On these photo jaunts. I just record whatever I see in the order I see it. This is a family from Atlanta.
A homeschool group from Upperco, Maryland - including the Smiths and the Currents - brought 10 children. Asked why they came. one mom said, "Because of abortion funding, government spending in a bad economy, and government control."
These gentlemen were from south central Ohio and Cincinnati: Ken Wells and John Schnehaim. We are at some steps at the Capitol Building which turned out to be the wrong side.
The McHendry Family from New Jersey. They've been conservative for about 10 years and are members of the Club for Growth. Hayley's father was conservative, but she said she was brainwashed in college. Ray says he started to see the lies in a state like New jersey where in Asbury Park they spend 35,000 per public school pupil.
Mara from Minnesota sported this bag. She recognized me from Glenn Beck and we had a picture together - on her camera. Mara had come with a massive group from Minnesota, which I met several times during the afternoon.
This was the first glimpse I had of the sizable crowd. There was really nowhere to get a higher perspective, so I just shot random crowd scenes.
Sue and Larry from Minnesota, which boasted 110 patriots in 3 buses who left 11/5 in the early am to arrive in time for Michele Bachmann's Emergency House Call. As I was talking to them, the crowd began to sing, and Larry said, "Put something in there about how we tried to incite things by singing 'God Bless America.'"
The mom on the right grabbed me and reminded me we had met at the taping for the Glenn Beck 9-12 Moms show (it was amazing how many people recognized me from that show). These women are from the Connecticut AsAMom group.
Love the back of their shirts!
Phil and Shifra from New York. This was their first political event. Shifra said, "I feel like our country is disintegrating. Our grandparents fled czarist Russia. Now we confront those who want to shut down opposition, demonize their opponents. I thought dissent was patriotic, but I guess that's only when it comes to liberals. Today all anti-Semitism is from the Left. In the Orthodox community, people are nuts from this. It's like pouring water on a hornets' nest. Nancy Pelosi just poured water on a hornets' nest and people who weren't politically active are now on the phones for Christie (the successful New jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate).
The hat of a man who cares.
Tony Tirendi and Sid Greenberg from Philly. Sid recognized me from Glenn Beck :) - what a weird feeling.
Yay for capitalism and a future for our children!
Alejandro and Nona Caro from Virginia Beach. He's an independent contractor, she's a stay-at-home mom (yay!). Like so many people I met, the Caros said this was their first political event. They were here, as Alejandro said, because they "feel like they're getting carried away - robbing my kids' future."
Phillip and Janet Mullan from Rockville, MD. Their first political event - and proof that the people who show up to protest government oppression are the most informed Americans ever. I asked Janet why they were here and had to scramble to keep up with her answer: "We are for real reform, not repression. Real reform would contain medical malpractice reform. This is not about health care, but government control. Real reformation would address medical malpractice suits, create a risk pool, and provide portability." I applaud Janet and all those who have informed themselves on the specifics of health care "reform." Shame on the Tired Old Media for portraying us as Know-Nothings!
Janet Mulan continued rapid-fire: "Forty-five percent of doctors say they will quit if Obama/Pelosi care is passed. What then? This is an unconstitutional intrusion into the lives of citizens. She was so eloquent, I asked Mrs. Mulan if she was a professional speaker. She said, "No, I'm just paying attention - like all these other people here today. Our representatives are not doing the job they were sent her to do . They need to go slow."
In a crowd of thousands, I was never in a position to see the speakers. In the midst of the crowd, I just held my camera high and shot whatever I could, hoping to convey what it was like to be there.
They played The Who - "We Won't Get Fooled Again" which I have referred to several times at MommyLife.net as being emblematic of today's conservative movement.
Signs are always a treasure at grassroots conservative gathering. Though Madame Pelosi called us Astroturf, it is the ACORN/SEIU/Democrat party nexus that is the tired ole politics of yesterday - marshaling their forces with mass-produced signage and slogans. Conservatism is where the new freedom and future lie!
Every patriot counts.
"Where the people fear the government you have tyranny; where the government fear the people you have liberty." Clearly, we have a government run amok, a collection of arrogant men and women who have become disconnected from the idea of public servanthood. Actually, being in DC right now is very oppressive as you see the thousands of bureaucrats/interns/self-important people walking around as if they own the world, scorning those who show up to protest the misuse of their hard-earned money to buy more votes for political parties.
