DC Freedom Rally Today

A couple hundred Ron Paul supporters gathered in front of the Capitol today to hear speakers organized by the Granny Warriors.

I stopped by mid afternoon. I was told by one attendee that “Ron Paul came by and spoke around 11:15. Unfortunately, the sound system was not yet working at that point.” He said he had heard Congressman Paul might return and speak again later today.

Here are some pics – (Full size versions are available at my Flickr page here)

<img src=’http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3167/2417392868_381a585e15.jpg’ alt=” class=’alignnone’ /

UPDATE 4 17 08: Some commentors have suggested that I grossly undercounted the number of attendees. I note that the front page of the http://www.dailypaul.com website continues to highlight the photo I took of the rally.(The photo is used without permission or clear attribution). This photo and other photos posted at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bovard/ indicate the crowd size.

75 thoughts on “DC Freedom Rally Today”

  1. I wanted so badly to be there but thought that I should stay with my children. Crista McCalaph entered into my mind when I was planning my trip to DC. I have been searching the news trying to find any info on the April 15th DC March but to no avail. I am going to have to go to the June 21st March and take my children because they will be out of school by then. Thank you so much for your re-enactment of the day for the people that could not attend. Please remember why this is happening to our country. "When you borrow money you become a slave to the lender" That is why the world bank owns us. Rothschild and Rockefeller have made money their God. To bad they invested in the Prince of lies, because in the end it will be taken away from them. It is better to be poor then to lose your soul.

  2. Ron Paul…gotta love him!

    If he’d gotten fair media coverage…..aw, nevermind.

    Too bad. America got screwed on this one.

    1. If it had gotten fair media coverage it would have been a bigger joke. One hundred people milling about “listening” to speakers that can’t be heard due to faulty PA equipment does not a revolution make.

      1. Too true, Abe. I am still looking forward to the day we march on Washington in millions, but this rally was not it. The situation will get worse, and thanks to our following Ron Paul, we’ll all be a little more aware. When it gets bad enough, if we’re aware enough, we will see our revolution.

        1. I agree. In the beginning, when people were debating over which day it should be, I chose the 4th of July because school is out and there would be more ability for people to go. I still think that this would have been a better day and a much better turn-out but those who were all fired up, didn’t want to listen. To me, the message of liberty and freedom from a Central Bank can be just as effective on the 4th of July, as it is on April 15th!

          I agree with you that there is a revolution going on, people are waking every day but for many, they must be pushed further into a corner to react and pushed they will be. Pushed, all will be but it is just a matter of how far and then we will see our Revolution indeed.

          I personally can not believe it is taking the masses this long. We endured the lies of 9/11, many needless wars, trampling of the Constitution, wars on our rights, deaths, debt, inflation, illegal aliens, tyranny etc, all because the people refuse to do a little research and understand the treasonous acts committed against us because a FRAUDULENT Central Bank has been allowed to rob us of everything!

          The call to freedom beckons us to STOP swallowing the mass drugs that dumb us down, including the propaganda and wake up from our lazy stupor and REVOLT! We need not separate ourselves into factions of unhappy citizens for this reason or that! We must understand that the war is against us as a people in every faction of unhappiness and because of this, we must rise together as ONE on the Capitol and take it back. Simply put, there is no other way our null and void Government will hear us because they no longer work for us. I for one am hoping that the people wake up sooner.

          In Solidarity,
          A Fed Up Citizen

      3. Agreed. The weather was fine; not too cold; sun shining in its glory; only the rally sponsors received their permits with only a very short time before the April 15 event. If it was held on either the 19th or 20th (Saturday or Sunday), many more RP supporters whould’ve been able to attend. In addition, the PA system would’ve been either fixed or replaced with a working one.

        As it was, it was a struggle to obtain the necessary permit to hold this rally. How many months did the sponsors have to wait? They tried for June 21 (a Saturday) but were denied. Waiting months before finally handing out the permit (with a date of only a few days) wasn’t at all helpful as far as ensuring that the PA equipment was in working condition for the rally speakers. It was a bonanza for the media; i.e., they had barely anything to cover. Too bad for those of us who were unable to attend, due to school, work, illness, etc.

        1. You are so confused and mis informed… first we got the permits back in February.! There were more than 2000 people that attended the Rally. I know I was there taking a head count as they came through the gates, and that was not counting all the ones that stepped over the fences and went around via the steps of the Capitol. The rally was a huge success, people listened to the speakers, the sound system worked perfectly once it was set up and everyone enjoyed every thing including the food and companionship .. it lasted longer than we were even allowed but the snipers on the roofs didn’t seem intent on clearing the grounds so we just started breaking down and people kept on talking laughing and networking with each other.. Bob Schultz got tons of signatures and there were people visiting his tables ( 6) all day long.

