So what did I do after work today? Hmmmmm....I decided I was fed up with the one sided news media regarding The Tea Party movement so I attended the one in Pleasanton today. I was only there from 2:30 to 4:00. It was bumper to bumper getting into the thing but the drivers were polite and had great road manners. No flipping off people, lots of waiving to let everyone merge.
I can't guess how many thousands of people were there and it was suppose to grow after everyone got off work and joined the crowd. While I was there it was predominately people 40 and above. People of all nationalities were present. I'd say the whites out numbered everyone because of the area and a lot of them were obviously retired.
This picture is just one section. I took a panoramic view which shows soooooo many more people in attendance. Take this shot and multiply it by 4 or 5 and you'll get the idea.
I found this disturbing because I'm one of the sappy people who still tear up when the National Anthem plays. I've always been that way and it hasn't changed with age. I'm just damn proud to be an American. See.....sappy. I also know all the words to the Pledge of Allegiance. I understand that's becoming a thing of the past. That's just sad.
Last year I was reading where Homeland Security was designating Tea Party people as a security risk to the country. Well folks, guess I'm a hardened criminal because I had a blast in Pleasanton.
Everyone was smiling, happy, nice and polite. Candidates made their speeches. I heard Carly, some guy from a talk radio station and some other guy who's running for an office but I didn't get who he was because Carly was talking to me and shaking my hand.
Let's see....how would I describe this experience? Ya know the old movies when they have a 4th of July jubilee in the town square, where people are BBQing, patting each other on the back and catching up on old times? Politicians are giving speeches and so on......well that's what this was like. I felt like I'd been taken back to a simpler time when people were caring and patriotic.
What can I say about this experience? Don't listen to the news. Tea Party people are your sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, cousins, next door neighbor, etc. If there's one in your area, go to it. See how these are everyday people fed up with more and more taxes being heaped upon us and government growing larger rather than smaller. I didn't meet any of the crazies the news and politicians in office are making them out to be.
Surprisingly, this was a party I enjoyed.
3 comments:
I hate to disappoint you, but knowing the words to the Pledge of Allegiance is not a thing of the past. Both of my children know all the words and they're said at least once a week at both of their schools.
You're kids are smart.
Recently a TV show did a man on the street thing and all but 1 kid didn't know the words. That was in SF. They said that was typical of around the country.
I understand there are so many schools not saying it that we'll have a generation who won't know the words.
Recently a couple of schools around the country have added it back in. When I was in school, it wasn't optional. My how things have changed.
I have friends from Nebraska and they have family with kids. I've been there to visit and their kids all know the words also. The Midwest seems to still honor the Pledge of Allegiance. And if the schools don't teach it their parents can. There are teachers in my Women's Circle and they still say it in their classrooms. That would be in Tracy and here. I wouldn't put too much stock in what happens in SF. They aren't excactly representative middle America. But they are fun to watch.
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