a report posted on the free republic http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3924688b37ac.htm
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Hello All,
This is my first post here at Free Republic. I thought it fitting that it be my report from the SAS March in D.C. By the way, I am the friend that cc2k spoke of in
his report. Here it goes. It is long. Please bare with me.
“Child killer!” “He probably does not have any children!” “Insensitive bastard!” “Take the Second Amendment Sisters and shove them where the sun don’t
shine.”
These are words that will ring in my ears for some time as they were spewed in hatred toward me-a simple, common, God-fearing family man-who did nothing
more than peacefully carry a sign supporting the Second Amendment in the crowd of the Million Mom March. This was an exhilarating climax from an
otherwise placid beginning and reflective ending.
This is the second road trip with my second eldest in whom I will call Stratos (He is 14 years old and 6’5”). Each time there seems to be a certain musical CD
that defines the trip. This time is was Santana’s latest CD called Supernatural. Stratos and I seem to narrow the CD down to two or three great highway songs
and play them over and over. Before you know it, we are both singing away.
However, the singing was short lived as we picked up a good compadre from Detroit in Columbus, Ohio. He name is Norm. Not to embarrass my good friend,
but I think a profile of this extraordinary man is appropriate.
· Norm stands with an erect posture at about 5’ 10”. Slender with a respectable paunch. Short salt and pepper hair. His face is gruff, yet friendly. His voice
deep and calm and very confident. Aged at 53, he has a walking stride most twenty-something studs would envy. He cautiously carries himself with sanguine.
· His demeanor composed, resting and untroubled. For the life of me, I wondered if this man has ever been angry. He speaks in no hurry and with magnetism.
His gentle commanding oratory will extend anyone’s attention span.
· His intelligence is marked by an overall knowledge of the world around him and beyond. His world-view is structured in principle and open to philosophical
challenges. He believes in unseen absolutes yet precarious in things that may not be founded in empirical evidence. Extremely tempered with rationale, Norm is
abridged with complex thinking and an enterpriser of wit.
Yet, Norm is a common man. Entrepreneurial in employment, it would seem that his work brings modest reward and little headache. He is a simple man and
lives simply. I cannot tell you how fortunate I am to have spent a memorable occasion with such a gentlemen.
As we arrived in D.C., I was stifled to enjoy the rich historical sites while driving. Having a keen sense of direction, I found that could be arguable had you seen
the many missed turns and wrong directions I encountered. There was not much of anything perpendicular about this city. We had gotten settled in our hotel
and decided to go a store to fortify us with food and drink for the march the next day. We stopped to eat at a Georgetown Vietnamese Restaurant. The food was
bland and expensive. The service was fantastic. When finished we crossed over the Potomac to the Arlington area and drove smack dab into the face of a fierce
electrical storm. We quickly acquired our needs and got the hell out of Dodge. When we returned back to our hotel, we tuned in the weather channel only to
find that we had escaped with our lives (ok, a little melodramatic), a tornado from the place we had just left. Arriving back at the hotel and being on the tenth
floor, the storm had been moving in our direction and eventually passed over us. We had a beautiful view of the lightning as the storm faded into the eastern
sky. We bedded down for the evening shortly after.
Having spoken with cc2k on the phone the night before, who is another friend that I was anticipating in meeting at the March, we woke up early to meet him at
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Running a little late, we scurried along 15th street, which led us to the northeast corner of the Whitehouse. Cutting through a
park along the east wing, we noticed a long line of MMM’s waiting to get onto the south lawn for the kick-off by Hillary Clinton. I had made my first
observation that there were no flags being waved by any of the MMM’s. Including those already on the south lawn, I had approximated that there were 500
MMM’ers.
We moved on south to the Rotunda across from the south lawn of the Whitehouse and on toward the Washington Monument to Constitution Ave. Crossing the
street to the southwest we cut across a small park east of a pond, which sat at the dawning of the V.V. Memorial. With the early morning sun reflecting off the
water ripples from a cool breeze from the northwest and Mallard ducks swimming along its shores, I had an impression that we should tread to the south walk
of the pond. I felt that if we had missed cc2k due to being late, that he would make his way back to the rallying area on this route. As we walked halfway up the
path, a young couple came from around a bush. Having never seen cc2k before, and only going by the description he had given me of him the day before, I
wondered if this was the man. As I looked into his eyes, I could tell that he was thinking the same thing as I; is this the person I am to meet? I spoke out and
said, “cc2k?” He acknowledged in the affirmative. He and his girlfriend agreed to walk back to the Memorial with us. Again a profile is in order:
· Cc2k stands tall, about 6’ 3”, long dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, sporting a short brown beard. He too, is slender with a pleasantly plump
paunch.