          In the future instead of writing a bunch of misleading information try to get the facts straight before letting your fingers make a fool out of your self. We had nothing to do with the March.. nothing.. nill…nada… they did not get a permit that is their fault for not applying for one. Ours had no problems being issued. We did our homework and everything worked. There were a few glitches but minor ones and worked out quickly once we alerted the Police that we were not part of any March or other groups.

          The day was very good, what a rally should be like. And the Congress did come out and stand on the patios and listened, the Senate had people come out and watch. We got the attention of the people we were aiming at.. Our Politicians… Ron Paul was not the main event.. never was meant to be. He was limited to 15 minutes as a speaker the same as everyone else…although others used up more time due to their great speaking and subjects…Russell Means brought the house down, standing ovations.
          Ernest Hancock did the same, we had terrific speakers and all were listened to as they were speaking on subjects so diverse from each other it kept people interested.

          Next time you see a Rally notice you maybe should think about going and seeing for yourself what it is all about then write the truth.

    1. i am sure your sucking up to ” antiwar “Obama is a GIANT STEP in mobilizing anti-war crowds mr.costa .
      i am surprised such a great and productive mind like yours spend so much time posting these comments on the site . should you not have your own blog which surely will be flooded with people seeking your wisdom and guidance and what not OR more likely if you were to have a site of your own no one will give a rats ass to your constant rants / nonsense ?
      dude get a life :)
      to others probably 15th is way to link to IRS / last day to file tax / govt .

      1. Eugene, why didn’t you run for congress and lead the “Impeach Bush/Cheney” charge?

        You know, the whole “PUT UP OR SHUT UP” thing. Would have been nice to see.

        4. I would gladly contribute to your campaign if you ran to have our president impeached. And I am not being sarcastic either. I am serious!

          I believe your knowledge would be better used in action, not just for responses to blogs on antiwar.com.

          Think about it.

        5. Dano–the unstated presumptions you make in what you are saying, and how you are trying to say it, even if you are not being sarcastic or employing a common tactic–indeed, especially so–are too numerous to excavate at length.

          Merely as pointers:(1)”OUR president”; (2) “Knowledge in ACTION”; (3) “JUST for responses on antiwar.com”

          If your remarks are heuristic, as opposed to rhetorical and tactical, and thus just more and commonplace instances of a cryptotype similar to that in “Support Our Troops”, that will be sufficient.

        6. I am not making any presumptions, I am asking you a simple question…”Why don’t YOU run for congress Eugene?” How much more simple could this question be?

          Here is another one…”Why do YOU not have YOUR own blog?” If you have the time to respond at length to everything posted on the antiwar.com blog, why not have your own? I’m sure the people here would like to see what you have to say with some space to express your thoughts.

          Or, why don’t you contribute articles to antiwar.com? I’m sure they would accept some of your essays and make them available for the readers to enjoy. You have made quite a name for yourself here anyway so why not take it a step further?

          I have asked you three very simple questions. I do not intend any of them to be “hueristic, rhetorical, or tactical”. I am not trying to prove anything. I am simply asking.

        7. “not just for responses to blogs on antiwar.com.”

          Is yours a response to blogs on anti-war.com? Are you saying something about responses to blogs with your “just”?

          Apply it also to your last list of questions and your “curiosity”, my good fellow.

        8. WHY DON’T YOU RUN FOR CONGRESS???

          WHY DON’T YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BLOG???

          WHY DON’T YOU SUBMIT FULL ESSAYS TO ANTIWAR.COM?

          These are pretty clear questions, Eugene. The fact that you won’t try to answer any of them shows more about your character than all your responses to date.

          And by the way, there is nothing wrong with responding to blogs; however, when it comes to blogs about Ron Paul on this site, your name and commments are absolutely everywhere. You even respond to your own responses. I just think everyone here would like to see what you have to say about our current political situation, and what you would propose to do about it. You are obviously very intelligent and have a wealth of historical and political knowledge. Is it wrong for me to ask why you won’t launch your own website and express fully what is obviously a very important issue for you? You might be suprised at how many people are interested in what you really have to say.

        9. The fact that you won’t try to answer any of them shows more about your character than all your responses to date.

          Pure rhetoric, and clumsy rhetoric at that.

          Does this two-bit kindergarten attempt at psychological manipulation and interrogation actually work with your audience of yahoos?

        11. “Your cowardice is astounding!”

          Hehe–learned that in the kindergarten schoolyard, eh?

          You are quite the specimen.

