Focusing Knowledge

I went down to the Washington Tea Party on Amtrack because I felt a personal responsibility to do whatever I could to help get my country back on the right track both fiscally and philosophically.  For the best part of the past year, politicians have been expanding the government, and destroying incentive in our society.  We have been weakened militarily, diplomatically, and financially, culminating recently in the attempt to have the government take over the health care industry.  The immediate purpose of my trip was to land my presence and make a stand showing how opposed I am to the so-called public option of a single payer government entity, and all its Trojan Horse look-alikes which would eventually destroy the health insurance industry, and make the government the sole decider of how to ration health care in our country.

We never knew how many of us were there.  The powers that be denied us permission to use the Mall, so it was difficult to compare the size of the crowd to that present for the recent inauguration.  There were other groups who were given permits, though.  Many marchers clogged Constitution Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue almost to the White House.

Here’s a picture of me, uncomfortably resembling Wilford Brimley, with my sign which was made and designed by my missus.  Its lackluster message is my own, and had far less vitriol and humor than many of the signs I saw there.  The sign itself was described by one of my new friends whom i met during the Party as ‘elegantly frugal’.  Anyway, my attendance at the Party was completely of my own design.  I was not part of any organized movement.  Like most of the folks I met there, I came out of concern for my country and the direction in which it seems to be moving.  I am convinced that the vast majority of citizens that I met there came of their own accord, on their own nickle, and without sponsorship.  They came from all over.  I met folks from Texas, Tennessee, Florida (One group of guys I met came up on the Silver Meteor, and were returning the same way – a 30+ hour round trip!)  So don’t let anyone tell you that this was an ‘astroturf’ movement.  These folks were real, concerned, and not managed – I can assure you that.

The 6:20 Amtrack train was packed with people heading for DC.  As I walked in from the parking garage, a dozen or so people waved from across the parking lot to me with knowing smiles of purpose and determination.  We clearly all had the same objectives, although we had arrived at them independently.  On the platform, we showed each other our signs. And although I had resolved to take pictures for the folks back home, the idea occurred to me that perhaps I should use those pictures to illustrate a blog article.  That idea began to take shape as we boarded the train.

The Second Amendment Advocates

Because the field was so crowded and it was difficult to move around, I spent much of the program with 2 ladies who were Second Amendment evangelists.  Terri, the president, comes from Michigan and is very friendly, passionate and articulate about the right to bear arms. A very likable gal, we didn’t get to know each other as much as I would have liked because of the commotion in the crowd, and the fact that her companion was stationed in between us.  Leyla is the Virginia coordinator for www.secondamendmentmarch.com, and seems to be able to anticipate Terri’s thoughts. Leyla was interesting from my point of view because she immigrated from Russia 10 years ago.  She has an excellent command of English, and speaks with a very slight trace of an accent.  It was she who pronounced my sign ‘elegantly frugal’.  She saw the changes that are being proposed in this country as reminiscent of conditions that prevailed in Russia before she left.  She couldn’t understand why a country as prosperous and steeped in the tradition of freedom as ours was would even consider taking the various paths that now seem to be proposed: government run health care, nationalization of industry and finance, taxation and manipulation of energy prices, etc.  I didn’t have an answer for her.  Both of these women ‘got it’ and are committed to the same ideals that everybody else at the Tea Party espoused: freedom, and the prevention of further intrusion in our lives.

The Georgia Gals

These are the Georgia gals, who rode the bus all night from Norcross Georgia.  Georgia was very well represented at the Tea Party, with pilgrims from all over the state in the thousands.  These folks were standing obliquely behind me, and were very generous offering to share their seats (what we in NJ call soccer-mom chairs), and their food.  The one on the left is a Redsox fan and a free market fan, important concepts which we share and hold dear.  The one on the right, I think, is a Wilford Brimley fan. During the day, I met dozens of people all sharing the same concerns for our country and our freedoms.  People sharing their water, snacks and good will.  It was quite an experience – it was like Woodstock, but with clothes!

Bruce O’Hara

Bruce is a hard-bitten contractor who hails from Havre de Grace, Maryland.  His business, not surprisingly, has been a little slow this year.  He’s a Sarah Palin fan, but, aside from the several Tea Parties he’s attended, he would not describe himself as a activist. We met at Union Station, where we both happened to come for lunch at about the same time. Although there were plenty of tables available at the Buffalo Grill, we decided to share one, even though we were strangers.  Such was the mood of camaraderie which prevailed at the Tea Party.  Union Station is an imposing structure virtually across the park from the Capitol.  It is essentially the same building as it was in 1861 when Abraham Lincoln arrived in drag for his inauguration (to thwart expected assassination attempts).

The Cosgroves

Boarding the train with me were 3 very nice families from the neighboring town to mine.  As they were friendly and photogenic, I thought they would be excellent subjects for the article.  During the ride, I asked two of them if they would participate.  Receiving a positive answer, we agreed to meet at the end of the platform on our arrival in DC, and I would set up a picture using Washington as a backdrop.

Brian is about 11 years old, and is a bundle of energy and enthusiasm with a huge heart.  Brian burst on the DC scene running outside Union Station, and found about  1/2 dozen homeless men sleeping on the benches.  One or two had camo pants on, and he ran back to me asking if I thought they were vets.  ‘Can you see his face?’, he asked.  ‘Do you think he’s a vet?’ ‘How ’bout THAT one?’  His mom, Eileen, told me that he had brought money down he had saved to give to homeless vets.  He had heard that a former Navy cook was homeless in DC, and Brian wanted to help.

Eileen and Brian had one sign, but it had a message on either side. One side said ‘Represent us or get out of “OUR” House’.  The other side said, ‘Support Our Troops, NOT ACORN’, and it had a small picture of a Marine on it.  Eileen had also brought a bag with about 1/2 dozen flags in it.  I mentioned that I wished I had also brought a flag, and she encouraged me to take one of hers.  She said I could have any one, but not the Marine Corps flag. So I did take one, and you can see it in the opening picture.
Well here’s the picture of Eileen and Brian.  I thought it a nice story that a busy, obviously professional woman would devote a valuable Saturday, and bring her kid down to Washington to march in a demonstration.  Good determination on the part of the Mom, great lesson in freedom and democracy for the kid!

Then I learned that the picture of the Marine on their sign was a picture of Brian’s older brother, Christopher.  I also learned that Chris had sacrificed his life for his country last year in Iraq.  He had finished his tour of duty, and was scheduled to come home.  But he had volunteered to stay on and train replacements, which was when his luck ran out.  I spoke with her just a little about the sadness of his sacrifice, and it was clear that the family still lives with it.  But it was just as clear how proud she was of her son.  Seeing her there that day with Brian, I am sure that Chris would be just as proud of her.  What started  as a nice picture turned into something that moved me deeply.  I decided to keep the flag on my desk to remind me of his sacrifice and the sacrifices of others who gave their lives and limbs for their country so we could live free.