· His presence was commanding and he walked with a confident stride. He spoke very sharply with a low medium voice. It seemed every word he spoke was
laconic and precise.
· He is remarkably intelligent and is very knowledgeable of the Constitution. His ability to equate Constitutional matters with real life was just as exceptional.
· I came to know later that he has a strong constitution and a level of tolerance that would make any mom proud. In the face of adversity, he stands his ground
without loosing focus. He has a genuine concern for others as I come to know later as well.
The security official expounding the markings on the wall and what they represented, gave us some intriguing facts of the ongoing work of updating the
information of our beloved veterans as information was received. He was very knowledgeable and seemed to enjoy enlightening us with the wonderful work put
into the Memorial. After his presentation, we stood for a few pictures and then proceeded forth to the rallying area at the northwest quadrant of the Washington
Memorial.
As we walked upon the grass to the southeast of the stage, we took note that the stage crew was still getting things in order for the festivities to begin. I began to
consider looking for yet another virtual acquaintance who was to attend the march. Her name is Judy. She was from my home state. She sent me an email before
leaving for D.C. describing to me to look for a 53 year old with a leg brace and a walking cane. Would you believe that I found two other ladies with a leg brace
and a walking cane around that age before I found Judy? Three is a charm still.
We settled about 75 ft centered from the stage. Within 30 minutes, Court TV approached me for an interview. They were interested in the T-Shirt I was wearing
which portrayed Norm’s deceased daughter who had been murdered. Court TV was inquiring of the story behind the portrayal and its relation to our stand on
the gun-control debate. I told them-as I had told other reporters-that it would be inappropriate for me to elaborate on the story as the father was in our midst. I
suggested that they seek Norm out after giving them a brief description of his personage. I did, however answer their questions relating to additional gun control
measures like registration and trigger locks for firearms. Within the next hour or so, I had been approach by a few more media hounds and referred them all to
Norm, as they too were interested in the picture on my T-shirt. It would appear that the media were focus on seeking out real life stories of tragedy.
Having brought Old Glory with me, I decided to go around and greet all those who were carrying flags. (This was before the SAS handed out placard flags to
everyone) I found everyone to be pleasant, courteous, and happy. After greeting all those with flags, I randomly walked up to several and welcomed them and
introduced myself and told them where I was from. I had several pleasant conversations and found the general spirit of the gathering to be unified and uplifting.
There were several articulate sign makers, which I found some to be humorous and others pointing out the hypocrisy on the other side of the issue. One sign,
which presented a positive message said, “Million Mom Marchers, Good People, Bad Cause.”
Enjoying the festivities, I had noticed that cc2k had been gone for some time. A few moments later he come strolling up from the behind. I asked him where had
he been and replied that he had been over to the MMM rally. I told him that had I known I would have joined him. He said we could go back over and after
grabbing a few SAS signs and my camcorder, we ventured over to “enemy territory.”
As we approached the stretched out section from the grassy knoll in front of the Capital to the street east of the Washington Monument, we held up our signs
for all to see. I made it an objective to look to see how many flags there were in the crowd. I looked and looked and found there to be only ONE as far as my
eyes could see. And even then, it was poorly displayed on the side of a sign that takes two people to hold, one on each end. The flag did not even extend above
the sign, which read, “Speak the truth to power.” Go figure! The sparse crowd toward the back looked up at our signs and read them with little to no reaction.
However, as we walked deeper into the crowd-about two-thirds down this section of the mall-people began to heckle at us. Open spaces between people became
narrower and the people who noticed our signs were getting bolder with their reactions. It seemed that the deeper we penetrated the crowd, the more radical the
people. Then, the name-calling began. “Child killer!” “Insensitive bastard!” “NRA bitch!” “Gun-loving son-of-a-bitch!” Subsequently, the chanting began.
“NRA, Go Away..” “NRA, Go Away..” To the best of my recollection, the chanting began as Rosie O’Donnell was finishing her speech. We had about one
fifth of this crowd, a whole quadrant of MMM’s chanting at us, which took some limelight away from Rosie dear.