      2. I never try to prove or explain anything. Why did you think I was doing that? You might try reading Dionysos: Archetypal Image of Indestructible Life by Kerenyi, Matter and Memory by Bergson, and A Tramp Abroad by Twain. They make an exceptional triple play.

        1. Innocents Abroad as well, as well as The Gilded Age (collaboration). There are better books on Dionysos than Kerenyi, who is pretty poor stuff. As for vital force and all that, it is amusing when an attempted Doppelganger runs himself into the goalpost.

        2. Come again? Did I say that those books were good? I never claim value for anything. You might try looking up ‘wertfrei’ or ‘abgescheidenheit’. I merely said the books were exceptional–exceptional in that I chose them at random. It is amusing to observe the pseudo-omniscient claimant to good birth get all his comments from Wikipedia. I either demand or wish to avoid either a response or a non-response or both, and I either demand or wish to avoid them immediately, later, or never!

        3. “It is amusing to observe the pseudo-omniscient claimant to good birth get all his comments from Wikipedia.”

          Hehe.

          You are Bush League, mon ami.

  5. Yes, but my U.S. Marine Corps is now the Israeli Foreign Legion and if you don’t like it then you’re just a dirty anti-Semite..

  6. Anything that is done in the name of spreading the message is great. However, April 15??? Students are in school and families are unable to vacation until their kids are out. So a huge portion of RP supporters were unable to attend. This was alot of effort spent for a crowd of a “few hundred”. Ah well…….GO RP; and thank you to everyone who put so much into the rally. You are true Americans!

  7. Yup, the neo-cons hate RP because they don’t love this country-they only see it as a tool to beat Israel’s enemies with and a nice place to make $$-until the dollar drops too low..

    1. To this point, Paul has been a blessing to the Neo-Cons–defusing the antiwar vote and, among other things, validating the Republican Party.

      1. In fact, I would not be surprised if on some of those big funding days, Neo-Cons were contributing incognito.

        What was it–one third of the people who voted for McCain in New Hampshire thought he was anti-war?

        Meanwhile, Paul’s television commercials in the same state were highlighting issues like illegal immigration?

      2. Gene Coast, you have once again claimed that Dr. Paul has somehow ‘defused’ the antiwar vote, yet have offered precious little evidence for your supposition.
        Has he succeeded? Not yet, certainly not to the level that he or his supporters would like. But ‘defused’ means he has weakened it somehow. I would argue that, more than merely focusing on this particular war (as Obama or Billary have), he has argued for a more comprehensive and philosophical antiwar view, based on non-interventionism. I would also say that most of his antiwar supporters war have strong economic reservations against B or O, and would not have been in their camp either way.
        Is he has as good of a comunicator as an MLK or a Reagan? He would be the first to say No.
        However, is he as loquacious as you? Thankfully no.

        Peace be with you.

  8. Reflections on a “Political Rally” (my first)

    I am not the most expressive person. I can’t type well, and often get thinking faster than my fingers move.
    However, I want to share a few personal impressions from the “Freedom Rally” in Washington DC on April 15th, 2008.

    First: the DC weather was perfect. It was a crisp, beautiful day, without wind or clouds; without excessive heat or cold. Second” the rally was staged on the “lawn” of the US Capitol. I could not help but notice with some irony, the guards on the steps. When I first visited the National Mall, years ago, that people – “we the people” could climb those steps and look at our glorious National Capitol Mall. That is no longer possible. “We the people”, whether we be citizens, tourists, visitors…or just tired, can no longer use the steps. We, “we the people” are now a risk to national security, and so the steps are off limits.

    Dr. Paul and Carol (Mrs. Paul) arrived early. I mention that, because they did not come late to keep the crowd. They apparently just walked to the rally from his congressional office. Dr. Paul spoke with simplicity and eloquence. It was not an election speech “VOTE FOR ME, VOTE FOR ME!” He spoke with the quiet, nonconfrontational voice of an American that seemed to say “thank you, I want to serve America.” There were no promises: we know his record, and it speaks more than scripted words on a campaign stop.
    There were no sound-bites about the other candidates. There was a love of America and an expression of thanks for his privilege to live in this country, thanks for his wife, and thanks for the people….”we the people.” And then he was done. He introduced Carol, and the crowd shouted out her name.

    They walked away from the rally, taking time to shake hands, to sign autographs, to have pictures taken. And the crowd allowed his slow departure, with respect and admiration. There was no pushing, no urgency…no rock star status: just a few soft shouts of “thank you Dr. Paul” , “God Bless you Dr. Paul”. I wanted to shake his hand, too, but he was being so gracious with everyone. I will send his office a thank you note: not an email, instead. Then, he walked away without fear, or fanfare. There was no media coverage: I believe he went back to work, as that would be the right thing to do.

