After Action Report - Rally For America, Houston, TX (1 March 2003)

01 March 2003 | PetroniDE

[Action-America]

...my little digital $45 dollar walmart camera doesn't EVEN do as good a job as your's does!...  can you make mine look as good as yours?

Actually, Txslady, your photos look quite good.  The only thing that I would change is that on a few, the contrast and/or color levels needs to be bumped up.  The following shows the difference, when you simply let Photoshop adjust the levels automatically (Ctrl-Shift-L).  Doing that amounts to only one keystroke combo, so it should be fast.  A similar effect can be achieved by bumping up the Saturation by about 30-40%.  Adding about 20% more contrast helps a little in the detail, but you lose the shadows.  To get any better, you would need to get a camera that will shoot at a higher resolution (more pixels).  But, all in all, your photos are quite acceptable.  In fact, they're much better than mine.  That might have something to do with the fact that, in the rush to get out of the house, I forgot my camera.

Original Photo

Touched-Up Photo (Used Photoshop Auto Levels feature) Notice the more vibrant red in the flag (white circle), the more vibrant colors of the balloon arch (black circle) and the better detail on the stage (yellow circle).

---

It was good meeting you at the rally.

 

[anymouse]

Here are links to my photos of the Houston Rally for America to support our troops:

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Photo 5

Photo 6

Photo 7

Photo 8

Photo 9

Photo 10

Photo 11

Photo 12

Photo 13

Photo 14

Photo 15

Photo 16

Photo 17

Photo 18

Photo 19

Photo 20

Photo 21

Photo 22

Photo 23

Sorry that I didn't get any pictures of FReepers, but by the time I found the other FReepers I ran out of shots in my camera.

[bobbyd]

To: zeaal

they reported Ms. Jackson Lee was booed and had to leave under a police escort.

She was indeed lightly booed and she may well have left under a police escort at her own behest; however I was thirty feet from her and I can assure everyone that she was never in any way threatened nor was she unduly disrespected. If she required the services of the U.N. or the Secret Police or the Prima Ballerinas it was at her own discretion and paid for by you and I.157 posted on 03/01/2003 10:43 PM PST by humblegunner (We didn't even throw stuff.) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 156 | View Replies ]

HELLO HOUSTON ~ I LOVE YA!

Please let me begin by saying HELLO to the Houston FReepers I have not seen in a while...

Hey Gang, love ya all.....what a blast we had today!

Action-America

Allegra

Anymouse

BuffyT

Carlo3b

Dix

Eaker

Flyer

Houmatt

Humblegunner

Humidston

IamRight

Janette

OllieMB

PetroniD

Rejoyce

RetiredAFWarrior

RikaStrom

Ron H.

TxLady

Xenalyte

Zboa

OH! And that cute little HELEN

It was really good seeing you AND I must report......

NEWS FLASH!!!.......

The lovely HelenK spotted Congresswoman 5th ward....showing up looking for a camera.....

Which in my pure....demure.....pre 5pm additude turned and yelled

GO AWAY.......

While ANYMOUSE was yelling "QUEEN SHELIA"!!!

Absolutely the best 3 FReeper salute to the worst of Houston!..Mark, we were at the right place at the right time.

She looked right at us and knew to get back in her illegally parked car. Thankfully she proceeded to the stage to get a standing BOO!To all my FReeper FRiends, and to you that I met today......God is Great......and He knows our plight.

Bless each and every one of my patriot brethern that fight the good fight .....for our country. The land of the FRee.

I appreciate you all and am damn proud of my FReepin' Family.

[Houmatt]

Exactly. Their total presence consisted of a flyover in their helicopter.

That was it.

[Houmatt]

SJL was also a Plantiff in that stupid laawsuit filed a few weeks ago against the POTUS regarding war powers.

Now, I did not know that.

She should be thanking Chris Baker, then, that she got out of that rally alive.

[Las Vegas Dave]

3. The Glenn Beck rally in Cleveland OH tomorrow has been plagued with complications due to interaction by leftists (I will leave specific names to be disclosed by Glenn Beck). They tried to stop that rally from being held.

I will update you with names, if Glenn Beck offers them. I suspect congresspersons Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D), Dennis Kucinich (D), and also R&RHOF financial partners (AKA: Sheryl Crow et.al.).

[PetroniDE]

Did you catch the flowers ?

[PetroniDE]

On a DFW station (sorry, I was flipping around and did not catch the call letters), they reported Ms. Jackson Lee was booed and had to leave under a police escort.

