September 13, 2009 12:35 AM
9/12 Freedom March on Washington, DC - photos
Click below for my photojournal:
 |
| 9/12 March on Washington DC |
As a 60s/70s radical leftist, I organized many of the antiwar marches - even got teargassed a time or two. About the only mark I carry from those days is that I'm still questioning authority. But today that makes me a conservative.I brought my camera to DC to tell the REAL story of the 9/12 March. Madame Pelosi and the state-run media call us "Astroturf" and "Nazis" and "an angry mob." Following Alinsky, they'd like to freeze us in these false images and thereby marginalize us. But we are next-door neighbors. family and friends.
If we have become anti-Obama it's because we are profoundly pro-America and his eight months in office have awakened us to the reality that he and his political comrades have charted a path to destruction.
While we would love to be home enjoying our families and continuing productive lives, we know it's up to us to band together to make our voices heard. The media said there would be "tens of thousands" of us. Instead there were 2 million.
God bless America!
Posted in Activism, Obama Nation | Permalink
Comments
Thank you for sharing
Posted by: Crystal | September 13, 2009 1:10 AM
Great pics!
Thanks for sharing!
Enjoy the day,
Posted by: A Mac and a Mug O' Joe | September 13, 2009 7:53 AM
GREAT pictures Barbara! Thanks for bringing the day to us.
Posted by: Margaret | September 13, 2009 9:09 AM
I loved this ! I was wishing I could be there with my whole family. Your photo album is the next best thing though. Thank you again Barbara, for another eye opening piece. Your blog is so very valuable in this era of falsification.
I have heard that it can be difficult for people of color to show up for these things ... and I begin to believe that it's true. What I heard is that their friends and family "of color" often pressure them to stay out of it. This is a serious concern for me.
How do we stop (how I LONG to be able to stop) looking for and commenting on the color of the skin...in all areas of life, forever...? I believe we can only stop the talk of "colors" when we are all doing these types of things together. I am ever aware that I don't want to bring it up...but that group is strikingly absent. There may be numerous reasons I haven't thought of for why it is so. It just makes me sad.
Also absent are younger Americans. The twenties and thirties seem to be busy elsewhere. This too is disturbing. My daughter just finished a year of Bible School. She found that the late teens and early twenties group of students she lived and worked with were completely uninterested in political issues. Many of them failed to bother to vote in the Presidential election.
There is a lot more waking up to be done. There are far too many sleeping people in our country. We must be willing to stick out our necks and talk to everyone about the great and deadly apathy.
Perhaps people really do only wake up when it is too late.
Keep up the very important work, Barbara. I will too.
Posted by: Cynthia | September 13, 2009 11:10 AM
Those were AMAZING pictures! Thanks for sharing them! Do you care if I share one or two on my blog and direct them back to your slideshow?
[Yes, please do!]
Posted by: Elle | September 13, 2009 11:30 AM
Thanks for the GREAT pictures! I was in Washington also, but only got a few good pictures. I went with 2 of my sisters, my father, one of my daughters and my nephew. It was an amazing day, I wish there was a way to bottle what I felt.....I hope and pray we can keep the momentum rolling....many blessings to you and your family!
Diane
Posted by: Diane | September 13, 2009 1:29 PM
Awesome, awesome photos Barbara. Thanks so much for taking them, and for sharing them.
Posted by: Julie | September 13, 2009 1:54 PM
Thank you so much for this Barbara! You know, I saw some Dem. mouthpiece on Hannity (I'll give him credit for his courage) who was insisting that the Republican party is dying quickly because it's made up of white men over 65. Really? Because I was struck by how many 20 and 30 something faces I saw in the crowds. And as a 30 something, I am aware of more and more people my age not buying the garbage in Washington. I really wanted to be in D.C. yesterday, but your zeal and energy brought a bit of it to me. Thanks again!
Posted by: Bridget | September 13, 2009 2:22 PM
outstanding photos!!! Thanks so much for sharing! I had to laugh at many of the posters because they are ingenius, hilarious, and just plain SO TRUE!
Thanks again for sharing!
Posted by: dirtdartwife | September 13, 2009 2:29 PM
These photos make quite a statement. It would have been amazing to be there. We go to the March for Life every year, and we've NEVER seen anything like this.