As cc2k and I tried to progress forward, we were called more names and spat upon. Later someone else threw water all over us. People began to shove us
around. Some ladies got right in our faces and screamed things out in purpled-faced hatred. One lady yelled (in my face) that we were not allowed to be there
without a permit. I retorted that being a taxpayer, I had just as much right to these grounds as she did. She vindictively replied that I have no right to be here.
Again, I retorted, “Uh ma’am, I believe the First Amendment gives me the right to be here.” The chanting would die down and start up again. One chant
exclaimed, “Shame!” “Shame!” “Shame!”
Cc2k, looking over at me, was concerned that the crowd was trying to separate us. He managed to make his way closer to me. I could sense that he was
concerned for my safety. At about that point, the crowd tried to force us out the side (north) of the crowd and we resisted. I said with commanding authority, “I
am not going where you are forcing me to go!” I kept pushing forward. The crowd was pushing and swaying. There was a young lady trying to push her
stroller with her baby in it and the crowd was pushing me into her. She turned and screamed at me, as well as others, that I was pushing her and her baby. I said
as calm as I could, “I am sorry ma’am, but there is nothing I can do as the crowd is doing this, not me.” I pushed more to the south of the crowd, cc2k trying to
stay close to my heels.
Some people were getting hysterical and others were trying to get everybody to calm down. Cc2k asked me what it was that I wanted to do. I said that I wanted
to try to press forward. Eventually, the crowd began to interlock their arms all around to keep us from moving at all. Everyone was pressed up tight, swaying
back and forth. It seemed there for a moment the whole crowd was going to tumble to the ground. But, there was not even enough room to do that! A security
guard made his way to us and asked me what it was I trying to do. I told him that my friend and I were just trying to walk up to the stage. I turned back around
to the front for a few moments and turned back and he was gone.
Then, as the crowd began to settle down, as it appeared that we had a stale mate, we turned around to try to slip away in the direction from which we came. I had
turned on my camcorder, put it up to my face to look into the viewfinder. As I turned around, this guy punched me in the face hitting me the first swing and
hitting the camcorder the second swing pushing it into my face. Recuperating, I looked with amazement and saw a couple of ladies trying to stop this man, one
yelling “No violence!” “No violence!” Then, I turned up my cam again and this other lady puts her hand over the lens. I told her to keep her hands off the
cam. She then smacked the cam trying to knock it out of my hands. The lady that screamed “no violence” came over to this woman and told her that we were
trying to leave. “Let them go!” she said. All the while people were screaming, “boo” at us. I looked up and a fella was giving me the finger. People behind us
were beginning to clear a path, heckling and booing us the whole time as we exited. It was at this time that the media began to swarm like flies around us, asking
us our names and where we were from. One reporter tried to ask us questions about our presence there, but we kept walking straightway to get out of the mess.
SIDE NOTE: From our best estimates, there was only 60,000 to 75,000 at the MMM. By contrast, there was 4 to 5,000 in the SAS. I take it that by now you all
have heard the lies told by the President and Donna Dear on the exaggerated numbers at the MMM.
A couple of people followed us out and wanted to talk to us about the ensuing debate. One was a young man who asked with all sincerity why we object to more
gun control measures like registration and trigger-locks. We stopped to give him the usual replies. I felt that if there was anyone who we may have prodded to
think about the issue further, it was this young man. We walked a little further and another man stopped us and wanted to give us his interpretation of the
Second Amendment. As usual, he was only focused on the “A well regulated militia…” portion of the Second Amendment trying to gives us the “organized
military” interpretation. Cc2k handled this fella very well. This same man pointed out that we had no business coming over there causing trouble. I told him that
if he was to come over to our crowd that he could approach the stage with no hassles, unlike the treatment that cc2k and I had just received. Another woman
walked up to enter the debate. Then a NRA member walked up to enter the debate. Cc2k and I slipped away as we had already been debating for some time and
needed to get back to the SAS so we did not miss the march.
Upon arriving back to peaceful grounds in the midst of SAS supporters, there was only a couple of speakers left on the agenda. I could not help but notice that
the man I had invited to our side was standing over to our right talking with a young lady. All seemed peaceful around him and he was treated well.
