KidsHappen Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 My hubby informed me that the one in Nashville was attended by about 10,000 people. Unfortunately I was not able to make it because I was getting a cortisone shot in the back at the time. All of my teens are currently at the one in Franklin. I will find out how that went when they get home. So if you went, where were you and how many people were there? Was it peaceful? Any problems? What was the mood like? Please share with this poor housebound momma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I went with my 3 boys. Our high-schoolers are involved in a political club (homeschool and public schooled kids) and they made signs for the event. Our little town had about 100 people lined up in front of the courthouse and post office. People drove by honking and giving us thumbs-up signs. I noted only one fella who was not supportive (thumbs down). Interestingly, every vehicle I saw that sported a business sign (plumbing, roofing, etc.) honked and waved. We probably won't make any news, but that was a pretty impressive turnout for the size of town. We didn't anticipate any trouble because we live in a very conservative state. In the last presidential election every county went "red". One of our high-school girls was interviewed by an area blogger. Good experience all around. This was our second tea party - we went to one in Tulsa shortly after the concept was introduced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We attended one. There were about 1000 people. The only protests were from some Obama supporters who want pot legalized. My dh went and talked with them. He asked them if they knew anything about economics, and they said "No." We thought that dh might go back and suggest to them that if their pot was legalized it would be taxed, but he didn't :lol:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Between 4,000 and 5,000 people turned out at our state capitol. One report I read (Seattle Weekly's blog) had a quote from a state trooper saying it was orderly and peaceful. Yea! I wasn't there. I was about 2 miles away drinking a wonderful flat orange soda wanna be for my gestational diabetes test. My husband wanted to attend but had to work. Starting a new business means we can't afford to lose billable hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LG Gone Wild Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 How is your back? How did the shots go? Ours was very nice. When I think of protests, I think of those G8 Summit protests: full of miscreants, professional protesters, anarchists, tear gas, looters, and burning cars. :tongue_smilie: The tea party was lively, cheerful, and funny. The protest signs were funny, not vindictive. There was a lot of cheering and honking. It was much larger than I thought. In my mind, I thought it would be a fizzle of a 100 people but when I went it was 1500 and growing. I saw a lot of Paul Revere costumes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I just heard that there were more than 15,000 in Nashville! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 My hubby informed me that the one in Nashville was attended by about 10,000 people. Hmmm.....that might be a bit of a stretch. THIS source estimates it at 1,500. Then again, it also uses an apostrophe to pluralize (UGGHH!!) This estimate, from a blogger who identifies herself as a "conservative Christian.....who doesn't mind rankling to get the job done" and was in attendance in Nashville today puts the number at 600. Looks like an interesting blog. Astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I was surprised at a local news report describing the Tea Partiers as an "angry crowd." But everyone they showed on the news was smiling. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I'm wretched at estimating how many of anything! I'd guess a couple hundred to just under a thousand (how's that for vague ;)) We live in a VERY liberal area so I was expecting . . . something, counter protest wise. But it was completely peaceful. The worst things I saw was a security guard asked some folks to not step in the flower bed. We had a very diverse crowd. We said the pledge, sang the National Anthem and a local pastor said a prayer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in OK Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Our family attended the Tulsa Tea Party. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I was surprised at a local news report describing the Tea Partiers as an "angry crowd." But everyone they showed on the news was smiling. :confused: Typical.:glare: Ours was very peaceful, and although we were having the equivalent of a noreaster, everyone was smiling and happy. There was a wonderful feeling of camaraderie and unity. My sister and I talked with a policeman who was doing crowd control and he estimated that there were about 1,000 people at our location in Belmar N.J. The policeman was very pleasant and said that we were one of the nicest crowds he has dealt with.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I'm wretched at estimating how many of anything! I'd guess a couple hundred to just under a thousand (how's that for vague ;)) We live in a VERY liberal area so I was expecting . . . something, counter protest wise. But it was completely peaceful. The worst things I saw was a security guard asked some folks to not step in the flower bed. We had a very diverse crowd. We said the pledge, sang the National Anthem and a local pastor said a prayer. We did this, too. It brought tears to me eyes to hear the loud voices in unison singing God Bless America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekarl2 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 My husband, two kids, and I went to the tea party in Raleigh on the Capitol steps. VERY COOL! There must have been a couple thousand at least; the place was packed! Very exciting vibe, lots of funny signs ... a great experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacie Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 This estimate, from a blogger who identifies herself as a "conservative Christian.....who doesn't mind rankling to get the job done" and was in attendance in Nashville today puts the number at 600. Looks like an interesting blog. Astrid This post was about a Tea Party in February. The estimates from the one today are all over the map! