Sat Mar 29, 4:41 PM ET
Supporters wave flags during a rally in Harrisburg, Pa., on the steps of the State Capital building, Saturday, March 29, 2003. (AP Photo/Steve Miller)
Posted on 03/29/2003 3:44:05 PM PST by AGreatPer
In front of one of the most beautiful State Capitol Buildings in the USA, almost 12,000 people gathered to support our Troops and our President.
The rain stopped for the ralley and I literally saw patriots crying in joy as the speakers took the podium. It was evident that a lot of these people have never done this before and for the first time, they got the feeling and the spirit.
FreeRepublic.com was well represented today. In attendance were FreeThe Hostages, dirtboy and his wife, cus_it_ain’t_the_money and his wife, Marylander, Doctor Raoul and myself.
I arrived early and to my suprise here comes Free The Hostages from D.C. with her beautiful smile and sign. She snapped at me, “you gave the wrong street names to meet”.
We made our way to the gathering crowds and found dirtboy and his wife after Free The Hostages showed the Harrisburg crowd how you keep calm but shout down the anti-war people. Results: they left with their tails between their leggs.
Later we met up with cus_it_ain’t_the_money and his wife that had the best Freeper signs at the ralley.
Free The Hostages did a search and found Doctor Raoul and Marylander being interviewed by some news people. Raoul had his Saddam signs and mask on and was quite the hit.
This was one of the most truly beautiful rallies I have ever been to. Waving flags in front of a beautiful State Capitol and thousands of people. I don’t think that WHP radio had any idea what they were getting into because the sound system was less than adequate.
After the ralley we went to The Spot for a hot dog and soda. Billie Kaldiees, owner and my friend, has the Gov. Rendell steakburger on the menu but he assured me it is only a promotion for these liberal crack-pots. “It’s making me money”, said Kaldiees. He said, “If he gets that tax raise like he is proposing, the Rendell burger is outta here”. All I could say to my friend was, I told you so.
I think there were more Freepers out here today but because of the large crowd and my wrong meeting place we didn’t hook up. Please contribute to this post if you were there today.
FTH has some pix and hope she can post in the future.
Overall, a wonderful day and I hope this kind of message gets to our Troops and our President.
Sat Mar 29, 4:41 PM ET
Supporters wave flags during a rally in Harrisburg, Pa., on the steps of the State Capital building, Saturday, March 29, 2003. (AP Photo/Steve Miller)
Way to go, DC Chapter "road trip" FReepers!Thousands turn out in Harrisburg to support troops, vilify anti-war groups
By MARC LEVY
The Associated Press
3/29/03 3:30 PM
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Speaking out as much against anti-war groups as they were to support U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf, thousands of flag-waving and sign-bearing demonstrators packed the steps of the Pennsylvania state Capitol building Saturday.The rally, organized by a conservative radio station in Harrisburg, had a rambunctious and even festive atmosphere as people chanted, sang patriotic songs, and cheered a dozen or so speakers through a drizzling rain.
R.J. Harris, 48, the manager and morning talk show host at the station, WHP-AM, in an interview after the one-hour rally said that he felt that "support the troop" efforts had been given short-shrift by media coverage of anti-war demonstrations.
Harris, who also organized a patriotic demonstration during the Gulf War, wanted to show that "people are still showing their colors" and build on the many rallies that have sprung up in support of American troops in the past several weeks.
"I knew that today we would show where America is at on this issue," said Harris, 48, noting that an anti-war demonstration a week ago on the Capitol steps drew about 100 people.
Harris estimated that 12,000 people appeared Saturday; the Capitol Police said that closer to 8,000 showed up. Even if the crowd was smaller than those at some anti-war demonstrations elsewhere, many said they felt that popular sentiment was on their side to invade Iraq.
John Capps, 43, an off-duty Capitol Police officer from Mechanicsburg, said he felt that anti-war demonstrators had not expressed adequate support for troops, and worried that troops would return to a hostile atmosphere reminiscent of the Vietnam War era.
"I hope this rally sends a message to our troops that we really are supporting them, even if we're outnumbered by anti-war protesters," Capps said.
Some at the rally didn't pull punches: There were signs that read "Deport the anti-war protesters" and "World sympathy is Saddam's chemical weapon."
One Union Jack waved among the many Old Glory flags, and some people chanted "Bush and Blair."
At least one man, Raoul Deming, flashed the two-fingered peace sign. Most of the time at the rally, he wore a Saddam Hussein mask and held a banner that thanked anti-war demonstrators and was signed, "Love, Saddam."
"It's not that (anti-war demonstrators) have a difference of opinion," said Deming, 44, a medical-device consultant from Takoma Park, Md. "They don't like America."
Standing in the front row at police barricades was Katie Kanable of Elizabethtown, the 18-year-old wife of Corp. Neil Kanable, deployed in Iraq with the Marines. It was her husband's 23rd birthday Saturday, almost two weeks after she last received a letter from him.
"This is the least I can do for him," she said, holding a sign with photograph of him and another of their infant daughter.
Despite raging battles in Iraq, she said, "I have faith that he'll be safe."
While many at the rally support the war, they nonetheless sought to counter what they said were misconceptions of them as "warmongers."
One of them, Roger Hayslip, 43, a Quakertown minister who works with troubled youth, said that he hates war "worse than anybody."
"I look at this (war) like unplugging the toilet," Hayslip said. "It's a dirty job, but somebody's go to do it."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Everyone should have seen Free The Hostages shoshing away the protesters. I can't even begin to describe it. She had that wife in your ear tone..........ahhhhh. And, they left.
Trueswine et ux, Spin's Wife, and our four boys were at the rally, too. We were on 2d Street near the American Legion 2.5 ton truck.
Almost wimped out due to the rain but my dear wife said: "There are soldiers dying for us in Iraq, the least we could do is put up with a little rain. Let's Roll!"
So we did and had a wonderful time. WHP 580 is THE conservative talk radio station in Central PA (Rush, Glenn Beck, Dr Laura, Michael Reagan). Not surprising the turn-out surpassed expectations.
Can't wait for the next one!
Sang "The Dog Face Solider" (3 ID Song) on the right back home.
Trueswine
By golly, we were right next to ya at the top of State Street next to the truck. Small world.
Great day.
Since his last Freep "dirtboy" got married and a sweetie she is. We met her today.
Congratulations "dirtboy".
Lets see, we get 12,000 people protesting for our Troops and what coverage will we get compared to the 120 people that marched from Philadelphia to support Mumia?
BTW, the police loved Free The Hostates shirt that said Fry Mumia. It was a hit. They all picked up immediately and loved it. Some wanted to buy.
It gooses the waitress on the way to your table......
BTW, the police loved Free The Hostages' shirt that said Fry Mumia.LOL!
It was a hit.
They all picked up immediately and loved it.Some wanted to buy.
That would be THIS wonderful T-Shirt:
Now available
from:
www.abnerjones.com
I thought Deming was spelled with two 'm's.
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