Then, after all that had been said, we made our way to Constitution Ave. and marched to the north end of the Capitol building. All along the way, MMM” s
heckled, booed, sticking their thumbs down, yelling, and making obscene jesters. Two young men, one with a chop shaved head, the other shirtless with fake
bullet holes and fake blood streaming down from them were trying to incite a response to their antics. The D.C. police stopped them and gave them a warning
that they are dangerously close to getting an inciting riot charge. They toned down, but kept up their antics a little while longer.
We all arrived under the shade trees in the park north of the Capital Building. This is where we said our goodbyes and made our way back to the hotel. After
picking up my vehicle, we immediately made our way home. Norm and I had gotten into a non-stop conversation all the way back to Columbus. Stratos slept
most of the way.
We dropped off Norm and followed him to his turn-off. Stratos and I had a short conversation and sank back into the music that had brought us this far. One
song named “Put Your Lights On” exhorts, “Sinners, Killers, Lovers, put your lights on..Put your lights on. Children, keep your lights on..keep your lights
on.” Another song from the Santana CD called “The Calling” featuring Eric Clapton, cries out, “People, People, People, People..Hear me Calling..” and at the
end an epilogue which expounds, “Freedom! Freedom! Stand up. Let’s celebrate. Freedom! Freedom! Talking about Freedom. This is the time for redemption.
Freedom! Freedom! Don’t you want freedom for everybody? This is the time for Liberation. Freedom! Freedom! Don’t you want freedom for your children?
This is a big celebration!”
In closing, it is my firm hope and prayer that we all hear the call of freedom. That we will stand up, as a united people and rise against the internal forces that is
leading us down a slippery slope toward tyranny. Moreover, that we will teach our children the traditions of our forefathers and the rich heritage that made this
country the most prosperous and powerful nation on earth. Know with assurance my Brothers and Sisters that there is a Divine role for our nation to fulfill and
Providence is at the helm. But, we must do our part, for the blessings of liberty are predicated only upon our willingness to be obedient to the laws that
constitute freedom. It is the “Creator” of us all that endows us with such liberties. It is the “Creator” of us all to which we should look to preserve them. May
God Bless you and may God Bless America!
Arrowhead------------tyranny----->[/quote]
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Hello All,
This is my first post here at Free Republic. I thought it fitting that it be my report from the SAS March in D.C. By the way, I am the friend that cc2k spoke of in
his report. Here it goes. It is long. Please bare with me.
“Child killer!” “He probably does not have any children!” “Insensitive bastard!” “Take the Second Amendment Sisters and shove them where the sun don’t
shine.”
These are words that will ring in my ears for some time as they were spewed in hatred toward me-a simple, common, God-fearing family man-who did nothing
more than peacefully carry a sign supporting the Second Amendment in the crowd of the Million Mom March. This was an exhilarating climax from an
otherwise placid beginning and reflective ending.
This is the second road trip with my second eldest in whom I will call Stratos (He is 14 years old and 6’5”). Each time there seems to be a certain musical CD
that defines the trip. This time is was Santana’s latest CD called Supernatural. Stratos and I seem to narrow the CD down to two or three great highway songs
and play them over and over. Before you know it, we are both singing away.
However, the singing was short lived as we picked up a good compadre from Detroit in Columbus, Ohio. He name is Norm. Not to embarrass my good friend,
but I think a profile of this extraordinary man is appropriate.
· Norm stands with an erect posture at about 5’ 10”. Slender with a respectable paunch. Short salt and pepper hair. His face is gruff, yet friendly. His voice
deep and calm and very confident. Aged at 53, he has a walking stride most twenty-something studs would envy. He cautiously carries himself with sanguine.
· His demeanor composed, resting and untroubled. For the life of me, I wondered if this man has ever been angry. He speaks in no hurry and with magnetism.
His gentle commanding oratory will extend anyone’s attention span.
· His intelligence is marked by an overall knowledge of the world around him and beyond. His world-view is structured in principle and open to philosophical
challenges. He believes in unseen absolutes yet precarious in things that may not be founded in empirical evidence. Extremely tempered with rationale, Norm is
abridged with complex thinking and an enterpriser of wit.
Yet, Norm is a common man. Entrepreneurial in employment, it would seem that his work brings modest reward and little headache. He is a simple man and
lives simply. I cannot tell you how fortunate I am to have spent a memorable occasion with such a gentlemen.
