Tuesday, September 15, 2009

9/12 March on Washington DC













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If you've been watching the news lately, you probably haven't heard about the 9/12 March. Well you might have... you know, the giant KKK rally? Where "thousands" of "conservatives" marched on the Capitol in Washington DC to like, oppress black people and kill puppies and whatnot. What actually happened, was over a million Americans marched on the Capitol in Washington DC to protest socialism, health-care reform, Obama, his 32 czars, Nancy Pelosi, the media, and foreign aid. Well, I was there and I got pictures to prove it.

Nothing could have been more fun than going to DC last week. I was at my parents house on Wednesday night, and we left on Thursday morning for a 7am flight, which Jazzie didn't much appreciate. We arrived at the airport at around 630am and realized that Jaz had peed through her entire outfit and onto my mom's shirt. I didn't even have an extra outfit in the carry-on bags, since she hasn't done that for months, so she went on the plane in just a shirt and her diaper cover. She didn't cry or whine or annoy anyone on the plane, she mostly slept and nursed and played quietly. We arrived at Reagan Airport in what is apparently Virginia at around 930am and jumped on the Metro to our hotel in downtown DC.

We got to the hotel and were told that our rooms wouldn't be ready until around 3pm. Jaz ate some oatmeal and some raisins and Cheerios at the airport, but she was a little grumpy because she usually eats a whole bunch of fruit for her meals (watermelon, blueberries, bananas, grapes, mangoes, avocado, papaya, etc). So we dropped off our luggage with the hotel folks and walked the 20 blocks over to Whole Foods. She slept the whole way over in her stroller, and when she woke up we already had her food ready and baby felt a lot better after eating her normal stuff for lunch. On the way back to the hotel, we took a cab because we didn't want to walk 20 blocks back with big grocery bags which was exciting for Jazzie.

We got tired of hanging out in the lobby, so I walked the stroller into Chinatown for no apparent reason. I learned that Newports were about ten bucks a pack in downtown DC, which is fucking sick, but I found a homeboy on the street selling Newport packs for $5. You can bet your ass I bought those. I got back to the hotel at 4pm (an hour after our room was supposed to be ready) and they told me it would be another 45 minutes. Hells to the no. I spit game until I got us different connecting rooms that were available immediately, and we went up to the 7th floor. Lucas showed up around 7pm and we went to eat at a nearby steakhouse but they had an "indefinite wait time" which was shit so we had to go to a sandwich shop instead. Jazzie had her food, but I can't eat at restaurants except for steak cooked in nothing and salad with no dressing (because of soy) so I didn't eat anything, figuring I'd figure out a way to have breakfast.

That night after Jazzie went to sleep, Lucas and I went out in DC. We had a great time, and we did finally get something to eat. :) DC is a real city, and we wanted to enjoy our time in it. The next morning (September 11) I ate breakfast meats cooked in butter at the hotel restaurant. Bacon, ham, eggs, and cheese on Whole Foods bread, basically plaque on a whole-wheat bun. It was delicious and filled with protein. We went to the Smithsonian Institute and looked at the animals, which Jazzie really enjoyed and pointed at a lot.

That night there were huge pre-Tea Party parties at the Hyatt, at our hotel, and in the streets. Lucas and I drank Long Island iced teas and talked to different people. We were compiling a list of all the different states that protesters were from, and the biggest group was from Florida (that we met) and then Ohio and Texas. Three of the necessary electoral states. :) :) The South in general was very well represented, but there were West Coasters and New Englanders as well. When I asked a Southerner what state they were from, they would scream it: "TEXAS!!" "ALABAMA!!" "TENNESSEE!!" "FLORIDA!!" but when you asked some of the others, they'd look down and whisper: "um, Massachusetts" "*cough* California *cough*" which I found pretty amusing. Another good night in the big city.

The next morning we were there for the march at 9am. Folks were gathering up at Freedom Plaza earlier, but Jazzie had to eat her breakfast first. There were so many people there, and they were all smiling and happy and talking to each other and us. The signs that folks were holding up were often funny and creative, and in that whole crowd I didn't see one single sign that used the words "black" "Negro" or "nigger." I also didn't see any black folks there protesting, except for the ACORN counter-protesters. I'm glad that the ACORN folks were there, because they were exercising their first amendment rights same as the rest of us. I think the black folks who were there, protesting against Obama, that shows some real courage on their part- awesome for them.

There was a helicopter overhead, so we started yelling at it "read the bill! read the bill!" but we were passing by a building with the first amendment written on the wall (ironically enough, the Museum of Journalism) so Lucas started chanting "read the wall! read the wall!" Of course, it's really easy to start a chant in a crowd like that so everyone quickly caught on. A woman with a loudspeaker was trying to read the text of the first amendment but signs were in the way, so I ran over to her and showed her my smaller sign which had it written. I think we accomplished a lot at that march.

Here are some signs that I saw there that I didn't get any pictures of for one reason or another:
"I got tired of yelling at my TV so I came here"
"We are exercising our first amendment rights, but if that fails, there's always the second amendment."
"Bury Obamacare with Kennedy"
"Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than all of my guns"
"THIS time we came unarmed!"
"Okay, I'm here, now where's my check?"
"Where will Canadians go for their healthcare?"
(held by a man in an Obama mask) "It's not my fault, it was the previous administration"



Oh, and we actually cleaned up after ourselves too. :)

12 comments:

Cocaine Princess said...

I like the picture of Jazzie sleeping in her stroller. (18th picture?) Innocently sleeping while having no idea what is happening around her.

Anonymous said...

What is "Where are Canadians going to go for their healthcare" supposed to mean?