    I spoke to many people. One woman, whom I had met recently in Warrenton, Virginia, showed me that he had signed his name on a Ron Paul sign she had brought. She was going to have it framed. A little girl showed me where he had signed his name the shoulder of her T-shirt. I bet that shirt will never be washed. Someone asked me if I was a “granny warrior”, I said no, but I am a grandma who likes Ron Paul. Another woman I had met only once went out of her way to say “hello”. She remembered my face- Ron Paul people are like that.

    I spoke to a young man who was sitting on the grass next to a baby stroller. I pointed to the “purple heart” on his cap and mouthed “for real?” He said yes. We talked. He had returned from Iraq, and showed my where the bullet had entered and left his arm. He had been sent to Walter Reed for treatment, and thought he would be returning to Iraq soon. He introduced me to his wife his children and his friends. They were Americans, trying to support America I hugged him, and thanked him. Then I hugged his wife and thanked her, too.

    I spoke to a man wearing an “AF Veteran” hat, and told him I had retired from the Air Force in 1994, before this war. At that point, four military jets flew overhead, and someone joked that they hoped we were not going to be strafed. I explained that that was the “missing man” formation, and that the flight was actually honoring a funeral at Arlington Cemetery. It happens a lot in DC.

    I spoke to three soldiers in uniform from Ft Mead. Their unit commander had allowed them to come and photograph the rally. I had watched them in the crowd, as many people sought them out to talk with them and shake their hands. Ron Paul people love the military. I hugged one of them, and thanked them for being in his service. I told them , too, that I was retired from the military and had been operated on at the Ft. Mead clinic, and that my sister had been stationed there when she was a soldier, long before the war.

    My sister‘s husband had served several tours in Vietnam. He died from Agent Orange complications. For 20 years, she has never talked politics. She is a Ron Paul supporter.

    I spoke to people from Connecticut, from Pennsylvania, from Florida, from Texas, from Iowa, from Ohio, from New York, …I asked all of them if they had talked to anyone from South Dakota- my home state. There were supposed to be 20 people who were driving out from SD to attend the rally, and I was having no luck finding any of them.

    It’s a long drive from South Dakota to Washington DC. There were “mirror” events held in Sioux Falls and Pierre for those who could not make the trip. As an explanation, South Dakota does not hold its primary until June 4th. This is important because 10 states have not yet held a primary, a caucus or a convention. In fact, not one single vote has been cast in the 2008 election. Not one vote. Each state holds its political process in a different manner- none of it makes any sense to me. One woman from told me that you had to register with party, and only vote that party:. She had to register one year in advance.

    My legs got tired, and I sat down on the grass.. When Russell Means spoke, I could barely stand up to watch. After his words, I tried to talk to him. I wanted to tell him about the impact his book “Where White Men Dare not Tread” had made on me having grown up in South Dakota and being so unaware. it’s a powerful book that makes me think of HR 1077. But, he was involved in the crowd , so I watched. I will send him a thank you note- I believe this is a year for handwritten notes, with postage.

    I went to sit on one of the low walls. The air was filled with the sounds of sirens, and someone commented on the police cars. Sirens are common here, perhaps they are common in all of America these days. But these police cars were escorting a limo, and followed by a line of black vans: those black vans are the Presidents communication teams. I explained to a young woman with deep purple eye makeup that that was either the Presidential motorcade or one of the decoys. The WHCA/WHMO never send out just one so the people, “we the people“ are never sure where the president actually is: national security.

    Today was also the day that the Pope arrived in America. President and Mrs. Bush met and welcomed His Holiness at Andrews AFB. This may have well been the real motorcade. A group of Catholics from a church in California passed through the Capitol area. They were singing, and carrying signs welcoming the Holy Father… the language was Spanish; it was an interesting moment.

    My legs finally gave out, and I started back to the Metro ( the subway). I stopped and talked to two Ron Paul supporters…RP people always say hello. We talked about May 1 2003, and other things. They were pooped, and I was pooped. The National Mall is a beautiful but big place.

    At the metro stop, I sat down and waited for the train. A young woman spoke to me. It turned out that her husband had just been stationed at Walter Reed, after returning from Iraq. I told her I was retired from the Air Force, and spent eight weeks in Walter Reed. She said that they have not even been here long enough to move into their apartment. I told here about the Freedom Rally. I told her about the movie “Body of War” which someone had recommended I see. (Phil Donahue produced it; Ron Paul makes a statement in it; and it is now showing in DC.) I told her what I told my anti-war friend: I don’t need to see a movie, I can visit Walter Reed. Since May 1st, 2003, when “major operations ended” thousands and thousands of wounded have passed through the DC military hospitals. They are not invisible- but they are also not seen. Her husband is a medic: he sees, and she sees the weariness in his young life. And she worries about when he will go back to the undeclared “war”. She got off the train before I did. I thanked her, and hugged her, too. ( believe in hugs.)

