There’s No Turning Back Now
On 09-12-09 our Country came together in Washington, D.C. to protest our government. I came back with renewed hope for my Country; I’m sure I am not alone in this renewed hope. During the trip I met scores of people from all walks of life and every corner of this land. Many people arrived without a plan. They heard of the march and felt compelled to be there. It was like a scene from Close Encounters where everyone was driven by an inexplicable force to meet at Devil’s Mountain. Not knowing exactly what to expect didn’t prevent them from understanding they just had to be there.
The march was to begin at Freedom Plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The route was a mile long down the avenue to the Capital. At 8:30 a.m., Freedom Plaza itself was packed and overflowing into the street. Some of those with our group and I took up space across the street at the Wilson Building to wait for the rest our group. This side of the street, we were told by volunteers, was not part of the area which the permit was covered. 14th Street also continued to allow vehicles. I’m not sure if was part of the D.C. Police’ plans or not, but it became increasingly evident that their attempts to keep 14th Street open to traffic were futile and they closed it to vehicles. From the steps of the Wilson building, as far as the eye could see up and down both Penn Ave and 14th Street, the people were pouring in from all directions.
Those who have ever been to a championship game of their favorite home team know the feeling of being among thousands of like minded people. I have been to such a game and although the electricity is incredible, it pales in comparison to the energy of thousands upon thousands, perhaps millions (the count still isn’t finalized) of people in one place and of one heart… love of Country.
I was not expecting to be overwhelmed with emotion and the tears on my cheeks caught me off guard. When I turned to those beside me and saw their moistened faces I could no longer contain my feelings. Until this day, I had been filled with anger at my government and fear for my Country. Anger so strong and bottled that I had been snapping at those closest to me. Anger so strong that I was learning what it felt like to hate. That anger collided with love on Saturday and together they healed my broken soul. I wasn’t alone.
One by one at different moments during the march each of us became overwhelmed with the emotion and energy of the crowd. We wept tears of happiness and tears of sorrow for our Country. Until you have cried tears of love for your Country and tears of loss for your freedom it is impossible to understand why we marched; why we are so passionate for our beliefs; why we feel remorse for the direction our Country is heading.
On that beautiful day in D.C., we marched. Young and old, healthy and infirm… we marched. Kids with signs, kids in strollers, kids in costume. Parents and grandparents. People with walkers, canes, and wheelchairs. We marched. All came to Pennslyvania Avenue and made the mile long trek past office building windows filled with onlookers. We marched with one mind… to stand at the Capital and roar with one voice that we have had enough.
And roar we did! One of the most incredible moments of the entire event took place a couple of blocks into the march. From far behind me in the crowd I could hear a rumbling. I wasn’t sure what the eerie sound was but as it drew closer my spirit leaped in recognition. I let the first wave wash over me and move forward through the crowd as I listened to thousands of people chant, “U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A.” With the next wave I joined in as we yelled in one accord, “You Lie! You Lie! You Lie!” The raw pure emotion experienced in wave after wave of ever increasing crescendos of chanting was a liberating experience.
If you were to ask the marchers why they were there you would likely get just as many diverse answers as there were creative, hand made signs. If you were to question them further and inquire as to whose fault it is that our government has gone so far awry, the vast majority would point to themselves for allowing it. This is where Washington has underestimated us. We are awake now and we are watching. Things will NEVER be the same.
The New American Address
If my math is correct, our election day was 40 weeks ago today (Nov 4, 2008). I was just listening to some music played by the sub on the Mark Levin show, and I began to recite the Gettysburg Address in my head. (I went to school back in the day when they made us memorize stuff.) This prompted me to start looking at the calendar, counting the miserable weeks that we have had to stand by and watch our Constitution be dismantled, and I decided to update Lincoln’s precious words to apply to what is happening in our country today. I hope he would not mind; he is a tremendous inspiration to me, and we might reflect on the perils in the country he had to deal with in his day, and take heart. He brought our country through a terrible time of history. They just do not make many statesmen like him, do they? So many brave Americans before us gave their lives for this country. For them, we must remember, United We Stand.
