waving American flags and chanting slogans, about 1,000 wet and boisterous people rallied Saturday on Monument Circle in support of American soldiers.

The rally was mostly upbeat with singing and speeches, but a heated exchange at the end pitted a handful of hecklers against Vietnam veterans opposed to war.

"Mainstream America loves and supports our troops," rally organizer Robb Greene told the crowd, many of them huddled under red, white and blue umbrellas.

The purpose of the rally was to boost morale of U.S. troops overseas, said Greene, a political science student at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. He said he got the word out through e-mail, on campus and through the media.

He read an e-mail from soldiers based at Camp Virginia in Kuwait thanking them for their support. The rally was over in less than an hour.

Though billed as a nonpartisan event, many attendees said they supported the Bush administration's intention to invade Iraq.

"Action in Iraq is long overdue," said Del Schraeder, a 48-year-old construction supervisor from Greencastle who went to the rally with his wife, Gayla, 48.

Among the signs were those that read "George W. is the man," "Go Bush" and "Support our troops and President Bush." The master of ceremonies, radio talk show host Greg Garrison, told the crowd that an invasion was the right course of action.

Things got contentious at the end of the demonstration when some people at the rally confronted a group of about 20 people calling itself "Vietnam Veterans for Peace."

"Go home and eat your wine and cheese, you sissies," William G. Rice, 40, yelled at the veterans as they walked away. "Cowards."

Rice, a laborer, said that although he had no military experience, he thought he understood the political situation better than the veterans.

"I seem to have a better understanding of the price of freedom than they do," he said.

Noah Merrill, 23, who came with the veterans' groups, said he attended last week's peace rally.

"You can love the warrior and hate the war," said Merrill, a teacher with Indianapolis Public Schools. "The best way to show support for the troops is to avoid war."

Greene said the partisan sentiment was unavoidable.

"This is a big tent. Everybody supports the troops. You are going to get different opinions," he said.

Indianapolis police blocked off traffic around the Circle because the crowd was so large. "The people were backed up to the street and we didn't want any cars hitting them,"said Indianapolis Police Department officer Scott Chandler, who estimated that 1,000 people were there.

The crowd was more than twice as large as the anti-war rally held last weekend at the Circle.

Among the speakers were State Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, former Rep. David McIntosh of Muncie and and retired Army Sgt. Sammy L. Davis, a Hoosier who received the medal of Honor for action in Vietnam.

"Never is it acceptable to blame the war on the warrior," Davis said.

"The anti-war protestors must be careful not to let our troops down," McIntosh said. 'We must remember how our soldiers in Vietnam were shunned."

---

Call Star reporter John Tuohy at 1-317-444-6418.

[agincourt1415]

Great Work, Ohio!

Here's the Link for the "American Rally in ORLANDO, Florida today. I'm going to estimate the crowd at 2000 at least.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/849595/posts?page=16

[agincourt1415]

OOPs I really meant Indiana, LOL, forgive me HOOSIERS.

[RonDog]

Ya just made the BIG TIME, from Yahoo! News:

	Marine Corps. veteran Brian Coss of Greenwood, Ind., left, salutes the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner," while holding his son Jake Saturday, Feb. 22, 2003, in Indianapolis, during a rally to show support for United States soldiers preparing for a possible war with Iraq. An estimated 600 people took part in the rally which was held on Monument Circle. (AP Photo/John Harrell) - Feb 22 2:03 PM ET
	Kevin Steele, left, of Indianapolis, holds a Statue of Liberty sign during a rally to show support for United States soldiers preparing for a possible war with Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2003, in Indianapolis. An estimated 600 people took part in the rally which was held on Monument Circle. (AP Photo/John Harrell) - Feb 22 2:01 PM ET
	A crowd gathers on Monument Circle during a rally to show support for United States soldiers preparing for a possible war with Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2003 in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/John Harrell) - Feb 22 2:01 PM ET

(Click the smaller thumbnail images to see a LARGER image.)

Do you recognize any of these folks?

Way to go, Hoosier FReepers!!!

[RummyChick]

nice one of the marine..it just gets to me when I look at pictures like this and know that the daddy might not come home

[RummyChick]

best part of the article

"The crowd was more than twice as large as the anti-war rally held last weekend at the Circle"

[starfish]

Way to go hoosiers!
I had full intentions on being with you today,but I have 4 small children and 1 is not well.So with the weather I could
not make it.I feel like I really missed out.But my heart was there and we SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!I will defintely watch WTHR tonight.I grew up in Indy and am now in Greenwood.By the way I love lurking freerepublic:)

[hoosiermama]

GREAT JOB! SORRY I COULDN'T BE THERE! Next time!

[Republic]

Hey RonDog-Thanks for the news reports! It was sensational-have never been in a crowd that shouted USA with such heart! The voices bounded of the buildings surrounding the circle centre at the Monument and rocked the city! It was so terrific! (But my toes are still cold! LOL)