Posted on 05/18/2002 4:12:55 PM PDT by FreedomPoster
As discussed on previous threads, Cynthia McKinney held a "Veterans Town Hall Meeting" today in Decatur, GA. Nine FReepers were there to make sure the public and any reporters realized that McKinney has never before been interested in veterans or the military, and it sure is strange that she's starting now. See this thread for the reasons why.
Those present were: Me (FreedomPoster); RobFromGa and his lovely twin freeperette daughters (7? 8? years old); AFVetGal; "Be not afraid!"; dansangel; .45MAN; WhiskeyPapa; Apple Pan Dowdy; and later, Atlantian
Special thanks to vigilantcitizen, who wanted to come, but got called into work at the last minute, and who provided sign materials and one professionally stenciled sign.
Special thanks also to "Be not afraid!"; who got the demonstration permit and then wouldn’t let anyone chip in to help pay for it. Next time, we’ll have to call the Southeastern Legal Foundation and see if we really need such a thing to exercise our free speech rights on public property. It sure didn’t feel right, and was not the battle we were fighting today.
We started arriving in front of the library starting around 11:30. Several of us ate sack lunches, we made signs, etc. Sign slogans included:
"DeKalb Deserves Better - Saudi Arabia Please Take Her!"
(a reference to her radical Muslim support and her begging to the Saudi Prince for the $10 million)
"I’m not Fonda McKinney"
"Hey Cynthia, what planet are you from?"
"Honk if you support veterans" (we got a lot of honks)
Of course, there were many flags in evidence, and I was wearing my flag-motif shirt and hat from the ’96 Olympic Games, so I really stood out.
A Decatur policeman stopped briefly, and we spoke with him, explaining "we’re just a bunch of friendly, law-abiding conservative political protesters." He could pretty easily profile us to see we were a peaceful crew. I commented that "we’re here because Ms. McKinney is such an idiot", and he chuckled and said there were probably a lot of people who thought that.
At around 12:15, we split into a front group and a rear group to cover the entrances. I had brought a pair of Talkabout radios, so we had good comms. We handed out flyers (this is a Word document) to many who were just going to the library, and also to some veterans there for the meeting. We told them we were there to protest Ms. McKinney’s sudden interest in the military and veterans, when she hadn’t cared about them in the ten years she’s been in office, that we thought she was trying to get some favorable publicity involving veterans, and that we were there to set the record straight.
It does appear that Ms. McKinney did send a letter to the national VFW. A very distinguished-looking gray-haired gentleman got out of a car. When asked if he were a veteran, he replied "Yes I am." We told him why were we there and gave him one of our fliers. It turns out he was President of the National VFW last year, and was there to be on her veteran’s panel, and to keep an eye on what was going on. I think he was genuinely glad to see us there. Only one of the local VFW people I spoke with last week had heard of hte event, though we did see several BVA members go in.
Around 12:30, Cynthia’s father, local rep Billy McKinney came and harangued the gathered Freepers. He ending up playing the race card pretty heavily at his closing with us, when he headed into the building. Several of the McKinney supporters played the "you’re just a bunch of rich white people" race/class warfare card. We pointed out that they were bringing up the racial issue, that as far as we were concerned, there was nothing racial about Cynthia’s anti-Americanism. We pointed out that some of us were supporting Cynthia’s black opponent in the primary, and one of us (Apple Pan Dowdy) was involved in the black civil rights movement in Birmingham in the 60’s.
Around 12:40, a late model, shiney Toyota Land Cruiser parked right across from the entrance we were at. Four BIG black guys, all wearing dark 3- and 4-button suits, got out and arrayed them around the upper level back entrance. We gathered most of the Freepers out back, figuring she would come in there. I hope Apple Pan Dowdy got a picture of these heavies. A side note - after having been the recipient of the race/class warfare nastiness of some of the McKinney supporters, I point out that the two nicest vehicles there by far were the heavies’ Land Cruiser, and the Mercedes AMG S55 with the Morehead College plates (local Atlanta black school) that a very nicely dressed black woman arrived in. Yes, we’re just evil rich white folks, and they're all just so poor.
Some of the security guys disappeared inside, a couple were standing next to us at the back upper level entrance, when whoosh, Cynthia snuck in the lower level back entrance. We did get in a couple of chants of:
Hey hey, ho-ho,
Commie McKinney’s got to go!
There had been a local Fox News cameraman around that we had spoken with, and just after McKinney went inside, his reporter sidekick arrived. We think it was Tony D'Astoli, but aren’t sure. In any case, they took some shots of the group en mass chanting with all the signs, and then they interviewed me. We didn’t make the Fox 6PM news, so I’ll have my VCR rolling for the Fox 10PM news.
After taking some more hateful racist vitriol from a McKinney supporter (we suggested she look in a mirror to see a racist), we migrated back out front and handed out more flyers to pedestrian and auto-mobile passers-by. An NBC Channel 11 local news cameraman came by and took some video of us all, and I made a few statements and did a little Q&A. Their evening 6PM local news was pre-empted by the Preakness and the NBA playoffs. He told us to watch the 11PM news. Hopefully we’ll get on there.
After discussing events, and what had occurred, we decided that waiting another 1-1/2 hours for the event to end was a bit much, and we all saddled up and headed home to lawn mowing, grocery trips, time with family, etc.