The American Address, 2009: Two score weeks ago, our uninformed, oblivious countrymen brought forth on this nation an Obama-nation, conceived in Marxism and dedicated to the proposition that all created men are equally controlled by government redistribution of the wealth.
Now we are engaged in a great culture war, testing whether this Obama-nation, or any nation, so ill-conceived and so oppressed, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of town-hall meetings and tea parties to fight this war. We must come to dedicate a portion of ourselves to this battle, in honor of this resting place of those who preceded us and gave their lives that this previous nation might live. It is altogether imperative and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground, until we remove the obstructions to our Constitution from office. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled before us, have consecrated it far above the power-hungry Congress to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what I say here, but we must never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated and focused to the unfinished and threatened work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-to preserve the Constitution in spite of those who defy the oath they took to uphold it; that from these honored dead we take increased inspiration and devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, UNDER GOD, shall have a new birth of freedom- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
What Will It Be Next Year – Dependence Day or Independence Day?
Looking back on Independence Day weekend, I am reminded of everything our Founding Fathers fought for. I recently read Glenn Beck’s Common Sense and was blown away not only by the parallels between now and then but, also by the sheer lack of logic in DC over the past couple of decades.
America suffered from benign neglect and soft tyranny prior to the American Revolution. Our Founding Fathers were tired of taxation without representation and the obvious sentiment of the English King/government who only cared about padding his pockets and increasing his power, not the people he supposedly represented.
An underground movement began and there was no single leader, but several who were all involved in the name of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. They sacrificed life and limb to do what’s right for America and her citizens.
While celebrating our independence I was reminded that there is always the possibility that history can repeat itself. Our government is resembling the same soft tyranny that we fought to escape from. Many say they feel that the Constitution is an antiquated document; however, the document is more like a rule of law which takes into account the basic principles of human nature. I like using the analogy of business. As businesses grow and evolve they require standard operating procedures so that they run efficiently and effectively. Standard operating procedures are based upon lessons learned; much like our Constitution. As America grew and became more populated over the years, the soft tyranny from across the pond could no longer represent us, especially when their priorities were themselves. Through lessons learned, observations on human nature and government, our Founding Fathers saw the best way forward to make America the greatest country on Earth. It would be an absolute travesty if our country let the very republic and practice of democracy slip through our fingers due to our own apathy and complacency. All that our troops have fought for over the last 233 years would be lost.
I fear that America is becoming the frog in a pot and the temperature is being turned up gradually. Which means the frog will never realize it’s in hot water until it’s too late. As the greatest generation – those who fought in WWII – slowly leave us, baby boomers are confronted with an ever changing and challenging responsibility to our next generation. Much of the lessons learned through hardship and the traditional values are being lost. The next great generation (40 and younger) has to wake up soon lest our country be lost forever. Unfortunately, I see many of the younger generations being indoctrinated and deluded by political propaganda. I see children who are lazy and complacent and barely leave their house because Halo is more important to play than actual exercise and social interaction. Divorce rates are up because people run as soon as there is pain and troubles. We no longer live in a society of tough love but that of coddling and immediate gratification. If this sentiment persists there will be some very unpalatable changes to American culture – much of which is invariably being taken for granted today.