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Can someone explain the point of these? What are they trying to accomplish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 Hmmm.....that might be a bit of a stretch. THIS source estimates it at 1,500. Then again, it also uses an apostrophe to pluralize (UGGHH!!) This estimate, from a blogger who identifies herself as a "conservative Christian.....who doesn't mind rankling to get the job done" and was in attendance in Nashville today puts the number at 600. Looks like an interesting blog. Astrid Yeah, Kay's blog refers to the one in Feb. By the way, Kay is the one that run the TN home education site. I don't have the link right now but it is the most helpful site for someone homeschooling in TN. The other one appears to be a bit biased. It stated that people were angry and from all other accounts no one appeared to be angry and all reports state that it was peaceful. My teens went to the one Franklin and the coordinator announced that there was about 2000 in attendence. Franklin is much smaller than Nashville and from local news reports there seems to have been more people in Nashville than Franklin. So my guess would be that there was over 2000 but I have no idea exactly how many more and there doesn't seem to be a consensus on the numbers yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Can someone explain the point of these? What are they trying to accomplish? Well, for me, I was exercising my right to free speech and hoping that the government will listen to the will of the people.:001_smile: And, just for the record, this was not an anti-Obama thing for me, it is the fact that the government as a whole has become too large and we are being overtaxed. I would have done this even if McCain had won. We need our voices to be heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 The kids and I went to the one in Downtown Santa Ana, Ca. It was very peaceful, nice crowd, fun signs. Got some fun pics for my facebook page... my dd13, had a great time chatting with all the mounted police about how to get that sort of job. They looked bored, it was such a nice crowd, they were not needed at all. Someone asked about the reason for these...it was to protest over-taxation. I would not have gone, except very recently in Ca, the State ran out of money and the legislature and Governor raised taxes, levied new ones, increased fees- I'll stop so I don't get political. But that was what motivated me to go today, it was about the State for me, not a federal thing. it was the first protest thing I have ever dared take my kids to, and it was a good, educational experience.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 A bit success! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novafan Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We went to the Hartford, CT Tea Party today. They were reporting between 3,000-4,000 in attendance. My husband attended the New Haven, CT Tea Party and guessed that there were about 1500 people there. Crowds at both Tea Parties were very peaceful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We went to the Hartford, CT Tea Party today. They were reporting between 3,000-4,000 in attendance. My husband attended the New Haven, CT Tea Party and guessed that there were about 1500 people there. Crowds at both Tea Parties were very peaceful. WOW! That seems to be quite a crowd for Hartford. . . . Wasn't able to make the ones here in B'ham. I heard the lunchtime one in a smaller suburb had 700. No news on the larger one closer to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novafan Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 WOW! That seems to be quite a crowd for Hartford. . . . Wasn't able to make the ones here in B'ham. I heard the lunchtime one in a smaller suburb had 700. No news on the larger one closer to me. I was impressed with the crowd size! I went to the initial Tear Party in Hartford back in February and there were maybe 200-250 that day. It was cool to see the increase in support in just over 7 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtsmamtj Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We went to our local one also here in Oregon. T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 How is your back? How did the shots go? Ours was very nice. When I think of protests, I think of those G8 Summit protests: full of miscreants, professional protesters, anarchists, tear gas, looters, and burning cars. :tongue_smilie: The tea party was lively, cheerful, and funny. The protest signs were funny, not vindictive. There was a lot of cheering and honking. It was much larger than I thought. In my mind, I thought it would be a fizzle of a 100 people but when I went it was 1500 and growing. I saw a lot of Paul Revere costumes. Well it started with, this won't hurt a bit. And at first it didn't. Then he hit a bone. I let out a yelp which was immediately followed by a wave of dizziness, nausea and profuse sweating. All of that passed in about 15 minutes. There was novacaine in the shot so not much pain for awhile after. That wore off about two hours ago though and I am having some serious pain now. Dr. said the pain would be worse until the cortisone starting working which could take 36 to 48 hours. I'll let you know if I feel better then. Thanks for asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We went to the Hartford, CT Tea Party today. . Hello, my fellow Nutmegger! See me waving from way out here in Litchfield County?! astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 we went to a little one in Waxahachie -they let several plain ol' citizens speak, so me and my oldest both took a turn at the mic. and yeah- it is basically just a matter of exercising the right to peaceably assemble. The rest of the people who voted aren't exactly pleased w/ the census power grab, the infringing of the second amendment, or the huge, HUGE spending bills. but honestly? "peaceably assembling" won't change too much. SpyCar reminds us that The Other Half is not only ok with these actions, but actually pleased. I'll just do what i can locally and wait for the next election ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Now, you two. . . .don't make me stop this car! Awww... Mooooom! Bill started it! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in FL Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We went to the one in Tampa today, actually there were two in the same place in. The 12-2 one had about 750 people, the 5-7 was harder for me to estimate, but the news just said 1500. There were 4 different ones within easy driving distance. In between the two, my kids sat on a blanket and did school work. My oldest (12) was interviewed live for a local talk show. The kids had a great time and had the choice to leave after the first one but wanted to stay. Everyone was great, very chatty, friendly group of people. My kids made their signs (8yr old: Don't leave me the Bill; 12yr old: I can balance a budget why can't CONGRESS?) They loved standing by the road getting people to honk. What was it about? Our government is spending like crazy right now. It's estimated that the deficit will hit $9.3 trillion!! Who is going to pay for that? Our children, that's who. I've always supported canidates who wanted to lower the deficit and cut Washington spending, but this Congress has spent enough to make a lot of other people concerned enough to protest in the streets. It's NOT a party thing, most people agree that it started with Bush, but the spending has accelerated the past few months that we need to get Washington's attention. In polls 70% of Americans were against the stimulus bill. Some only because they wanted their Reps to read the darn thing before voting. And yet Congress passed it anyway. We are on the street to remind them: they work for us. OK, rant over We had a great time today, and my kids learned a lot about civics. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We attended the one in Norwich, CT. Nice to see CT folks so well represented! ;) I'm a tree-hugging pagan with Libertarian leanings BTW-- and there were Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and Independents at our rally. It wasn't just a right-wing thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I was under the weather but I'm making sure to go to the next one and there will be more Tea Parties and they'll only get bigger! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Awww... Mooooom! Bill started it! :tongue_smilie: That goes for you too, young lady! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 That goes for you too, young lady! :D What?! Me?!?! I didn't do anything! I'm just the tattler. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I was surprised at a local news report describing the Tea Partiers as an "angry crowd." But everyone they showed on the news was smiling. :confused: Must've been that angry kind of smiling. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Must've been that angry kind of smiling. ;) LOL! Too much teeth, maybe?? :D How 'bout this? :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 LOL! Too much teeth, maybe?? :D How 'bout this? :001_smile: Yep. I like those. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Can someone explain the point of these? What are they trying to accomplish? The point is to protest -- 1. The bailouts 2. The spending bill <cough> I mean the stimulous plan 3. High taxes 4. Big government 5. Nationalized health care 6. The deficit Also to get regular citizens to get out and participate. So that regular citizens could see that they are not the only ones feeling that this wasn't exactly what they meant when they voted for change. Our crowd was a little bit "angry" too. I put angry in quotes because everyone was in high spirits and very friendly, but they were clearly unhappy with our federal government right now (and just as unhappy with the previous administration). My husband was one of the speakers at ours. I could kick myself for not recording it. Trust me, he was awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novafan Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We attended the one in Norwich, CT. Nice to see CT folks so well represented! ;) I'm a tree-hugging pagan with Libertarian leanings BTW-- and there were Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and Independents at our rally. It wasn't just a right-wing thing. I was going to jet over to the Norwich Tea Party after the Hartford one, but my kids were ready to go home. :bored: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBH Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We had about 6,000 peaceful and friendly people. It was the first time I've seen so many and friendly people all in one place in my liberal city. The liberal media did not want to give us any attention, so they did not show up. One talented and brilliant homeschooling teen spoke and the crowed cheered when they found out she was homeschooled. I am so proud of her. Another girl who could not have been more than 10 or 11 years old had the best sign of all, it said something like this: "Please don't leave your huge debt for me, I haven't even started working yet." There were so many awsome signs. I wish I had my camera with me.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We went to one. Over 200 people in attendance, which is big for our small, rural community. Unfortunately (IMO) some of the speakers tried to preach partisan politics, but the majority were fed up with both groups. "BO walked into a hornets' nest, but it seems like he might be trying to beat it with a stick!", was one sign I saw. It was fairly calm, with the exception of a few loud-mouths who put the red in "red-neck", but we have those every where around here--from the demolition derby at the county fair to the jazz and blues festival they bring in once a year to try to bring culture to us hicks. BTW, the red-necks were a couple of older women, not the stereotypical dirt farmer with the overhanging belly.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LG Gone Wild Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We went to one. Over 200 people in attendance, which is big for our small, rural community. Unfortunately (IMO) some of the speakers tried to preach partisan politics, but the majority were fed up with both groups. "BO walked into a hornets' nest, but it seems like he might be trying to beat it with a stick!", was one sign I saw. It was fairly calm, with the exception of a few loud-mouths who put the red in "red-neck", but we have those every where around here--from the demolition derby at the county fair to the jazz and blues festival they bring in once a year to try to bring culture to us hicks. BTW, the red-necks were a couple of older women, not the stereotypical dirt farmer with the overhanging belly.:glare: :lol: What on earth does that mean? :lol: Reminds me of an old Murphy Brown episode where eye candy journalist (was her name Corky?)got into Southern sayin' p^ssing contest with a person she was aggressively interviewing. Nobody on the set understood what those two Southerners were saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassicMom Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I