As we arrived in D.C., I was stifled to enjoy the rich historical sites while driving. Having a keen sense of direction, I found that could be arguable had you seen
the many missed turns and wrong directions I encountered. There was not much of anything perpendicular about this city. We had gotten settled in our hotel
and decided to go a store to fortify us with food and drink for the march the next day. We stopped to eat at a Georgetown Vietnamese Restaurant. The food was
bland and expensive. The service was fantastic. When finished we crossed over the Potomac to the Arlington area and drove smack dab into the face of a fierce
electrical storm. We quickly acquired our needs and got the hell out of Dodge. When we returned back to our hotel, we tuned in the weather channel only to
find that we had escaped with our lives (ok, a little melodramatic), a tornado from the place we had just left. Arriving back at the hotel and being on the tenth
floor, the storm had been moving in our direction and eventually passed over us. We had a beautiful view of the lightning as the storm faded into the eastern
sky. We bedded down for the evening shortly after.
Having spoken with cc2k on the phone the night before, who is another friend that I was anticipating in meeting at the March, we woke up early to meet him at
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Running a little late, we scurried along 15th street, which led us to the northeast corner of the Whitehouse. Cutting through a
park along the east wing, we noticed a long line of MMM’s waiting to get onto the south lawn for the kick-off by Hillary Clinton. I had made my first
observation that there were no flags being waved by any of the MMM’s. Including those already on the south lawn, I had approximated that there were 500
MMM’ers.
We moved on south to the Rotunda across from the south lawn of the Whitehouse and on toward the Washington Monument to Constitution Ave. Crossing the
street to the southwest we cut across a small park east of a pond, which sat at the dawning of the V.V. Memorial. With the early morning sun reflecting off the
water ripples from a cool breeze from the northwest and Mallard ducks swimming along its shores, I had an impression that we should tread to the south walk
of the pond. I felt that if we had missed cc2k due to being late, that he would make his way back to the rallying area on this route. As we walked halfway up the
path, a young couple came from around a bush. Having never seen cc2k before, and only going by the description he had given me of him the day before, I
wondered if this was the man. As I looked into his eyes, I could tell that he was thinking the same thing as I; is this the person I am to meet? I spoke out and
said, “cc2k?” He acknowledged in the affirmative. He and his girlfriend agreed to walk back to the Memorial with us. Again a profile is in order:
· Cc2k stands tall, about 6’ 3”, long dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, sporting a short brown beard. He too, is slender with a pleasantly plump
paunch.
· His presence was commanding and he walked with a confident stride. He spoke very sharply with a low medium voice. It seemed every word he spoke was
laconic and precise.
· He is remarkably intelligent and is very knowledgeable of the Constitution. His ability to equate Constitutional matters with real life was just as exceptional.
· I came to know later that he has a strong constitution and a level of tolerance that would make any mom proud. In the face of adversity, he stands his ground
without loosing focus. He has a genuine concern for others as I come to know later as well.
The security official expounding the markings on the wall and what they represented, gave us some intriguing facts of the ongoing work of updating the
information of our beloved veterans as information was received. He was very knowledgeable and seemed to enjoy enlightening us with the wonderful work put
into the Memorial. After his presentation, we stood for a few pictures and then proceeded forth to the rallying area at the northwest quadrant of the Washington
Memorial.
As we walked upon the grass to the southeast of the stage, we took note that the stage crew was still getting things in order for the festivities to begin. I began to
consider looking for yet another virtual acquaintance who was to attend the march. Her name is Judy. She was from my home state. She sent me an email before
leaving for D.C. describing to me to look for a 53 year old with a leg brace and a walking cane. Would you believe that I found two other ladies with a leg brace
and a walking cane around that age before I found Judy? Three is a charm still.
We settled about 75 ft centered from the stage. Within 30 minutes, Court TV approached me for an interview. They were interested in the T-Shirt I was wearing
which portrayed Norm’s deceased daughter who had been murdered. Court TV was inquiring of the story behind the portrayal and its relation to our stand on
the gun-control debate. I told them-as I had told other reporters-that it would be inappropriate for me to elaborate on the story as the father was in our midst. I
suggested that they seek Norm out after giving them a brief description of his personage. I did, however answer their questions relating to additional gun control
measures like registration and trigger locks for firearms. Within the next hour or so, I had been approach by a few more media hounds and referred them all to
Norm, as they too were interested in the picture on my T-shirt. It would appear that the media were focus on seeking out real life stories of tragedy.