I was counting faces in the crowd, though, and I only counted maybe 10 faces of color. Doesn't that say something in support of the Dems theory that it's only the whites who are angry?
{Hi Michele - this is a problem, isn't it? That African Americans are supporting Obama right or wrong because of his race? And that people like Maureen Dowd are screaming from the rooftops that those opposed to Obama's policies are racist?
There are black families in our area who opted their children out of the Obama school speech experience last week. I do think black people have to be very brave to endure potential violent rhetoric - and even assaults, as Kenneth Gladney suffered at a St. Louis Town Hall meeting (http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/08/tea-party-protesters-attacked-1-man.html).
But there are black conservatives out there, as I shared here a couple weeks ago: http://mommylife.net/archives/2009/09/for_all_their_h.html]
Posted by: Michele Mom of 8 | September 13, 2009 4:01 PM
There was a small gathering in Chicago (300-400 people) yesterday. Undoubtedly, many people went to D.C. or to the regional gathering in Quincy, IL (which I heard had 12,000 people). In any case, I took pictures, which can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/linnapaw/sets/72157622225201225/
Posted by: Katja | September 13, 2009 4:02 PM
Great photos.
But I'm completely confused about how many people were there. Why wasn't this on the front page of my local paper this morning and why wasn't it the top story of the evening news last night? I mean, I know why, but TWO MILLION people? Who counted?
All the MSM articles I skimmed talked about 'thousands' and a few even said 'tens of thousands'. To me, their not mentioning several hundred thousand people is an outrage! This should be SUCH a huge news story. I hope the next big news break is the MSM cover up of the voices of so many yesterday, so more can realize how misleading they were on reporting on numbers and hiding this behind less relevant stories.
At least I didn't see any of the derogatory coverage- so far!- like we did from the first tea party. (ie. no calling us mobs, astroturf, tea baggers, etc.)
Also, do you have any comparisons of the numbers at this protest and other well remembered marches on Washington? And comparisons of MSM coverage?
[]The UK Mail - which has been much more reliable than our media quotes the 2 million figure here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/joinofa?source=OM_LB_google_ob2-content_wh&gclid=CPv1hti-75wCFVRM5Qod8Wjvsw. I have also seen ABC and Fox cited as counting the march at 2 million.
Posted by: stacie | September 13, 2009 4:28 PM
This is somewhat unrelated, but here is another news story that should have been reported this past week- regarding the UN and its training of overseas NGO workers to increase abortions in their countries:
http://www.worldmag.com/webextra/15885
Posted by: stacie | September 13, 2009 4:42 PM
Thanks for sharing your pictures! I just got home from D.C. The signs, the people, the unity of purpose, the informed passion-- it was fantastic. I just got home from D.C.
I only recognized 3 signs from your photos as ones I'd also seen. ("Repeal what you have not read" and "Nancy, have you ever seen astroturf grow like this?" were two that I took pictures of myself.) We must have been in very different locations. Some other favorites that I remember: "I already have a Messiah", "We the People will tell YOU when the debate is over," "Please don't tell Obama what comes after a trillion," "Cage the RINO's", "Turn to God, not government," "Obamacare: Like the cheese in a mousetrap," and some of the ones having to do with both parties abandoning Constitutional principals. Mine said on one side, "Big government is not compassion or solutions. It's just the greed, corruption and ideology of the power-hungry compounded, codified and protected," and on the other, "Want to live in --or rule-- a Socialist, Marxist, or Communist nation? Please move to one already in existence. Thank you. Preserve the miracle of our Constitution!" Because of that sign, while walking down PA Ave I had a conversation with a man who'd survived a communist regime.
A moment that had me laughing: A march volunteer made it her job to guard a pile of horse droppings so that marchers wouldn't step in it. She declared herself the Poop Czar! =)
Every person I met had come on their own, with family or friends or by themselves, motivated by nothing but love for their country. As grassroots as it gets. Folks from every state in the union. Lots of families. Lots of very thoughtful people,too, with reasonable concerns. Where was the angry mob of stupid racist rednecks??
It didn't take much journalistic digging to get what it was all about, yet when I got to see just a tiny bit of coverage last night, I heard a dem. strategist declaring that, while there may be a few sincere people out there, the vast majority of it is organized, manufactured anger of people behaving like lemmings. She also described the Hitler references and confederate flags that were "everywhere". Ummmm.... I didn't see any. Was she there?