    Alone, I reflected on the day. I pulled out the flyer that someone had handed me. Actually, it turned out not to be a flyer, but a small poster, folded to bumper-sticker size. RON PAUL PRESIDENT 2008. His message was printed and compared to McCain, to Clinton, to Obama: his message a solid row of YES. I was sorry that I had not talked to the young woman who thrust that paper in my hand.

    When I got home, I found some magnets to hand the poster on the refrigerator. Only when I smoothed out the wrinkles did I see the small print, at the bottom of the sheet: Paid for by South Dakotans for Ron Paul.

    Amen. and thank you.

    V/r Dianne Moen

    2. Moving description of the day’s events. Loved it and appreciate your observations. Thank you for sharing your experiences. Hugs to you.

    5. I loved reading your summary of the day. Thank you for participating in the new American r[evol]ution, it will benefit us all.

      Greetings from Norway

  11. Dear Dianne,

    Thank you so much for your evocative description of the Freedom Rally today. I could picture everything the way you described it. God Bless you, and everyone who was there, & everyone who supported the event. I’ve not seen anything of it on television, nor in the news.
    You, were our reporter.

    Sincerely,
    Cynthia Kennedy
    Virginia City, Nevada
    Ron Paul delegate from Storey County & hopefully to be elected a stat delegate!

  12. Holding it on a weekday (work week) near College Final Exam Day was a bad idea. June 21, would have been better as Ron Paul suggested.

    That being said, I love it. Wish I could have went but, well, I already explained that.

    Mark,
    Louisville, KY

  13. Underwhelming. The choice of date was ill advised. Regardless of intent, the event appeared to clash with the “March on Washington” and got creamed in the contest. Poor showings equal poor media providing the media bothers to show up. Hopefully none did.

  14. Dianne, What a beautiful post. I would hope you would consider also posting it on some of the other blog sites like http://www.dailypaul.com and ronpaulpublic.com Having served in the AF myself and married to a career fighter pilot with 2 tours in Wiet Nam, I am totally comfortable to say I am anti-this war. However, some people still feel to say “anti-war” is to be anti-American. If you post on some of the other Ron Paul sites many people will be able to read your account that might miss it hear. You did an excellent job of describing your day and helping those of us who were unable to attend feel a part of the moment. Thanks for your military service and thanks for your support to stop this unConstitutional war! Margie Raborn

  18. I’m under the impression June 21st has been cancelled – they weren’t able to get the permits.

  19. Yeah I think the date had a big effect on how it really wasnt that successful.. I really wanted to go, but come on.. a tuesday?? we need to have one on a big weekend..

  20. I was there – me the wife and kids. We heard Dr. Paul speaking as we came up, but missed seeing him that day. Still, it was VERY nice to see that there are other candidates who believe in freedom and other people who shared our concerns. You’re right, people at Paul rallies are always the nicest, fairest spoken people. It’s funny, but I don’t even wonder why – it seems perfectly obvious to me that people who respect the rights of others would be kind and gentle.

    P.S. Bridget Panzer – there is ONE good kind of borrowing, one that uses the principles of fiat money against itself. Borrow all you can and buy income producing properties using fixed-rate mortgages. Then inflation becomes your friend instead of your enemy by erasing the debt you owe. Even if there is no inflation, still other people buy you a property for free and you save thousands on taxes.

  21. I am amazed that the photos here do not depict what was really taking place at the rally. I was there and these photos show a crowd of less than 1/5th of what it was at its peak. Notice that the sun shows a late afternoon view. This leads me to believe that these photos are from when the event was winding down!!! Please use photos that show reality! I have photos that I will post on Daily Paul late this evening. This is really damaging and people should think twice before posting dooming phrases like “A COUPLE HUNDRED PEOPLE”. THERE WERE SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE THERE!!!

  22. A few loyal people are more powerful than any majority that does not participate. Only a few percent of the population supported the move that sparked off America. The current group of RP supporters causes a great expectation of some good things ahead. Thanks to all.

  23. Simplicity, eloquence, not a campaign speech, quiet, non-confrontational, no soundbites–there is a loaf in the oven and campaign chest brims. Pregnant pause.

