Tea party- OKC

Well, the tea party in OKC was a great experience!  It was my first time every to attend a rally and I enjoyed it.  The expectation was about 1,500 people and OHP estimated the crowd at about 4 to 5 thousand.  I got there about 1 1/2 hrs. early and there were people gathering already.  The OK congress was in session and so were we.  We met on the south steps of the state capitol with mounds of enthusiasm and energy bouncing between the capitol and the Petunia #1.  

 We opened the meeting with the singing of the national anthem.  There was a younger girl that lead the anthem but WE ALL SANG!  It was amazing!  The first time I had been anywhere that the national anthem was sang by whole crowd!  And we followed the Star Spangled Banner with the Pledge of Allegiance.  The mood was electric.  The feeling was one of belonging.  You felt like this is the place to be.  

A broad spectrum of Okies was in attendance.  There were veterans with their medals, retirees waving flags, students with their teachers, moms and dads with their children, brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends.  We were all friends.  Friends sharing a common bond.  A bond of ideas and principles.  It made you wonder if this was the feeling the founders had as they gathered in Philadelphia to debate and put ink to the parchments that started the fire of the American dream?  Maybe, or maybe it was more solemn an event for them.  For they were pledging their fortunes and lives for the good of the people.  I can't imagine the weight upon their minds.  Knowing that the king, with the might of the British military, would target the men who wrote the documents of American Independence!  And still they did it.  With the support of the People.  We The People.

They created the atmosphere of our tea party.  An atmosphere where a group of fellow Americans can gather together, age zero to 100, and make their voices heard.  Whether or not the media even followed or correctly reported our gathering, the People were heard!  

There were speaches by ordinary people.  People like you and me.  A college student, a local radio personality, an Veteran Army Ranger from Op. Desert Storm, etc.  No politicians spoke.  And it was best that they didn't.  The people are tired of listening to them, tired of their rhetoric.  April 15th was the day they needed to listen to the people.  And listen they better!  Because if they don't this movement will get bigger and bigger until they no longer need to listen.  Because they will be out of office.  IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY ARE A REP. OR DEM.!  This is a nation of CAN and the people are tired of hearing CAN'T from the political class.  Every time we turn around there is something else we CAN'T do.  CAN'T let poor business models fail, CAN'T let banks with bad lending practices fail, CAN'T win the war in Iraq.(in my opinion we already won the war. Now is just nation building.)  YES WE CAN.  This is the greatest nation on Earth.  American resolve and american ingenutiy can withstand any challenge.  As long as the People are the driving force, and Govt. gets the hell out of the way, this nation will continue to be the greatest nation on Earth!

Quick note: the Petunia #1 is an oil well directly south of the south steps.  It was drilled in the middle of a flower bed in 1941 and produced 600 bbls of oil a day until 1986 when it went dry.  Hence the name Petunia.