Second sign: "It's not a Democrat of Republican thing. It's an American 'Liberty and Freedom' thing." As one of a throng outside the Capitol, I'm wondering if those inside can still comprehend what these words mean.
Political science meets fashion.
Holding my camera above my head and hoping for the best.
More camera-in-the-air-randomeness.
In the midst of the incredibly inspiring speeches - which I will be covering for Pajamas Media, these ladies next to me had asked someone to take their picture. I took one from the side and passed my notebook to them to write their story (so we wouldn't interfere with the speakers)/ Audrie, from York, PA, wrote, "Esther and I met as strangers at my home the morning of 9/12, which we came to. She called yesterday and we are here again!"
I took notes on speakers and took shots of whoever I noticed in the crowd.
We were very crowded, but as some people began threading their way back through the crowd, I seized any openings to move forward. I met this mother of two from Santa Monica, CA who'd actually responded to Michele Bachmann's call just six days before and flown out to join in the resistance.
Not wanting to compete with the speakers, I handed her my steno pad. She wrote, "Hey, I'm Carie Jones. I'm here for fight for freedom of choice regarding health care. To help preserve my children's freedom and their future which will not be bright with this out-of-control government. Marxism and communists are in control and will destroy this nation without us standing up and fighting back."
Retired Col. Bob Brenner from Ocean City, MD.
Col. Brenner fought through the entire Second World War, including landing at Normandy.
When the speakers were over, Michele Bachmann invited us to each take a page or 1/2 page from two copies of Pelosi's 2000+ page bill to take to our representatives to discuss. As we disbursed, there was much picture-taking of the conservative performance artists.
For years, "performance artists" have desecrated everything everyday Americans hold dear. I love our conservative versions!
Poised to lose on health care "reform" which taxes wheelchairs and other mobility equipment?
Who's to decide what life is worth living?
As we disbursed, I noticed this woman praying a silent vigil. Lord, hear our prayers!
This man - who said he had appeared with Ronald Reagan on 9/30/87 - insisted that "We don't have to apologize for America!"
More performance artistry - this man was chanting his message.
Mike and Paula Adams from Indiana. As a neonatal nurse for 25 years, she said she knew so many people who would be impacted by this "reform" that she was compelled to come to DC. With friends in England who were on waitlists for care or being pressured to abort defective babies, she said, "Is this what we want?" Photo taken in a newish Shinto-like meditation center on the Capitol Grounds - certainly not like anything that was there when I was growing up in DC.
A rather disturbing militaristic group of teenagers marching along the perimeter of the Capitol. A portent of things to come?
Ah, the beauty and the grandeur. Can we be inspired to return to the vision that created this kind of architecture?
The Jacobsens from Hackettstown, New Jersey - John, Corrine and daughters. Like so many I talked to, this was their first political activism. John said, "Before, I would just assume that things were hunky-dory. Now our government is out of control. Corzine destroyed our ste with expansionist government so we came donw to deliver the message that the same thing will happen here if we don't stop it." (New Jersey, by the way, filled 27 buses for the 11/5 Emergency House Call - though the Jacobsons and others I met had driven down on their own steam. These New Jersey people seemed extraordinarily fired up :)
A crowd of fans greet Ron Paul as he comes out of the Capitol Building. Representatives actually have an underground rail system from the Capitol Building to their offices, so when they appear, it is by choice.
The whole point of this event was for citizens to lobby their representatives. Here are people lined up to try to get into the northwest entrance to the Cannon Building.
The Atlanta family I saw as I was arriving on the Capitol grounds a couple hours before - never got their names.
Every conservative has a niche to fill. Have you found yours?
Lined up at the northeast entrance to the Cannon Building to see their representatives - but angry because after waiting in line they could not get in. I was told it had become a crime scene because a woman had torn up a page of the health bill (remember? Michele Bachmann had offered two copies for us to take a page to our representatives) and had been arrested - so no one else could get in - all would have to go to the southeast entrance. [Update - a number of people were arrested for wadding up pages and throwing them on the hallway floor.]
The perfect antidote to a hard day's politicking. Maggie was there with her daddy Shane, a 9-12 patriot who owns a smalll business: BreezyBaby.com.
At the southeast corner of the Cannon Building, constituents line up to speak to the high-and-mighty representatives. Lord, help them humble themselves to listen!
On my way home. This hovers overs the escalator to the Metro Station (and I am thanking God I live so close to DC I can record these events). The beginning of a Metro ad campaign series.