  25. “In the name of the best within you, do not sacrifice this world to those who are its worst. In the name of the values that keep you alive, do not let your vision of man be distorted by the ugly, the cowardly, the mindless in those who have never achieved his title. Do not lose your knowledge that man’s proper estate is an upright posture, an intransigent mind and a step that travels unlimited roads. Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it’s yours.”

    [Ayn Rand]

    Yassuh–Y’ALL ARE SELF-OWNED! Ayn Rand and John Locke said so!

  26. Ayn Rand–“a devout atheist”?

    Come again?

    Why does this ring a bell? Just a stab in the dark–an enantiomorph of Leo Strauss and the Neo-Cons?

  27. When we fought the Yankees and annihilation was near,
    Who was there to lead the charge that took us safe to the rear?
    Why it was Jubilation T. Cornpone;
    Old “Toot your own horn – pone.”
    Jubilation T. Cornpone, a man who knew no fear!

    When we almost had ’em but the issue still was in doubt,
    Who suggested the retreat that turned it into a rout?
    Why it was Jubilation T. Cornpone;
    Old “Tattered and torn – pone.”
    Jubilation T. Cornpone, he kept us hidin’ out!

    With our ammunition gone and faced with utter defeat,
    Who was it that burned the crops and left us nothing to eat?
    Why it was Jubilation T. Cornpone;
    Old “September Morn – pone.”
    Jubilation T. Cornpone, the pants blown off his seat!

    HURRAY!

    [De Paul/Mercer]

  28. Did you ENJOY being there? Did you enjoy talking to fellow supporters of Ron Paul and the movement you went to Washington DC to represent? Did you enjoy talking to sympathetic, interested, and concerned fellow Americans who probably never even heard of Ron Paul until you spoke to them and shared their concerns?

    Those questions, and the answer that you give them, are what is important! The absence of CBS, New York slimes, Washington Pest, CNN (Clinton News Network), Faux News, NBC and other purveyors of trivia, gossip, and misinformation did not cover Ron Paul’s rally, and would have probably have been worthless if they had! So much the better.

    We Ron Paul supporters can cultivate our own newsmedia, through antiwar.com and other channels, through popularizing his upcoming book, and other ways… We know what we want, they don’t.

    In the end, it is what WE DO, with Ron Paul, with each other, and with the revolution that is brewing under our feet, that is what is important, not whether we are covered by noise reporters who don’t understand what anything here is all about anyway.

    PEACE AND FREEDOM!!
    David K. Meller

  29. I was there,missed three days of work,it took 18 hours to get there, 18 hours to get back home on 7 different Greyhound busses.[each with a Ron Paul yard sign in one of the windows] Wish the arrival bus would have gotten there on time as scheduled so I could have seen Dr. and Carol Paul. Numbers were a little disapointing but got to shake hands and talk to some people I really respect. Loved the dedication of the attendees and guests who made it all worth it, great speakers,music and fellowship. Would have liked to see D.C. but with no accommidations, no transportation or much money and a tight schedule it was not possible. Thanks to all who made the event happen and to Dr. Paul for his efforts to restore the Republic and reawaken the desire for self government. I would have never have been a county delegate or even a Republican if not for him nor would I have helped spread the message of freedom without his hope for America campaign. The lying, manipulative media might not get it, but the public when exposed to it, even by a stranger in a bus station, sure seems to. Thank you Dr. Paul and everyone. Jim Reeves by the way Pokerface ROCKS!!!

  30. Impeachment is key.

    Kucinich has already made the motion to impeach Cheney.

    Put up or shut-up, Mr. Paul.

    1. When will Mr. Paul move to impeach Bush?

      Paul is a sitting Congressman.

      If he has not come to the conclusion that both Bush and Cheney are criminals in the highest EXECUTIVE offices of the Federal Government, there’s really not much to talk about, is there?

      Nor does it say much about Mr. Paul’s “principles”.

      Among other things, he likely does not understand the Constitution, save when it suits him, as when Clinton was president.

      Hypocrisy, it seems, is an occupational hazard of the sub-culture.

      1. Maybe Ron Paul, and others, while disagreeing with President Bush don’t necessarily believe his actions warrant impeachment. Whether you like it or not an impeachment is simply a charge, an accusation. And perhaps Mr. Paul does not believe there is enough evidence to convict in a Senate Trial. Just because he does not agree with your reading of events does not mean he does mean he does not have a proper understanding of the Constitution or does not have principles. I think it is high-handed and rather arrogant of folks like you to make these statements.

  31. WASHINGTON, DC [Ron Paul’s Congressional Office December 16, 1998] — In voting for all four Articles of Impeachment today, US Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said he did so because the charges are “serious and straight forward: lying, perjury, obstructions of justice and abuse of power.”