believe a lot of places were also protesting local taxes as well (am I correct?) I know that where we live, we are running a local million dollar deficit and the mayor is still paying for his pet projects while planning on cutting police and fireman's pay 10% AND possibly laying off at least 50 of them next month. He is adding taxes to everything because unemployment is the highest it's been since the 70's. So not only are we dealing with the national level, but we have big government at the state and local level as well. And we are one of the hardest hit by the auto industry. :confused: So I think that there were many reasons for the Tea Tax Parties today. Correct me if I am wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 :lol: What on earth does that mean? :lol: I think it means that Mr. Obama walked into a bad situation (hornet's nest), but his method of fixing it or getting rid of it (beating the hornet's nest with a stick) is even worse than the original situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie in OR Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 (edited) Our little community had a great turnout...several hundred, maybe close to 1000...not sure. It was very peaceful and the organizers and speakers were careful to stay non-partisan and respectful. We started out in a park, sang patriotic songs, listened to speakers and citizens then marched up and down the downtown area. That was a blast -- and my dc loved it -- because all the cars driving by would just go crazy with the honking! Lots of great speakers and signs ("I just farted and it smells like economic re-distribution" was the one that got a laugh from everyone); even dogs carried signs around their necks (awwww). Yes, many of the signs referenced Obama directly but there were also several cars in the parking lots with Obama bumper stickers...it was not a right-wing deal. It was a great day for my dc to see our system at work. For me, I felt very, very American. Edited April 16, 2009 by Debbie in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I believe a lot of places were also protesting local taxes as well (am I correct?) ....So not only are we dealing with the national level, but we have big government at the state and local level as well. And we are one of the hardest hit by the auto industry. :confused: So I think that there were many reasons for the Tea Tax Parties today. Correct me if I am wrong. Absolutely right. I heard several people stand up and say to VOTE, but I got up and mentioned that while I was all set to VOTE, our city canceled its elections because the candidates were running UNOPPOSED. In fact, several cities in our county have done that. It's hard to VOTE if there's no election!! So one of my points was to get involved and RUN. I'll probably toss my hat into the ring once my youngest is old enough. Of course, by then i might be voting for my oldest dc..... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charmaine Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I went to the one in Indianapolis. They were expecting around 8,000, but said they estimated 10,000 were there at the event. There were people as far as I could see in every direction, but I couldn't get high enough to really tell. It was very peaceful, very uplifting. I went with dh, my parents, my oldest dd, and a friend's two boys. It was a great experience. We were behind three older men who told us two of them had been lieutenant colonels in the military. I was brought to tears during the national anthem when they all snapped to a military salute. That and the 10,000 people singing it just got to me. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catalinakel Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I drove past the one in Vegas, though no where near the Strip. somewhere between 1000 and 2000 strong... I honked and thumbs upped....so encouraging....oldsters, youngsters, hippies, camo looking guys....all were making their voices heard. A great day for America! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamturner Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 What was it about? Our government is spending like crazy right now. It's estimated that the deficit will hit $9.3 trillion!! Who is going to pay for that? Our children, that's who. I've always supported canidates who wanted to lower the deficit and cut Washington spending, but this Congress has spent enough to make a lot of other people concerned enough to protest in the streets. It's NOT a party thing, most people agree that it started with Bush, but the spending has accelerated the past few months that we need to get Washington's attention. In polls 70% of Americans were against the stimulus bill. Some only because they wanted their Reps to read the darn thing before voting. And yet Congress passed it anyway. We are on the street to remind them: they work for us. OK, rant over We had a great time today, and my kids learned a lot about civics. Melissa OK, you about summed it up for me. This is why I went and took my 4 dc. My tea party was pretty small but it was one of several in my area. I couldn't attend one tonight so I picked one at noon. It was peaceful and I saw a few other homeschoolers there. We held up signs that said, "Don't tread on the Constitution!" and "Stop the Spending! The government is bankrupt!" I too thought that besides making my voice known, it was a good civics lesson for my dc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in SW WA Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 We couldn't make it to a tea party today :( So instead we had our own Ronald Reagan Day :). We watched a video about him. We read. We talked. Good times. Yes, a tribute to The Gipper made me feel a little bit better. And hopeful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 The media is reporting a turnout of around 2500 for the tea party in Boise today. It was cold and rainy, but it was a great experience anyway. Everyone liked my kid's signs. dd5 "I didn't read the bill either.) ds9 "Grandpa, What was Capitalism?) dd15 "Kilroy was here looking for a bailout." My friend's kids had signs that said "Save some prosperity for me!" The local media covered the event which was nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 "I just farted and it smells like economic re-distribution" was the one that got a laugh from everyone Sounds like a classy crowd :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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