Having brought Old Glory with me, I decided to go around and greet all those who were carrying flags. (This was before the SAS handed out placard flags to
everyone) I found everyone to be pleasant, courteous, and happy. After greeting all those with flags, I randomly walked up to several and welcomed them and
introduced myself and told them where I was from. I had several pleasant conversations and found the general spirit of the gathering to be unified and uplifting.
There were several articulate sign makers, which I found some to be humorous and others pointing out the hypocrisy on the other side of the issue. One sign,
which presented a positive message said, “Million Mom Marchers, Good People, Bad Cause.”
Enjoying the festivities, I had noticed that cc2k had been gone for some time. A few moments later he come strolling up from the behind. I asked him where had
he been and replied that he had been over to the MMM rally. I told him that had I known I would have joined him. He said we could go back over and after
grabbing a few SAS signs and my camcorder, we ventured over to “enemy territory.”
As we approached the stretched out section from the grassy knoll in front of the Capital to the street east of the Washington Monument, we held up our signs
for all to see. I made it an objective to look to see how many flags there were in the crowd. I looked and looked and found there to be only ONE as far as my
eyes could see. And even then, it was poorly displayed on the side of a sign that takes two people to hold, one on each end. The flag did not even extend above
the sign, which read, “Speak the truth to power.” Go figure! The sparse crowd toward the back looked up at our signs and read them with little to no reaction.
However, as we walked deeper into the crowd-about two-thirds down this section of the mall-people began to heckle at us. Open spaces between people became
narrower and the people who noticed our signs were getting bolder with their reactions. It seemed that the deeper we penetrated the crowd, the more radical the
people. Then, the name-calling began. “Child killer!” “Insensitive bastard!” “NRA bitch!” “Gun-loving son-of-a-bitch!” Subsequently, the chanting began.
“NRA, Go Away..” “NRA, Go Away..” To the best of my recollection, the chanting began as Rosie O’Donnell was finishing her speech. We had about one
fifth of this crowd, a whole quadrant of MMM’s chanting at us, which took some limelight away from Rosie dear.
As cc2k and I tried to progress forward, we were called more names and spat upon. Later someone else threw water all over us. People began to shove us
around. Some ladies got right in our faces and screamed things out in purpled-faced hatred. One lady yelled (in my face) that we were not allowed to be there
without a permit. I retorted that being a taxpayer, I had just as much right to these grounds as she did. She vindictively replied that I have no right to be here.
Again, I retorted, “Uh ma’am, I believe the First Amendment gives me the right to be here.” The chanting would die down and start up again. One chant
exclaimed, “Shame!” “Shame!” “Shame!”
Cc2k, looking over at me, was concerned that the crowd was trying to separate us. He managed to make his way closer to me. I could sense that he was
concerned for my safety. At about that point, the crowd tried to force us out the side (north) of the crowd and we resisted. I said with commanding authority, “I
am not going where you are forcing me to go!” I kept pushing forward. The crowd was pushing and swaying. There was a young lady trying to push her
stroller with her baby in it and the crowd was pushing me into her. She turned and screamed at me, as well as others, that I was pushing her and her baby. I said
as calm as I could, “I am sorry ma’am, but there is nothing I can do as the crowd is doing this, not me.” I pushed more to the south of the crowd, cc2k trying to
stay close to my heels.
Some people were getting hysterical and others were trying to get everybody to calm down. Cc2k asked me what it was that I wanted to do. I said that I wanted
to try to press forward. Eventually, the crowd began to interlock their arms all around to keep us from moving at all. Everyone was pressed up tight, swaying
back and forth. It seemed there for a moment the whole crowd was going to tumble to the ground. But, there was not even enough room to do that! A security
guard made his way to us and asked me what it was I trying to do. I told him that my friend and I were just trying to walk up to the stage. I turned back around
to the front for a few moments and turned back and he was gone.
