”Restoring Honor Rally” in Washington DC
Last weekend I had the incredible experience of attending the ”Restoring Honor Rally” in Washington DC. Like many of the 500,000 plus people attending, I traveled by bus organized by local people who took the initiative to do it. There were several bus groups from Maine and ours was put together by Jeff Scully. That scenario was repeated by others across the country. We met people from Michigan, Arkansas, Washington, Arizona, Georgia, Rhode Island, New York, and other Mainers and saw buses from all over the USA.
If you have never been in a crowd of more than a half a million people before it is hard to imagine the enormity and logistics of moving that many from outside of Washington DC in to the Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument—and having them all there by 10 a.m. on a Saturday. It was accomplished smoothly, simply due to the respectful attitude of those attending the rally. In the hour and a half wait --in lines that filled the train terminal and wound outside down the street --just to purchase the Metro Train tickets to get near the mall, people were polite, did not get angry and helped each other in the digital ticket process that few were familiar with. Our Metro Train was filled to capacity before the 4th of 10 stops to get to the nearest Mall exit, yet passengers joked about being packed in “like sardines in a can” and called out recommendations about the best stop to get off and how to get to the Mall.
On the Mall, families, groups of friends, military members, and individuals of all ages and ethnic background gathered on blankets or small folding chairs, sitting and eventually all standing as the crowd grew larger and the time for the Rally grew near. There were no protest signs-- no signs at all that I saw—only thousands of American flags and some State flags being waved. The only “chant” I heard the entire time was “U. S. A., U. S. A.!!!”
The Show itself, was as inspiring as the crowd watching it. As promised, it was not political, but American. A moving and stirring tribute to and reminder of where our Country came from, the ideals that brought us together , the recognition of the great minds that put it all together and the strength of conviction Americans have always held for freedom, faith, individual rights and love of country. Current military heroes were introduced, honored and their stories told. Soldiers past and present were thanked for their service and honored for their willingness to protect Americans. Medals were given to three people who best represented the ideals of Faith, Hope and Charity. Martin Luther King’s niece paid tribute to her uncle in recognition of the anniversary of his “I Have a Dream” speech given there at the Lincoln Memorial 47 years before and his honored position in American Civil Rights History.
The call to action for the rally was to bring attention to our country’s original vision and mission. A “reawakening” call to the ideals of freedom, protection of our families, individuals rights, unity among states, responsibility as a people, Faith, and most importantly- together we are Americans. In the darkest hours of our history Americans have proudly stood shoulder to shoulder for the good of our country. Saturday I felt as honored as anyone recognized on that stage to be “shoulder to shoulder” with 500,000 patriotic Americans who were there because they believed in our Forefathers’ mission and vision, did not hold back their faith, proudly saluted our flag and were respectful to each other. Luckily for all of us, I believe they represented only a “tip of the iceberg” of good Americans in our great Country.
Kathy Chase, Wells Maine
If you have never been in a crowd of more than a half a million people before it is hard to imagine the enormity and logistics of moving that many from outside of Washington DC in to the Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument—and having them all there by 10 a.m. on a Saturday. It was accomplished smoothly, simply due to the respectful attitude of those attending the rally. In the hour and a half wait --in lines that filled the train terminal and wound outside down the street --just to purchase the Metro Train tickets to get near the mall, people were polite, did not get angry and helped each other in the digital ticket process that few were familiar with. Our Metro Train was filled to capacity before the 4th of 10 stops to get to the nearest Mall exit, yet passengers joked about being packed in “like sardines in a can” and called out recommendations about the best stop to get off and how to get to the Mall.
On the Mall, families, groups of friends, military members, and individuals of all ages and ethnic background gathered on blankets or small folding chairs, sitting and eventually all standing as the crowd grew larger and the time for the Rally grew near. There were no protest signs-- no signs at all that I saw—only thousands of American flags and some State flags being waved. The only “chant” I heard the entire time was “U. S. A., U. S. A.!!!”
The Show itself, was as inspiring as the crowd watching it. As promised, it was not political, but American. A moving and stirring tribute to and reminder of where our Country came from, the ideals that brought us together , the recognition of the great minds that put it all together and the strength of conviction Americans have always held for freedom, faith, individual rights and love of country. Current military heroes were introduced, honored and their stories told. Soldiers past and present were thanked for their service and honored for their willingness to protect Americans. Medals were given to three people who best represented the ideals of Faith, Hope and Charity. Martin Luther King’s niece paid tribute to her uncle in recognition of the anniversary of his “I Have a Dream” speech given there at the Lincoln Memorial 47 years before and his honored position in American Civil Rights History.
The call to action for the rally was to bring attention to our country’s original vision and mission. A “reawakening” call to the ideals of freedom, protection of our families, individuals rights, unity among states, responsibility as a people, Faith, and most importantly- together we are Americans. In the darkest hours of our history Americans have proudly stood shoulder to shoulder for the good of our country. Saturday I felt as honored as anyone recognized on that stage to be “shoulder to shoulder” with 500,000 patriotic Americans who were there because they believed in our Forefathers’ mission and vision, did not hold back their faith, proudly saluted our flag and were respectful to each other. Luckily for all of us, I believe they represented only a “tip of the iceberg” of good Americans in our great Country.
Kathy Chase, Wells Maine
posted by Kathleen Chase at
8:33 PM
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