A Shooter sends us their account from my old hometown.

“I attended the NYC Tea Party with my kids. I wanted them to experience political activism by protesting out of control government, mad deficit spending, bailout boondoggles that will encumber them for the rest of their lives, and the rapid descent into socialism granted in the bailout bill without public discussion or vote. The Congress voted for the bill without the benefit of reading it! An act for which they should be imprisoned!

“The rally was scheduled to be held in City Hall Park across from City Hall. Police were everywhere in clusters of 5-6. Police cars, vans and command vehicles lined the streets. They had the park closed and barricaded. Police would not let anyone walk around to the south if they were carrying a sign. We tried to walk across the park, but were refused admission by police. I asked if this was not a public park.

“And they admitted it was but refused entry. My teenage girls carried their signs folded and out of site. I tried to encourage them to hold them up with pride, but they told me they felt scared and intimidated by the police. We were routed up several blocks, then across and then down to get to the rally. The park remained empty and barricaded. Police had set up metal barriers along the street so that there was only a narrow lane between the street and the metal fence of the park. This resulted in a diffused body that was half spread out a quarter mile down Broadway, and half on the sidewalk on the other side of Broadway and across a closed side street. You could not move or get close to the speakers.

“The energy of the crowd was good, but had fewer and not as good signs as the ones out west. There might have been 1000 people there. (Rough guess). I was appalled by the feeling of repression and complete disregard for free speech and public assembly rights essential to our Bill of Rights. I heard people complaining that they were not being permitted to walk where they wanted to. When we were ready to leave we gave our signs away, so that police wouldn’t block our route back to the car, but they wouldn’t let us walk a block south to our car. We were told we had to go north, across, and back down about 8 blocks out of our way.

“The stoic, expressionless responses of the cops, saying, “it’s not my idea, just following orders,” is scary to experience because it makes me see that armed forces aren’t there to defend the constitution, they are there to execute the orders of the superiors as directed by whatever politician happens to hold the power. Didn’t they take an oath to defend the constitution as I did? Why is there no accountability for this? Then I remember that the president took that oath as well.

“The way that this was handled does not reflect well on NYC. It is the same heavy-handed treatment that protesters received during the political convention, for which NYC is still handling the many civil actions.

“The humorous piece for me when we left the party was when my kids said they were relieved because they had thought I was the only one who felt this way about the government handling of the economy!”

And here’s a report from Fresno…

“Hey Gary,

“In Fresno Calif. there was a great turnout. Some 7500+ signed in, and there were 10,000 by car estimates. It’s good to know that there are others willing to show up.

“The libertarian types and the republican ‘conservatives’ are going to have to figure out how to get together in some sort of “Liberty Coalition” before the Socialists and the fascist Republicans suffocate our liberty & ability to conduct business. ”

Good point, but this Shooter sees things a bit differently…

“I, like you, hate both political parties. But unlike you, I have no faith in the Republicans ever listening to your music and paying attention. Or have you forgotten the Bush (mal-) administration?

“A better close would be to pray for America, because whether it’s a Democratic Congress spending money on “Democratic” priorities, or a Republican Congress spending money on “Republican” priorities, the country is getting the shaft.

“And maybe after all the trillions and trillions of dollars are spent to save capitalism from itself, and the dollar is better used as toilet paper, maybe America will return to the values and work ethic that once made it great. All the geegaws, trinkets, toys and trifles that we currently get from foreign producers, maybe we’ll decide to make them ourselves or do without.”

And here comes trouble…

“You seem to enjoy the prospect of disillusioned, ignorant, and desperate people rising up armed to the teeth and resorting to unlawful behavior. Once such a calamitous event commences many innocents will suffer. I think it is so irresponsible to promote this type of behavior, and you know not what you wish for. Instead of being a positive force to help others wisely choose their investments in these unnerving times, your writings seem to relish the thought of a collapse in which the union falls apart. ”

Moi?

Tune in tomorrow, Shooters, for more Tea Party accounts and more rabble-rousing with Samantha Buker and me.

Regards,
Gary Gibson
Managing Editor, Whiskey & Gunpowder

If the lib’s want to believe this, let them, they are not goiing to change. The fly in that ointment is that Tailgunner Joe just happened to be correct, not to mention right.

Very good article Samantha!