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No, you don't HAVE to be a Texan to get on this list!
Posted on 03/30/2003 7:11:05 PM PST by The Bat Lady
Finally the south steps of the Capitol in Austin TX. were covered with American flags and support the troops signs. Lots of support for President Bush. It was thrilling after so long of just a few of us meeting to support the troops to see the place covered with flags, cheering people and many saying we won't be silent any more.
Thanks so very much for your interesting and enlightening assessment. Have had a tendency to believe your "social" side of these protests for some of the folk don't even understand political issues nor can they discuss with any kind of knowledge base. I live downtown and have had occasion to try some dialogue with some of them, with little to no luck.
Just read some of their signs. Some are about F..ing, loving, anti Bush, and all types of oral, anal rantings, some with no relevance to their protest.
Thanks again. I check out their calendar freqently and notice that they have protests several times a week. You only see those that occur downtown.
Say, do these people ever work? What do they do?
Thanks again.
One ping coming up ! . . .
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my Texas ping list!. . .don't be shy.
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Young Conservatives of Texas rally for troops
Updated: 3/30/2003 9:32 PM
By: Ann Dolgan
Patriotism abounded on the south steps of the Texas Capitol Building Sunday.
About 1,000 5000 people dressed in red, white and blue rallied in support of the U.S. troops and President Bush.
"They feel like a lot of the country's against them. They want to see this type of coverage and they're not getting that as much on TV as they get the anti-war rallies. It does boost their morale. They want to hear that they're fighting for a reason people believe in." Steinhauser
The Young Conservatives of Texas organized the rally.
Also B1 of the Austin American Statesman great picture of the crowd but a narrow shot, still it showed more than 3 which they have done before. and 1st paragraph... Some painted their Faces red, white and blue (freepers) Others held up signs that showed their support for President Bush. One woman even dressed as the Statue of Liberty. (me)
Then under a picture of a friend of mine from Wimberly it said... police said no one was arrested. DUH! wrong crowd for that!
As I was leaving I took someone else's cup to the trash and saw the guy who picks it up and asked if we were neater than the other side and he didn't even let me finish the question before saying YES!
And GREAT JOB, FReepers ! . . .
We saw The Bat Lady on T.V. Can't remember what channel but Blastus reported that to me.
I am rather disappointed in the Fox News channel coverage. They led their 9:00 p.m. news with the header "Thousands gather at Capital for Pro-American rally". Then the reporter jerk came on for the story and said, "Hundreds gathered". Well, since we know it was thousands (I understand at least 2,000) then why belittle it with "hundreds". Just makes me mad.
Okay, when do we do it again so I can mark the calendar?????!!!!!!
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Monday, March 31, 2003
Some painted their faces red, white and blue. Others held up signs that showed their support for President Bush. One woman even dressed as the Statue of Liberty. But almost everyone at the south steps of the Texas Capitol on Sunday afternoon came for a single reason: to show their support of the troops overseas and the war in Iraq.
Organizers and state troopers said that 1,500 to 2,000 people attended the "Rally for America" sponsored by the Young Conservatives of Texas at the University of Texas.
The turnout made it the largest pro-troops rally in Austin in recent months.
"The goal here is to show the men and women who are fighting that we support them and that we think they are right," said Brian Bodine, spokesman for the group.
Alan Sager, chairman of the Travis County Republican Party and a lecturer at UT, was the emcee.
"What a great day in Austin, Texas," he said with cheers of "U.S.A." in the background.
The rally lasted about 75 minutes and included five speeches from people supporting the war. Rick Green, a former state representative from Dripping Springs, encouraged everyone to be patriotic all the time, not only after events like the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"We need more than renewed patriotism; we need informed patriotism," he said. "People need to come out here because it's the right thing to do, not because it is fashionable."
Law enforcement officials said it was a peaceful rally with no arrests. About 10 war protesters stood at the entrance to the Capitol with signs against the war and for peace.
"These are a bunch of mindless people, led by other mindless people," peace protester Dave Neff said, referring to people at the main rally. "I think we should be giving peace a chance by helping with love and not fear."
Jaughn Jackson, who attended the rally and served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, said he thinks the peace protesters need to move on.
"Most people like me have jobs and don't have time to lay in the streets," Jackson said. "These people need to understand how they got their freedom."
Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said he was expecting to see more demonstrators against the war at the rally.
"I don't know if I am qualified to be here," Patterson said. "I don't have orange hair. I don't have body piercings. I'm not laying on Congress or beating a drum."
Patterson spent most of his time complimenting Bush and the decisions he has made.
"This is not about popularity, and this is not about polls," he said. "We hired a commander in chief to make tough decisions, which sometimes are not popular. That's what we have in George W. Bush."
Sager concluded the rally by thanking the Young Conservatives of Texas, who he said are part of what makes teaching worthwhile.
He also criticized college students who rally against the war.
"They don't have a moral education," Sager said. "They think that Saddam Hussein is like you and me. They can't imagine someone using children as human shields; they think we made it all up. Your job is to educate the children around your home. Some of the kids just don't get this."
jgilbert@statesman.com; 445-3658
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