    Rep. Paul placed a statement in the Record during debate. In that statement, he said that while the process is flawed, no one should remain above the law.

    “(M)any of our colleagues are not pleased with the investigative process; some believing it to have been overly aggressive and petty, while others are convinced it has been unnecessarily limited and misdirected. It certainly raises the question of whether or not the special prosecutor rather than the Congress itself should be doing this delicate work of oversight,” wrote Rep. Paul. “The long delays and sharp criticism of the special prosecutor could have been prevented if Congress had not been dependent on the actions of an Attorney General’s appointee.”

    For as serious as the charges listed in the Articles are, Rep. Paul wrote in his statement that more serious crimes should have been more thoroughly investigated.

    “The process has helped make the President appear to be a victim of government prosecutorial overkill while ignoring the odious significance of the 1,000 FBI files placed for political reasons in the White House.” Rep. Paul also cited mounting evidence of illegal campaign contributions given to the president’s 1996 campaign by the communist Chinese government in exchange for secret military technology.

    “There is a major irony in this impeachment proceeding. A lot has been said the last two months by members of the Judiciary Committee on both sides of the aisle regarding the Constitution and how it must be upheld. But if we are witnessing… a serious move toward obeying the constitutional restraints, I will anxiously look forward to the next session when 80 percent of our routine legislation will be voted down.”

    Rep. Paul said that he believes the public’s perceived disgust with the process is most likely a reflection their disdain for “government’s intrusion into our personal privacy,” and not an endorsement of this administration.

    “The President, this Administration and the Congress have been hypocritical for demanding privacy for themselves yet are the arch enemies of our privacy. Although other Administrations have abused the FBI and IRS, this Administration has systematically abused these powers like none other.”

    Rep. Paul also condemned the president for initiating military action against foreign nations to divert attention from his personal problems, first, in attacking a legitimate pharmaceutical plant in Sudan on the day Monica Lewinsky testified before a Grand Jury, and the second, last week when he attacked Iraq to delay impeachment.

    “Those acts alone should be enough for a serious consideration of impeachment, but it’s never mentioned — mainly because leadership of both parties for decades have fully endorsed our jingoism and bellicosity directed toward other nations when they do not do our bidding.”

    Rep. Paul said that while he believes this President must be removed from office quickly, he is doubtful the Senate will do so.

    “The fact that president Clinton will most likely escape removal from office I find less offensive than the Congress’ and media’s lack of interest in dealing with the serious charges of flagrant abuse of power, threatening political revenge, issuing unconstitutional Executive Orders, sacrificing US sovereignty to world government, bribery, and illegal acts of war, along with the routine flaunting of the constitutional restraints that were placed there to keep our federal government small and limited in scope.”

  32. Come again:

    “The fact that president Clinton will most likely escape removal from office I find less offensive than the Congress’ and media’s lack of interest in dealing with the serious charges of flagrant abuse of power, threatening political revenge, issuing unconstitutional Executive Orders, sacrificing US sovereignty to world government, bribery, and illegal acts of war, along with the routine flaunting of the constitutional restraints that were placed there to keep our federal government small and limited in scope.”

    [Ron Paul]

  33. I am DianneinVA. I attended and wrote about the Freedom Rally in Washington DC, April 15th, 2008. And now the supporters of Liberty are planning another rally on July 12th. I will be there. Hope for America… Dianne Moen

  34. Hello, I want to write about the July 12 rally in Washington DC.
    It was another beautiful day, but being July it was very warm. At least it was “warm” about 0930, when I was waiting for my sister and a 16 year old neighbor to meet at my house en route to DC.

    Even though I live close to the Capitol, we decided to take the train into the city, and so we loaded into the car and drove to the Metro station. Arriving at the Metro garage, I knew it was going to be a good day. We parked within view of two cars with Ron Paul bumper stickers. Inside the station, we waited in line to buy our tickets and saw a nice looking man wearing a Ron Paul TShirt. Of course, we said hello.

    It turned out to be John Warnick from Breckenridge, CO. What a font of knowlege he is. He and his wife had come to DC for the rally. We talked during the Metro ride, and wondered what the day would be like.

    Our small band of 5 disembarked at the Smithsonian Metro stop. Almost immediately we were joined by two fellows from http://www.frestateproject.org. They gave us bookmarks, and we walked a bunch of strangers united. On the curbside, we started noticing cars sporting the message. Each time we saw one, we would yell out “Ron Paul”, like children playing punch buggy. As we made our way from the Castle to the Capitol, we realized that this was no small event. Even though we had chosen not to participate in the March, it was impossible not to notice the Ron Paul prescence.