Posted by: Marian | September 13, 2009 8:03 PM
Thank you so much for all the work you put into this site. I loved the opportunity to see first hand what went on at the march.
Posted by: Amber | September 13, 2009 8:46 PM
Barbara...
Thanks so much for the fabulous photos - I posted the link on my facebook page and on a blog post I wrote today. http://bethlambdin.wordpress.com/2009/09/13/what-i-am-and-what-i-am-not/
Many of my friends were inspired & motivated by your photos. You have influenced many & I am truly grateful to you.
Hoping to be there next time!
Posted by: Beth Lambdin | September 13, 2009 8:49 PM
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for posting these. My hubby was there yesterday (I stayed home with my little boys) and was right near where you were taking pictures. So, since he forgot the camera, he was thrilled to look through all your pictures and just remember all the wonderful folks who showed up.
Do you really think there was 2 million? It doesn't seem from the photos to appear to be as many as when they did the million man march.
Posted by: Shelly | September 13, 2009 9:53 PM
That was great!!! Thanks for taking so many pictures!
Posted by: Leslie | September 13, 2009 10:00 PM
Hi again Barbara,
I guess UK mail changed the link to one million instead of two? That's what it says right now. Either way, it is unbelieveable how little coverage it got. WIsh I could have been there too...
Posted by: stacie | September 13, 2009 11:32 PM
Hey, I tried to comment on the gallery, but it didn't show up -- what's everybody looking up at in photos 100 and 101?
Posted by: Michelle Potter | September 14, 2009 8:33 AM
Really fantastic photos!!! I am so proud of everyone who went. Thank you Barbara.
I posted a link to you post/pictures on my blog.
Posted by: Joanna | September 14, 2009 3:01 PM
Thank you for the pictures!!!!!
I wish I could have been there!!
Take courage about the "sleeping 20 somethings!" We may not have been present, but I have many friends and aquaintances who agree with what the signs were saying.
I'd believe the count for a million by the way- the Mall where protests typically gather can only hold about 500k people. If they had to start early, that was a good sign about the number in attendence:).
Posted by: Sarah | September 14, 2009 4:31 PM
Hi Michelle -
I added a note to the pictures you referred to. People were looking up at the roof of the Newseum, where some supporters had been waving and cheerin.
Posted by: barbara | September 14, 2009 6:30 PM
Having just had our youngest child a few days before this event, I was unable to attend.
Thank you Barbara for capturing so much in pictures and sharing with those of us who were not able to go.
Posted by: j dan | September 14, 2009 8:30 PM
I read your Pajamas Media article and then looked for your website to see your photos.
Outstanding job!
Welcome Home!
I have to say that your article resonated with me because I have heard similar stories from others who have joined our movement in New York. They now feel liberated.
We must have been standing near each other at the Newseum for a time.
http://nygoe.wordpress.com/2009/09/13/aar-march-on-washington-91209/
Dan Maloney
NY State Coordinator
Gathering of Eagles
http://nygoe.wordpress.com/
Posted by: Dan Maloney | September 15, 2009 8:25 AM
Here via your article on PJM.
Thank you so much for making a record of this day. The MSM will not!
Looking through all these photos gave me hope.
Posted by: Mo | September 15, 2009 8:52 AM
All I want to say is Our new Battle cry is
LAME DUCK 2010
Posted by: Tom | September 15, 2009 1:28 PM
Great photos. I watched the live march on CSPAN and it was good, but your photos give the event life. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Melissa | September 17, 2009 5:09 PM
wow. your note and those photos stopped me in my tracks. the most inspiring thing I've read in many months. now this is change i can believe in AND understand!! Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Jim | September 18, 2009 1:22 AM
Your photos told the visual story of the 9/12 march. My husband and I drove from Indiana to attend. What I found so emotionally stunning were the chants and cheers that would begin at one end of the line of marchers and travel up Pennysylvania Ave. as a powerful roar. I will always remember the people who came from all over the country because of their love and concern for America. That is what I hope carries us forward in our fight to preserve our freedoms.
Posted by: Mary | October 28, 2009 2:11 AM