Police escort? The crowd was loud and there was booing, but she wasn't threatened in any way. Besides, the stage was at one corner of the plaza and had an exit away from the audience.

Police escort my rear-end. Probably needed a limo ride too.

[PetroniDE]

Updated Houston Chronicle articles (posted at 11:34 pm on 1 March 2003). A little better, but could still use some revisions.
-------------------------------------------------
Thousands rally in support of Bush
Downtown crowd hears politicians, veterans praise president's Iraq policies

By ALLAN TURNER
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

Cheering, chanting and waving flags, thousands jammed shoulder-to-shoulder into downtown Houston's Jones Plaza on Saturday to hear politicians, soldiers and entertainers praise God, America and President Bush's firm stand against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

The ostensibly nonpartisan "Rally for America," sponsored by talk radio station KPRC, quickly turned into a spirited affirmation of Bush's policies. Speakers included House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land; House Deputy Whip Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, and City Councilman Michael Berry.

The only speaker who was opposed to military intervention in Iraq, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, was greeted with some boos as she stepped onto the stage midway through the two-hour rally. She and her party later were led from the plaza under protective police guard.

KPRC spokeswoman Melissa Brezner said 8,000 to 10,000 people attended the event. "This is not antiwar and it's not pro-war. It's not leaning either way," she said as the event began at noon.

A similar rally drew an estimated 7,000 people to the tiny town of Selma, north of San Antonio on Saturday. That rally attracted war veterans, relatives of military personnel and others who said they are fed up with people who oppose possible war in the Persian Gulf.

About 3,000 people attended a Feb. 16 antiwar rally at Eleanor Tinsley Park. The event, sponsored by Houston Coalition for Justice Not War, was the biggest in a series of recent protests of Bush's policies on Iraq.

"What a wonderful hostile crowd," retired Air Force Maj. Ellis Buchanan said in greeting Saturday's audience. "What a wonderful hostile conservative crowd."

Warning that "freedom is not everlasting, nor is it guaranteed," Buchanan, a Vietnam veteran, told his audience that the United States is the only nation with the power and ability to "bring some balance and peace in this world."

In calling for a resolute stand in Iraq, he noted that the Vietnam War was "an ugly war, a sad war."

"Politicians got scared," he said. "They blinked, hesitated and thousands died in vain."

Berry -- his speech frequently interrupted by cheers -- recounted how City Council last week rejected resolutions opposing war with Iraq. As many as 100 city governments had passed such measures, Berry said, adding that war opponents believed such municipal debates were good to let people "express their feelings."

"The good people of Houston did not send me to City Hall to conduct group therapy," Berry said. "Houston was the first major city to vote down and reject these antiwar resolutions and the professional protesters who travel around to organize them. Let's hope other cities will follow Houston's lead."

DeLay told the crowd that President Bush is "fighting principle battles and he's not backing down. He's a Texan."

The United States, he said "is showing the world the power of strong, moral leadership. And, I'm here to tell you the majority of Congress stands behind the president. ...

"This country isn't going to sit around waiting for terrorists to draw up plans for their next attack. We're going to move heaven and earth to get to them first, and that's what we're going to do. ... I think George Bush is president for a reason."

DeLay lambasted "apostles of appeasement," and assured the crowd that the United States would not submit its foreign policy to an "international litmus test."

Jackson Lee, who has gone on record opposing military action in Iraq, was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos as she approached the podium. She told the crowd that she was pleased it had showed her "what Americans are made of."

Her speech was brief, and consisted primarily of telling her audience she hopes "God blesses America."

"I take your opposition with respect and acceptance," she said. "I come today to share with you that I, too, am an American and that I love this country."

She then was drowned out by the crowd's chant of "USA! USA! USA!"

As she returned to her seat, the audience began chanting, "Bush! Bush! Bush!"

Jackson Lee, a recently appointed member of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, then returned to the microphone to invite the audience to a Sunday "day of prayer for America and peace" at the Gulf Meadows Church, 8012 Fuqua.

Saturday's rally was plagued by a faulty sound system, and some members of the audience later said that they had been unable to hear the speakers. The audience filled the downtown plaza, and spilled onto the sidewalk.

Chris Beckstead of Spring said he and his friends had remained for the entire rally, even though they couldn't hear most of it.

"This is the first one we've been to for any reason," he said. "We had a lot of feeling. Whether we could hear or not, we just wanted to support the cause."

Those attending the rally waved U.S. flags -- the radio station gave away at least 2,500 -- and waved placards bearing such slogans as "Saddam Kiss My Gashole," "Want Peace? Kill Saddam!" and "Iraq First, Then France." Many rally participants wore U.S. flag-patterned clothing; some had flags painted on their faces.

