5stringJeff
04-15-2009, 10:49 PM
I decided to attend the Atlanta Tea Party, and exercise my right to free speech and to petition my government for grievances. The official party was supposed to start at 7 PM, but I ended up getting there around 6. Good thing, too. By the time I got there, there were probably 800 people already crowded around the stage. We couldn't actually get up onto the Capitol steps - they had us in the street instead.
From 6 to 7, more people arrived, and there was a bunch of unorganized chanting and sloganeering. At 7, the "official" program started. Some of the organizers of the event spoke, as did leaders of some of the organizations who sponsored the event. Some of the state representatives spoke as well. My impression was that many of them were looking to use this event as a means to look like "one of the people." But, since I don't know which Georgia politicians are big-tax people and which are small-government people, I withheld any judgement.
Around 8:30, John Rich (from the country group Big & Rich) came out and sang. That was about the high-water mark for attendance. They announced that there were about 15,000 there, although they expected more. That didn't happen. At 9 PM, Sean Hannity started his show, broadcasting live from our party. At that point, the rally began to dissipate. Those who wanted to get on TV stuck around and tried to maneuver behind the cameras. Others (like those who don't appreciate Sean Hannity very much) left. I stayed for a while, but I ended up leaving because you couldn't hear what was being said.
All in all, it was an enjoyable event. I wasn't there with anyone, so I just kind of watched everyone else. It was good to see that so many people are fed up with the rapid increase in the size and sope of the government - even if many of those people were Republicans who nominated a big-government candidate last year. I sure hope people can begin to see past party identifications and vote out the idiots who continue to increase the government's stranglehold on our lives.
From 6 to 7, more people arrived, and there was a bunch of unorganized chanting and sloganeering. At 7, the "official" program started. Some of the organizers of the event spoke, as did leaders of some of the organizations who sponsored the event. Some of the state representatives spoke as well. My impression was that many of them were looking to use this event as a means to look like "one of the people." But, since I don't know which Georgia politicians are big-tax people and which are small-government people, I withheld any judgement.
Around 8:30, John Rich (from the country group Big & Rich) came out and sang. That was about the high-water mark for attendance. They announced that there were about 15,000 there, although they expected more. That didn't happen. At 9 PM, Sean Hannity started his show, broadcasting live from our party. At that point, the rally began to dissipate. Those who wanted to get on TV stuck around and tried to maneuver behind the cameras. Others (like those who don't appreciate Sean Hannity very much) left. I stayed for a while, but I ended up leaving because you couldn't hear what was being said.
All in all, it was an enjoyable event. I wasn't there with anyone, so I just kind of watched everyone else. It was good to see that so many people are fed up with the rapid increase in the size and sope of the government - even if many of those people were Republicans who nominated a big-government candidate last year. I sure hope people can begin to see past party identifications and vote out the idiots who continue to increase the government's stranglehold on our lives.