TheRightGuy, TheRightGuy'sWife and I met up at just about 9a to start our press coverage off with an interview with NBC and CLTV. We then headed over the rally site and started to set up.
Within 30 minutes people began to show up, not many, but they were almost 2 hours early, so no matter. About 10:30 I took some video that showed less than 100 people there. Then they started to arrive, and they were many.
By the time we started at 11:30, promptly just like W., there were easily 2000 people there. The last large anti-war rally I countered was estimated by the news to be 2000 (it was no where near that) and at the beginning we were more packed and in a larger group than that rally! News reports are all over the place, but it is safe to say, 2000 we were not, 4000 WE WERE!!!!
I am amazed, happy, bewildered, to name a few objectives. To stand on our Soap Box and see that see of Red, White and Blue, was AMAZING, SOBERING, and finally HEARTENING. There is a real America out there.
Johnny Stone, morning radio personality from 106.7 The Fish did a great job of emceeing, we thank him greatly for his work. Johnny opened us up and then we were treated to the singing of the National Anthem by a Navy Veteran named Nicole whose boyfriend is overseas right now. We recited the Pledge of Allegiance and then Patrick O'Malley spoke.
At this point, feeling nervous and anxious I wandered the group thanking everyone for appearing. I was up next and I had to get acquainted with the crowd or I would have been a blubbering fool :o). I had prepared remarks, I used them more as an outline, because seeing all those people there it was easy to let it flow and speak to them as an American, a FReeper, and a Patriot.
We continued with speeches by State Senator Chris Lauzen,GRRRRR, TheRightGuy, Syrians and Iraqis, justshutupandtakeit, a double purple heart medal winner, and finally our own unspun. Each of them added splendidly to our Rally.
After cleaning up, we retired to the Berghoff for some fine foods, further discussion, cheering of other folks who were wearing patriotic clothing and turning our backs on some "No War" button wearing < insert favorite adjective here >
. I want to thank facedown and sistergoldenhair who manned the FR while we were downtown. I've seen the thread and it was great to be able to have that going at the same time.
Thank you E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E for everything!
P.S. I was asked at least 30 times when the next one is... {patience - stupid question coming.....} Shall we????
You're entirely welcome!