Proud to be an American

After a long drive full of rain and traffic, the 5:00 am alarm came very early. After donning our homemade t-shirts and with Metro passes in hand, our small group of four headed out to the unknown to voice our concerns over big government and excessive spending.

After entering the Metro station and taking the escalator to the platform, we were pleasantly surprised to be joined by two other protesters from St. Louis, Missouri on our journey. Although we didn't know each other before this day, we shared a kinship in the desire for freedom from taxes and getting back to the Constitution. After a few more stops, we saw others board the Metro line dressed in red, white, and blue and carrying signs with various slogans all in support of the cause we too were fighting for.

After arriving to Metro Center, the last stop on our morning train journey, we climbed the stairs to the daylight and found we were joined not by 10 or 20, but by hundreds pouring out onto the streets to voice our desire for freedom.

People poured into Freedom Plaza. Excitement turned to joy and joy to pride and pride to tears. Seeing so many people; (old and young, black and white, republican and democrat), coming together for one purpose...to keep the United States from becoming a socialist nation...made me more proud to be an American than I believe I ever have. You could see peoples' passion in their signs, the determination on their faces, and the pride they carried in their hearts.

Speakers inspired people not towards change; but rather a return to the moral and spiritual foundations of this great nation. We may not remember their names, but we will always remember the way they stirred the hearts and minds of we the protesters.

And then the word came that we had reached critical capacity at Freedom Plaza and the march would begin early. As we entered the threshold of Pennsylvania Avenue we saw a sea of people leading all the way to the Capitol. People poured in from side streets to join us in the march. For two and a half hours people made their way from Freedom Plaza to the Capitol; a distance of 1.1 mile. There were more speeches, and more songs, but the one thing that resonated with the crowd was pride of country.

We are taught in this country at a very young age to be "color" blind. I must say though that I failed at this today...for I saw colors...and those colors were red, white, and blue.

God bless America!