If we continue down this path we can expect Mommy Government to do everything from feeding us to changing our diapers. Gone will be the days of free enterprise, the entrepreneur, the days of choice in schools, and the choice of our own doctors. Gone will be the days of prosperity, America as a super-power, national security, and our entire American way of life. We could actually find ourselves waking up to a state-run radio or TV station. We will eat government regulated food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We can rest assured that we will motor down the government built highways in our government owned and regulated vehicles, making sure we aren’t leaving huge carbon footprints. Many of us will find ourselves working at a government job or a government contractor as the size of government grows and DC becomes the next metropolis. My weekly paycheck will be deposited into a government-run bank, and that government run bank will also control all of my car, home and student loans. My 401K will be regulated by the government after social security, medicare and medicaid fail. The stock markets will be run by the government who, after controlling all the financial institutions, will control the purse strings of this country. I will quit smoking because the government will control tobacco and eventually ban smoking nationwide. If my government car gives out on me and I get into an accident I will have to attend a government run hospital with government run health care. The government will provide questionnaires to receive the latest information on the public from the census, working on behalf of the government. My home will be government mandated with the passing of cap-and-tax, and I will not be able to sell it or build onto it if it doesn’t reach climate change standards. The light bulbs in my home will become a government requirement and the mercury in the allowable bulbs will kill those who break them. The government will run everything to the point that none of us will be able to take care of ourselves. The addiction ridden citizens of the USA will be “jonesing” for their government “crack” in the name of direction and entitlements. So I must ask, is this what our Founding Fathers fought for, is this what Americans wanted when they asked for “Change?”
It is time for a movement to take back this great nation. We need several strong leaders who have the charisma, the common sense, and the real American spirit to drive this message home by going around the media bias and straight to the hearts of Americans. We have already begun and as people get more fed up with politics as usual the more we see the tea party movement grow. This is the next grassroots movement and it will change the minds of millions! This past July 4, although the media didn’t cover many, if any, of the protests they were all over the nation. I attended a smaller one briefly on the way to a cookout and fireworks. More and more people are becoming disenfranchised with the entire establishment and the government in general. It’s time for ‘we the people’ to take back the country.
Tea Party Photos & Videos from different locations over the weekend:
Go to Michelle Malkin’s site for streaming of the Dallas Tea Party which drew crowds up to 37,000!
Phoenix, AZ:
Boston, MA:
Denver, CO:
Fort Lauderdale, FL:
Houston, TX:
A Couple From Maryland:
New Mexico:
Rochester, NY:
Tulare, CA:
National Tea Party Heads Accepted Invitation to Meet With Obama
If this happens and I mean a big IF, I hope that none of them are swindled when speaking to the silver tongued “One.” I have a feeling that he wants to talk to them and possibly persuade the Tea Party leaders to stop this major grassroots movement. But I thought that this movement was insignificant? HA!
The National Leadership Team of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition today accepted President Obama`s invitation “to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we are going to stabilize Social Security.”
The invitation was extended by the Presidentat a Town Hall Meeting held in Arnold, Missouri today. Michael Patrick Leahy, a member of the National Leadership Team of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, said ” We want to broaden the scope to address the President`s runaway march to socialist-statism, and the rampant across the board irresponsible spending he is promoting with his $787 Billion Stimulus Plan and his $1 Trillion Annual Deficit, his takeover of General Motors, Chrysler and the Banks .”
Kellen Giuda, organizer of the New York City Tea party attended by 12,000 and of Parcbench said, “I think a constructive dialogue with the President would be a great opportunity for him to acknowledge that, yes, many Americans have a problem with the way Washington is handling our taxpayer dollars and also that we are concerned about health care and social security reform. I am happy he is open to a discussion. The Tea Parties are protesting against fiscal irresponsibility and any dialogue we can have will hopefully bring a better public understanding of our country`s finances. Health care and social security reform is a large concern to us.”
The National Leadership Team of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition includes 25 of the more than 900 local organizers of the April 15, 2009 Tax Day Tea Parties held across the country, which were attended by more than 1 million Americans. Members of the National Leadership Team includes Judson Phillips, organizer of the Nashville Tea Party attended by 10,000, James Dickey, organizer of the Dallas Tea Party, attended by 5,000, and JoAnn Abbot, organizer of the Washington, DC Tea Party attended by more than 3,000. The full list of the 25 members of the National Leadership Team of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition can be found here.