Even if we don’t get on any of the local news programs, we made more than a few people think, we handed out a small pile of flyers, and we let these anti-Americans know we are watching them closely.
All-in-all, we did some good, it was good to meet some Atlanta FReepers, and there will be more of us next time. Let's do it again soon, Atlantans!
Thank-you, sir. On behalf of my fellow GA FReepers, I send our best wishes to you, as well. You have your hands full what with Boxer and Davis alone, not to mention the others.
I agree. FR is a wonderful way to garner support and friendship. Fight the good fight, Grampa! GA is with you in spirit!
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http://www.majetteforcongress.org/news.php?articleID=11
April 10, 2002
Congressional Candidate Majette Asks: Where is the Representation for Dekalb County in Washington?
Elizabeth Wilson
ewilsonpr@earthlink.net
DECATUR (GA) –Denise Majette, Democratic candidate for Congress in the 4th District, read with concern the recent reports that the CEO of DeKalb County is going regularly to Washington, D.C. to lobby on behalf of the county: to negotiate for resources essential to the county’s economic growth. Additionally, the county is paying $96,000 to a lobbying firm to assist in this effort.
“The citizens of DeKalb should really appreciate the foresight and assertiveness of CEO Vernon Jones. Equally, they should join the concert of other residents already questioning ‘isn’t that what we pay our member of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives to do?’” Majette asked.
“DeKalb County taxpayers are essentially paying twice for services which should be provided by the incumbent [Cynthia McKinney] – and for which she is being paid,” said Majette. “I am pleased that CEO Jones is undertaking these efforts, but he simply should not have to be doing so. He said, “We weren’t a player. We weren’t even in the game…” as far as recognition in Washington is concerned. All citizens of the county should be concerned and, quite frankly, upset that so little is being done on behalf of DeKalb by the current Congressional representative.”
The article notes that in Cobb County, for example, “…officials rely on their representatives [Bob Barr, Johnny Isakson] to help them get grants and make county leaders aware of issues that could impact Cobb.”
“Why do we not have that same kind of representation? ” Majette asked. “If the incumbent were less focused on getting her picture in the papers and on television and more concerned with her constituents, taxpayers would not be billed for this $96,000 contract.”
“I hope voters in the 4th Congressional District will respond to this kind of news with a real determination to elect a representative who will provide responsive and responsible leadership; someone who will be seen in the public as a team player at the table with other business and local leaders, working hard toward reaching consensus to insure the growth and prosperity of the county. That is what I have pledged to provide if elected,” Majette concluded.
Majette stepped down from her judgeship on the State Court of DeKalb County on February 1 to run for Congress. After graduating from public schools in New York, Majette went on to earn a degree in history from Yale University and her juris doctor from Duke University School of Law. Majette and her husband, Rogers Mitchell, and their sons have lived in Stone Mountain for nearly 20 years.
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Any religion that sanctions suicide as an acceptable form of murdering Jews and other "infidels" has abandoned any claim on morality. No religion that justifies hijacking commercial jets to fly them into buildings has any claim on the hearts of decent people anywhere.
McKinney supports the Palestinians in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict
You have really done your homework. Thank-you for the great post! During our FReep, a man and woman in an SUV pulled up to the curb and asked the group some questions. They seemed to relax a bit, then handed us some Denise Majette flyers. Even though none of us will be voting the DemoncRat ticket, we wished them and their candidate well.
Heck will freeze over before anything other than a DemoncRat is elected to represent DeKalb County, but Majette would be a breath of fresh air after the McKinney dog-and-pony show!
Thank-you again for the info. God Bless and get well!
God Bless your family, and they are lucky to have a man like you who believes in the good fight to do it!
There are only a handful of you there. There were only a handful of Freepers marching and chanting in DC when Goron tried to steal an election and country. They had a tremendous impact on this nation.
Keep us posted.
We have an incredible group re the Davis problem out here in Kali Land on Free Republic. We are blessed with the support and wisdom from many out of state Freepers.
LOL - my husband .45MAN would agree....he tells me I wear the pants in the family! heheheheheheh
Anyway, I KNOW what a problem you all have with Davis. Just keep chipping away at that mountain of BS and eventually you will have a small, manageable dog pile.
Our numbers may be small, but our morals, beliefs and convictions will win out! The incredible solidarity that FReepers have will see us through.
I am honored to be in your ranks. Be safe, be well and I know we'll continue to cross paths here on FR. I look forward to it!
Why? Are you so all-knowing and all-seeing that nobody has the right to suggest you may have been taking a unneccessary risk?
I obviously did not think that there was a high risk of violent attack or I wouldn't have taken the time to be there myself.
Obviously not. Then again,you COULD have been wrong,and how would be feeling today if you had been?
I happen to be raising citizens, not spectators, so go STUFF it.
Kiss my ass.
WOW! This makes me all the more adamant in urging all fellow FReepers to carry cell phones (to use to immediately notify the authorities - local police AND the State Board of Elections - when witnessing said behavior) and even video cameras to catch election-law-violating perps in action on Election Day.
I'm truly convinced that FR should have a goal of putting a FReeper as a poll watcher in every precinct in this country on election days.
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