Saturday, September 12, 2009

On the Lawn

This afternoon, as the Tea Party Express pulled into Washington D.C., crowds gathered on the Capitol lawn. Some news stations reported tens of thousands in attendance; others reported one million. I'm not sure how many people actually showed up, but it was a lot. I know... because we were there, and it was awesome!

History in the making-- that's what we told our boys. Because when the Constitution is threatened and when our rights are ignored... "we the people" must take a stand for what's right.

So this morning, that's what we did (and thanks to some good friends-- whom we just happened to bump in to them as we approached the lawn-- we even had a few signs to wave as we ambled along).

And I'm so glad we did~

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;
or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

-- 1st Amendment to the Constitution



All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.

--Winston Churchill




Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.

-- Ronald Reagan



There are two freedoms - the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought.

-- Charles Kingsley



I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.

-- James Madison, speech, Virginia Convention, 1788



If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

-- George Washington



The contest for ages has been to rescue liberty from the grasp of executive power.

-- Daniel Webster



It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather and irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.

-- Samuel Adams



Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.

-- John Quincy Adams




A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned-- this is the sum of good government.

-- Thomas Jefferson

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wish I had been there with you all. I watched on TV but didn't see any of you. I hope those in charge (for the moment) recognize that this movement is not going to go away andy time soon. Moggie

Leslie said...

Way to go, Klipps! I wish we'd been there, too. Heath, this was such perfect timing, after our Constitution class on Friday! Please bring photos (or your Mac) next Friday for Noh-Man to show and tell!

Anonymous said...

So glad you were able to take part in your 2nd Tea Party event(and you didn't get arrested)! Needless to say the only media that gave accurate coverage was Fox! Hope my computer will allow me to see all your pictures, if not I'll catch up next week. Proud of all of you, love Mom

Anonymous said...

So glad you were able to take part in your 2nd Tea Party event(and you didn't get arrested)! Needless to say the only media that gave accurate coverage was Fox! Hope my computer will allow me to see all your pictures, if not I'll catch up next week. Proud of all of you, love Mom