Then, as the crowd began to settle down, as it appeared that we had a stale mate, we turned around to try to slip away in the direction from which we came. I had
turned on my camcorder, put it up to my face to look into the viewfinder. As I turned around, this guy punched me in the face hitting me the first swing and
hitting the camcorder the second swing pushing it into my face. Recuperating, I looked with amazement and saw a couple of ladies trying to stop this man, one
yelling “No violence!” “No violence!” Then, I turned up my cam again and this other lady puts her hand over the lens. I told her to keep her hands off the
cam. She then smacked the cam trying to knock it out of my hands. The lady that screamed “no violence” came over to this woman and told her that we were
trying to leave. “Let them go!” she said. All the while people were screaming, “boo” at us. I looked up and a fella was giving me the finger. People behind us
were beginning to clear a path, heckling and booing us the whole time as we exited. It was at this time that the media began to swarm like flies around us, asking
us our names and where we were from. One reporter tried to ask us questions about our presence there, but we kept walking straightway to get out of the mess.
SIDE NOTE: From our best estimates, there was only 60,000 to 75,000 at the MMM. By contrast, there was 4 to 5,000 in the SAS. I take it that by now you all
have heard the lies told by the President and Donna Dear on the exaggerated numbers at the MMM.
A couple of people followed us out and wanted to talk to us about the ensuing debate. One was a young man who asked with all sincerity why we object to more
gun control measures like registration and trigger-locks. We stopped to give him the usual replies. I felt that if there was anyone who we may have prodded to
think about the issue further, it was this young man. We walked a little further and another man stopped us and wanted to give us his interpretation of the
Second Amendment. As usual, he was only focused on the “A well regulated militia…” portion of the Second Amendment trying to gives us the “organized
military” interpretation. Cc2k handled this fella very well. This same man pointed out that we had no business coming over there causing trouble. I told him that
if he was to come over to our crowd that he could approach the stage with no hassles, unlike the treatment that cc2k and I had just received. Another woman
walked up to enter the debate. Then a NRA member walked up to enter the debate. Cc2k and I slipped away as we had already been debating for some time and
needed to get back to the SAS so we did not miss the march.
Upon arriving back to peaceful grounds in the midst of SAS supporters, there was only a couple of speakers left on the agenda. I could not help but notice that
the man I had invited to our side was standing over to our right talking with a young lady. All seemed peaceful around him and he was treated well.
Then, after all that had been said, we made our way to Constitution Ave. and marched to the north end of the Capitol building. All along the way, MMM” s
heckled, booed, sticking their thumbs down, yelling, and making obscene jesters. Two young men, one with a chop shaved head, the other shirtless with fake
bullet holes and fake blood streaming down from them were trying to incite a response to their antics. The D.C. police stopped them and gave them a warning
that they are dangerously close to getting an inciting riot charge. They toned down, but kept up their antics a little while longer.
We all arrived under the shade trees in the park north of the Capital Building. This is where we said our goodbyes and made our way back to the hotel. After
picking up my vehicle, we immediately made our way home. Norm and I had gotten into a non-stop conversation all the way back to Columbus. Stratos slept
most of the way.
We dropped off Norm and followed him to his turn-off. Stratos and I had a short conversation and sank back into the music that had brought us this far. One
song named “Put Your Lights On” exhorts, “Sinners, Killers, Lovers, put your lights on..Put your lights on. Children, keep your lights on..keep your lights
on.” Another song from the Santana CD called “The Calling” featuring Eric Clapton, cries out, “People, People, People, People..Hear me Calling..” and at the
end an epilogue which expounds, “Freedom! Freedom! Stand up. Let’s celebrate. Freedom! Freedom! Talking about Freedom. This is the time for redemption.
Freedom! Freedom! Don’t you want freedom for everybody? This is the time for Liberation. Freedom! Freedom! Don’t you want freedom for your children?
This is a big celebration!”
In closing, it is my firm hope and prayer that we all hear the call of freedom. That we will stand up, as a united people and rise against the internal forces that is
leading us down a slippery slope toward tyranny. Moreover, that we will teach our children the traditions of our forefathers and the rich heritage that made this
country the most prosperous and powerful nation on earth. Know with assurance my Brothers and Sisters that there is a Divine role for our nation to fulfill and
Providence is at the helm. But, we must do our part, for the blessings of liberty are predicated only upon our willingness to be obedient to the laws that
constitute freedom. It is the “Creator” of us all that endows us with such liberties. It is the “Creator” of us all to which we should look to preserve them. May
God Bless you and may God Bless America!
Arrowhead------------tyranny----->[/quote]