"I loved it," Vietnam-era veteran Mike Palmquist said as the rally ended. "I thought it was a nice counterpoint to the idiots who think nothing matters because they stand for nothing."

Michael Hambright, an ex-Marine and one of few blacks in the crowd, said he believed the rally achieved its goal by demonstrating public support for the troops.

He likened Saddam Hussein to Adolf Hitler in pre-World War II Europe, and said the United States has "given peace a chance."

"Now," he said, "I think it's time for a different method."

[buffyt]

Allen Turner, Houston Chronicle reporter, sure hates us and loves Queen Sheila, you can tell by the way he wrote that article. Why is it so stylish in the media to be so Anti-American now!!!!!!

[buffyt]

Don't go away mad, Queen Sheila....

Just GO AWAY!!!!!

She was at an antiAmerican "peace" rally two weeks ago and she is a signor of Not in Our Name, antiAmerican piece of crap she signed with other Marxists!

[buffyt]

Freep mail me with your email and I will email that photo I have of the Freeper group at Griffs and you can post it here. My other photos are of the crowd and speakers. The Freeper group photo turned out great. I have your email add. on my other computer and it isn't turned on.

Barb

[M Kehoe]

Great after action report.

5.56mm

[buffyt]

Kevin Brady used Sheila's own words when he said some of the opposition have asked "what is this rush to war" It was Sheila who said that, and she also said "We should be rushing to protect the American people from TERRORISN" When Brady used those words "Rush to war" Sheila turned pale gray. She also just sat there and didn't clap or stand up when the crowd did during Tom DeLay's speech. She did run back up to the microphone to announce a prayer service at a church. They didn't have time for Orlando Sanchez to speak but queen Sheila managed to HOG the mike. I kept hearing people all around me yelling out "TERRORISN" while the queen was speaking.

[American72]

I was there with my husband - saw ya'lls banner but it was so crowded we couldn't make it over there to you!! Thanks for the great 'after-action' report! It was an awesome rally! I am so proud of our city!!

[buffyt]

It was just great!

GOP, how you been? Long time so see.

[American72]

Regarding SJL - we noticed that a TON of people turned their backs to her when she was speaking. It was great!!!

[diotima]

LOL!!

[buffyt]

America, that is an EXCELLENT idea, just turn our backs on idiots like SJL when they show up and grab the microphone. TOO BAD it didn't act up and go silent while queen sheila was speaking! Excellent way to silently protest an unwelcome quest speaker without yelling obsenities. Just turn your back to them. Didn't hear a lot of obsenities. On young woman yelled HOLLYWOOD SUCKS and a young man in front of her cautioned that we should KEEP IT CLEAN. Very well behaved law abiding crowd!

I especially enjoyed the FLAG SALUTE that we repeated at the end of the program. They announced that we would pledge to the flag again while we still can. That Circus Appeals Court is trying to silence US again. When we got to the part UNDER GOD the crowd SCREAMED that part out really really loud! It made me fill with pride!

[carlo3b]

Great reporting my friend. It was surely a honor to mingle with my Freeper friends, and 10, 000+ likeminded patiots on the plaza. I had the pleasure of attending with most of my 5 kids and 5 grandchildren, some as young as 2. My daughters told me that everyone, all typically family oriented, wholesome, smiling faced strangers, helped them keep our 5 young ones entertained with petting puppies, rides on military equipment, and extra baby wipes.

A Houston police officer offered,  "these participants are a far cry better, comparing the mostly hostile gathering of sourpussed, antiwar, anti-everything protesters that graced the same location a few days earlier", and "today's event was dramatically happier, safer, and larger, maybe 4 times larger, and damned sight cleaner.."  HA!

My youngest son and I got to mingle with the Mucky Mucks on stage, extolling the virtues of FReeRepublic, passing out copies of our cookbook, and getting further assurances from 2 current members, that the Houston City Councilcritters would not be dabbling in our National Foreign Affairs any time soon. Council-at-large rep. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, said they, as a group were overwhelmed by mine and others, calls, letters, and emails, prompting our lackluster Mayor to haul tail out of town, and that he and his henchmen, and battleaxes won't be trying anything like that in the near future again....LOL

Until our next call to service, perhaps the 2004 election, I look forward to spreading our message, fighing the forces of evil, and battling the schoolboards throughout our area 'FOR OUR CHILDREN"  Thanks for the memory.