    The Washington Mall is a large piece of land and in July there are American and Global tourists visiting DC. Yet, in the melange of folks, it seemed every third person was wearing some sort of Ron Paul paraphenilia.

    When we arrived the Capitol grounds…WOW! People. Lots of them. People with children; people in costume; people who believe in liberty.

    We circled the rally, looking for familiar faces. To be honest, they were all familiar faces. They were the faces of hope. Of freedom. Of liberty. Of patriotism. They were the faces of me and you and America.

    But it was hot…and though I had brought sandwiches and cucumbers, we started looking for water and a place to sit down.

    Success. My sister pulled out a $5 federal reserve note, and was told “no charge”. She donated the paper that in itself has no value…the water was iced and tasted sweet.

    Just then, the voice from the stage was singing the National Anthem, as a 9-11 theorist was taking…I heard the beautiful singing and tried to not hear the “f**K” and F**ked up” that the man was using. I placed my bag at my feet, came to attention and saluted our flag. Almost as if on cue, the crowd became silent and honored our anthem, our country. My sister looked at me curiously, and I wispered that Congress had recently authorized veterans to salute the anthem, even if no longer on active duty; even if not in uniform. The man in front of me raised his right arm in a crisp salute- no words were spoken between us.

    As much as I love this country and as much as I am never ashamed of my 20+ years in the service, I am confused. How can something as trivial as the right to salute my flag be an issue that is taking up the time of Congress?

    Anyway, the song ended powerfully. We continued our walk.

    I should mention now, that I am 55 years old, and a retired, disabled veteran and it WAS HOT. We sat on the wall, not far from where I sat on April 15th. We sat and I watched and I learned. It was a glorious event so far.

    The loudspeaker system worked perfectly. We sat and listened to the speaches and watched the Americans- again, WOW! Cameron (the 16 year old) decided sitting was too passive, and plunged into the crowd. I cannot estimate numbers, but it was a crowd. The Capitol police was out in force, but they had no need to intervene. They were in fact, helpful Americans offering advice to the participants and aid to those overcome by the heat.

    I don’t bring a camera to events, but in this case I wish I had. In retrospect, I would have liked to have made a visual journal of all the Tshirts and signs. They are a facinating gallery of living art, of living commentary. But, I didn’t, so I have to rely on the pictures in my mind. They are always in focus, and will stay with me forever. I thank my sister and my young friend Cameron and the many other supporters who captured the day in photography.

    On the grass, behind me was a a charismatic man using a puppet to record the event for SCTV. I had to laugh…Next to me was a man from Pennsylvania, dressed in velvet in the style of the revolution (#1) I am sure you will see his picture on the internet.

    The speakers were incredible. All of them. But in particular, I have new curiousity about Chuck Baldwin, and will learn more about him.

    Around 4 oclock, Dr Paul appeared at the stage. He looked comfortable and relaxed in a short sleeve, blue knit shirt. I only mention that, because other speakers had warn suits and ties. Carol was not with him. (God bless you, Ms. Paul), but two of his daughters were there.

    He was funny, sharp and brilliant. Some have said that he spoke of nothing new, but isn’t that his whole message? He is consistent in his love of America, his praise of his family, his thanks for his supporters, and his values: our values. And he spoke loving words about his friend, Kent Snyder.

    He spoke for about half an hour, and then the most amazing thing. He was done and HE WAS GONE! I mean he was gone! He finished and literally sprinted away…up the Capitol steps taking two or three at a time, like an athelite in training. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. My sister, who had moved closer to the stage said in awe “did you see that?” My sixteen year old friend, who had gone to take pictures…could not keep up with him. The young family in torquise T-shirts commented on it,as did a young man from Texas sitting near by. Everyone noticed and spoke out loud…sort of a communal “ooohhh!” I can only compare it to what Dorothy said when Glenda popped away in her bubble—“people come and go so quickly here.”

    The day was far from over, but it was time for Dianne to go home! The Metro was a happy fantisy, filled with Ron Paul Tshirts, buttons, signs, and stickers. A woman on the seat in front of me asked “what was the rally about?” I answered “Freedom. Do you know Ron Paul?” She said yes, she was a Libertarian. I smiled and told her Chuck Baldwin was there, too. She asked who he was….***sigh***. Maybe she will read about the day in the mass media. OH! I guess not.

    I want to thank everyone who came, everyone who worked to make it happen, everyone who believes in the Constitution.

    I wish I could go to Minneapolis, but think that is out of my realm of possiblitiy. I hope someone will go, and be my eyes and my ears.

    R3volution. Dianne

  35. A camera sure can lie. Did you see it live on CNN? CBS must have used the same camera you did. Looked like a sparse turnout. So much for your page…1st time in, last time out.

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