CindyB1 said...

Canadians come HERE for their health care because theirs is socialized and they can't get what they need in a timely mannor. It takes forever to get approval for operations ect.

Gary Indiana said...

awesome post about the rally and all the better that you had pictures to prove it! The signs were hilarious take care GI

Anonymous said...

Cindy- Canadians have lower average wait times for urgent medical problems than Americans. Canadians are much more likely to be seen on the day they call their doctor. It's not that Canada has a great system- it's that you think you're spreading information when you're actually completely wrong because you believed the lies of health care lobbyists and never bothered to check out the actual facts.

As for the owner of this blog, you don't seem rich (neither am I, by any means) and you're a recovering addict. Opposing health care reform prevents addicts from receiving fair treatment and it forces low income and middle class families to pay far more for their insurance than people in any other country in the world.

The Tea Parties are organized and funded by Health Care Industry Lobbyists- the same people who published the same criticism about Hillarycare that was later retracted by all news services which syndicated their lies.

Dissent is healthy. Ignorance gets us nowhere. You ever been on medicare? Ever had a family member collect social security? Ever receive a package from the USPS? Then either you're a socialist or you drank the conservative kool aid. Who are you going to believe? The people fighting to save lives or the people paying to protect their paychecks.

Michelle said...

^^ ^^ ^^
First off, I am not a "recovering addict" I am an ex-drug addict. I am not rich, and therefore don't get what rich people would get. Whose fault is this? Certainly not anyone elses. Whose problem is this? Certainly not anyone elses.

As for the tea parties being funded by health-care lobbyists, who is spreading ignorant lies now? I've been involved in TPACs since April, and talking to all of the VOLUNTEERS who believe in the cause as much as I do, and was on the organizing committee for the local July 4th tea party as well. This is a completely GRASSROOTS movement not funded by anyone. Every single person in DC was paying out of their own pocket to be there, none of us got checks from the health-care lobby or Fox News or any of it. It's scary to think that people disagree with single-payer NOT because they're being paid, NOT because they are racist, but because it's a system that just can't work.

As for Canadian health-care, I don't care one bit. I only care about what happens in America, where I live and work and get health care. No, I am not on welfare. No, I don't receive SSI. And of course I use the post office, but I have the brains to understand that FedEx and UPS are way better because they actually have the incentive to succeed. Infact, if you can name ONE thing that private American corporations do that the American govt does better, I will concede my points. Free clinic vs private hospital? State-run detox vs private facility? Public school vs private school? FEMA vs Salvation Army in NOLA? Food stamps vs food pantries? USPS vs FedEx? The private sector does everything better besides wasting money, although if the private sector's goal was to waste money they'd probably do it a lot better than the government could. I am not against socialized medicine/single payer because I want to deprive anyone of anything. I am against it because it CAN NOT WORK as well as our current system. That's right, our shitty flawed expensive system where YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. No American without money is entitled to anything that money can buy, and that includes me. I appreciate your argument, but I could not disagree more.

And addicts don't deserve any more special health care than any other American citizen. We/they should PAY same as the rest of 'em.

Anonymous said...

If you don't care about anything except your own country, then don't drag Canada into your debate! You have no idea what you are even talking about! Americans would kill to have canadian health care you dumbass, and I'm glad you care only about yourself. Go and spread your wacked out opinions in your own backyard, and PLEASE go not cross any borders! Ignorant American, why do you think the rest of the world hates Americans?

Michelle said...

I didn't drag Canada into any debate, I just listed that I saw a sign about Canadians. Big difference. I don't care about other countries because what they do doesn't affect me until they start coming here for social services (Mexico, Haiti, Cuba, etc) or when we send millions in aid payments to them (Zimbabwe, Haiti, Venezuela, etc).

And FYI, the huge "diss" about the rest of the world hates Americans hurts about as much as saying that the rest of the world hates drug addicts. I tried to conjure up a sad sad tear, but alas there was nothing. Ignorant American capitalist pig- and fucking proud of it, too. Like I care what some snotty socialist European thinks.

MICHELLE

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Anonymous said...

umm, capitalism cannot last, nor can it succeed in establishing a functionally productive and fair society. because the rich only get richer, and the poor only get poorer. the rich oppress the poor, thereby PREVENTING us, DIRECTLY, from succeeding in life. and this is why "republican" causes, adn even American policies in general, will be bogus, unfair, damaging, and just wrong. you, shelley, I am truly sorry to say, are just a product of a fucked up family. hate to say it, please please do nt be upset or take offense. families these days are growing up without any moral compess, they are spiritually dead, not caring about anyone but themselves and their money. I'm sure you would let your own daughter die before you'd let her get just a piece of your "private" healthcare. such nasty people you are. I can see it from the pictures. poor poor baby. I hope God saves her.

Unknown said...

Shelly,
You are such an admirable patriot. Don't waste your time arguing with ignorant socialist idiots. I know you like to argue but somebody dumb enough to say capitalism can't last is beyond reason.They have no idea what they are talking about or what it means to be an American. Keep up the heat on congress and the senate. Calls emails, they worked on the Fed audit bill. Campaign for liberty made that bill happen.Ron Paul is the greatest living American. If you haven't done so yet, spend some time listening to him and help spread the word. His message is dead on. He's got it all figured out.

Proud to know you,
Dan Steely

Anonymous said...

It's funny that you say addicts don't deserve better care etc. Especially since you live with your family, a single parent and raising a child. I'm sure you'd sing a different tune if you didn't have their support. Now imagine, people in the same position as you minus the caregivers. Your hand would be the first one out seeking welfare and health reform. WHO ARE YOU KIDDING? Idiot.