11/9: An Ordinary American Living in Extraordinary Times

By Diane Leone, First Coast Tea Party

The call came less than a week before, “come to D.C. and let the House of Representatives hear your voice-tell them NO on the government-controlled health care bill.” So we moved business appointments, spent hours trying to find a somewhat affordable airline ticket and hotel rooms were at a premium in D.C. That’s because another 60,000 or more across the country were also dropping everything in their daily lives to go to D.C. once more, to make their voices heard.

These are truly extraordinary times and I am definitely an ordinary American. I am a small business owner and yes, I was hit hard with this economy but I am doing everything I can to survive and at the same time, everything I can to make a difference in this fight because at the end of it all, I don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t know in my heart that I had done everything I could to help save our freedom and our country.

The rally/press conference planned by Congressman Michelle Bachmann was scheduled on the steps of the Capitol at noon on Thursday the 5th. We arrived at 9 a.m. and there were already people there — a good sign. As the morning moved on, more and more people came. They got off buses that had been chartered; they walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, the drove up and got out of their cars from driving all night to get there. They kept coming. The mood was of fellowship and determination.

Some people we met had been in D.C. on 9/12, and for others who couldn’t make it that day or weren’t sure they needed to; this was their first time at a rally. As the crowd grew throughout the morning, they chanted, “Can you hear us now?” and “kill the bill.” There were older citizens, young people, men and women of all races, and families-lots of families with children. Wow — not really the picture of the “angry mob” or “extremists” that the media and the left so often paint of us. We were all just ordinary citizens that for the most part, had never been involved in activism or rallies or protests but somehow, we all knew that these are serious times and that our very way of life and freedoms are being attacked and taken away and we had to be there.

At noon, the conference started: The pledge, the anthem and a prayer to start. Then, speakers that ranged from actor Jon Voight, talk show host and author Mark Levin and GOP representatives — they all spoke and encouraged us and showed support for our feelings of “kill the bill.” The crowd wanted to hear Michelle Bachmann speak and went crazy when she did. After all, she was the first conservative congresswoman to really lead a rally and say what needed to be said and asked for our opinion and our help. So we came.

After the rally, I saw a sight I’ve never seen, conservatives of all walks of life, in long lines around the block in line to get into every House of Representative office building. At times they would break out into the chants of that morning. They were empowered with their signs and they were all talking and enjoying fellowship yet determined to get into the halls of Congress and make their voices heard.

At the building that houses Ms. Pelosi’s office, the folks staged a sit-in in the halls and the people inside and outside all chanted. For our part, we had an appointment scheduled with one of our representatives from Florida who is working with us, Rep. John Mica. We could not get into the building! We told his staff it was OK and we would let them know when we would be back in D.C. and we would schedule another appointment. I try to go to D.C. as often as possible and I try to get appointments with our state congressman. I don’t always have luck, especially with Democrats but I will continue as long as I can afford to do it. I want them to see me as often as possible because I represent everyday Americans, you know, the small business owners, moms, workers-the people that make this country great. I was encouraged and filled with pride to see so many Americans invoking their right to peaceful assembly and redress. As you can imagine, not everyone was happy to see us in D.C.

Exhausted, but not having the money to pay for one more hotel night, we flew home that evening. The next morning we found a YouTube video that tried to depict that the people in D.C. on Thursday were billionaires that wanted to take away health care from the poor. It showed people (not our people) in tiara’s pouring champagne and carrying signs that said, “Take Advil and die”. Yes, it makes you so angry that they do such hateful things but it’s out of the Saul Alinsky playbook to “ridicule your enemy.”

We know their rules and game plans, we are no longer the “silent” majority and we will never go back to being silent. We not only have a right to voice our opinions but a responsibility to voice those opinions when our very way of life and freedoms are at stake. They can make fun of us, ridicule us, and be down right ugly (which they sadly often do) but we will not go away.

Now that the House has passed the bill, we turn our attention to the Senate. Yes, we are weary, but not as weary as the original Patriots that fought the British for the rights we have today. We will not be deterred, we will not give up, and we will continue to remind Congress that this is America, land of the free and not a progressive, socialist country.