A message from Kit at Gathering of Eagles:

…ANSWER had a year to plan their well-publicized event and were hoping for around 100,000. They actually drew about 5,000-10,000, according to various news reports today. The Gathering of Eagles, on the other hand, had about six weeks to plan an unprecedented response - and with no advertising, no publicity, no celebrity or political endorsement, no news coverage, and no big money, we had about 30,000 boots on the ground!

The volunteers poured themselves into this historic event, and all of you who attended gave so much to be there. I’ll stop here and let your words speak for themselves.

he protesters met what several veterans of the antiwar movement described as an unusually large contingent of several hundred counterdemonstrators.I dunno about you, but given the well-publicized anti-American bias of the NYT, I'm willing to go with the Park Service on this one.

I understand that the GoE site is putting together a gallery of photos from the event. It's down right now, but I'll post the link when it's back up.

Posted by: Ragnar at 12:56 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment
Post contains 226 words, total size 2 kb.

1 This event was coordinated by a professional PR agency ... Fenton Communications. The GoE had no such professional, national agency, it was true grass-roots.  I have a feeling Pelosi is taking notice even if she isn't saying anything.

Posted by: crosspatch at March 18, 2007 02:39 PM (y2kMG)

2 Comrades,
 
   I was there. We took a tour bus with 50 of us all the way down from Maine, through the snow and ice. it was worth every minute and every dollar.
 
  The one lasting image I have, even more than that of my brother and sister veterans, is of an overwhelming look of fear and bewilderment on the faces of the demonstrators. They never imagined so many would come so far to face down the cancer that infects our body politic.
 
   Everytime they tried to start something, we'd turn our backs or just stand there and let them vent. Occasionally, we'd respond, but mostly clapping when the police hauled one of them away.
 
   I was amazed at the solidarity of our veterans. Aginf men in wheelchairs, young veterans from Iraq, and all those in between. veternas of every age standing together, helping each other out, the random acts of kindness I saw were uncountable.
 
    Soldier's Angels were going about, checking on the older vets, offering free water and energy bars, and not asking for anything in return.
 
     When the protesters left, the streets were littered with their efuse. broken and torn signs, flyers, maps, handouts, stickers, and general rubbish.. empty water bottles, food wrappers, etc. They spewed garbage from their mouths, and left the streets awash in their wake.
 
   At the GOE site, the entire area was policed and left as clean as when we arrived. You'd see veterans picking up trash, lending a hand where they could. The comparisons between the two sides was night and day.
 
   The message, however, was loud and clear to the left: The adults are tired of the children's excesses, and the spankings are about to commence. ANSWER and it's co-conspirators against Freedom are a cancer on the body politic of America. It's time for the surgeons to roll up their sleeves and go to work.
 
   Respects,

Posted by: AW1 Tim at March 18, 2007 03:06 PM (A4AgC)

3 And the vultures will ignore the whole thing becuase their afraid what could happen to them there and the same with the chickens from ANSWER

Posted by: sandpiper at March 18, 2007 03:08 PM (XLUG2)

4 The Gathering of Eagles was GREAT!  It was cold, it was windy (the Goreacle must be in town), but it was awesome to be there with my brothers-in-arms!  I took my son with me, and he enjoyed it.  When the left-wing loonies accused used of being "Swift-Boaters," I turned to my son and told him, "Congratulations.  You're now a Swift Boat Veteran." The MSM apparently does not want to note this, but the veterans outnumbered the lefties.  Like I said, it was fantastic to participate on the RIGHT (American) SIDE!  To end the day, my son and I went and saw "300"!  As my son said, "A very Right-Wing Weekend."  Go tell the Spartans!

Posted by: 509th Bob at March 18, 2007 03:12 PM (a8v1Q)

5 I have posted a review of the WaPo article here. You guys and gals who made it are my heros. Thank you for doing what many of us could not. When this comes up again I promise Civile Defense will do everything it can to be there.

Posted by: SeeMonk at March 18, 2007 03:18 PM (yKwZ2)

6 Ragnar I think that the National Park Police would also have a more unbiased estimate, if they were willing to provide one. Could anyone provide an actual link showing their estimate ?
The last time I checked there was slightly less than 2000 signatures of people who said that they were planning on attending the GOE. Of course weather was bad and some were not able to attend. Having 15 times that number attend would certainly be surprising.
I do not believe the National Park Police gave an estimate of 30,000 for the GOE. Did any of the people who post here attend ? Would they be willing to share their experiences or give any crowd estimates ?

Posted by: John Ryan at March 18, 2007 03:33 PM (TcoRJ)

7 John Ryan,
 
   Note my post above. i was there. the GOE turnout was HUGE.... Bus after bus after bus full... it lines the street for blocks.
 
   Respects,

Posted by: AW1 Tim at March 18, 2007 03:42 PM (A4AgC)

8 Re: #2
</blockquote>
... the
random acts of kindness I saw were uncountable.
 
    Soldier's Angels were going about, checking on the older vets,
offering free water and energy bars, and not asking for anything in
return.  
     When the protesters left, the streets were littered with their
efuse. broken and torn signs, flyers, maps, handouts, stickers, and
general rubbish.. empty water bottles, food wrappers, etc. They spewed
garbage from their mouths, and left the streets awash in their wake.
 
   At the GOE site, the entire area was policed and left as clean as
when we arrived. You'd see veterans picking up trash, lending a hand
where they could. The comparisons between the two sides was night and
day.
 
   The message, however, was loud and clear to the left: The adults are
tired of the children's excesses ...

Posted by: AW1 Tim

</blockquote>

My heart soars.  This is the way we should be.  We should make our opinion known and at the same time do so in a kind and respectful manner.  We also shouldn't add undue burden to the public employees of the area where the protests are happening.  What you wrote above are true hallmarks of community and responsibility.  THIS IS how adults behave.  WE CAN disagree and remain civil.  We CAN BE a constructive force and come together as community and bear witness to our point of view without allowing ourselves to get out of control.  That comment says it all for me.  I would bend over backwards to be a part of this movement. 

If out of this event a more ongoing community emerges, I would hope to take part in any event near me on the opposite coast.  To participate in a responsible community that sends its message by showing up, cleans up their mess, and behaves in a manner far above the rabble of the opposition would be an honor.  How about an event in the SF Bay area sometime?

Posted by: crosspatch at March 18, 2007 04:13 PM (y2kMG)

9 oops, I blew that one with a malformed blockquote tag

Posted by: crosspatch at March 18, 2007 04:14 PM (y2kMG)

10 I was there as well, and I'm telling you, there wasn't 30K people there. NO FREAKING WAY!!

30K would fill a medium sized college football stadium. Hell it'd fill Texas Stadium about 2/3 full! There just wasn't that many people there... separate or combined. For comparison; That's almost as many people as enrolled at University of Southern California (33K) or University of Michigan (40K).

Personally I think both sides are "inflating" their own numbers to look good, and the National Park Service Police-DC Police-Capitol Police Departments are doing it to justify overtime monies they'll request from Congress.

Yes, there were more GoE supporters (including me; proof of which is on SeeJaneMom.com) than anti-war demonstraters... by at least 2 to 1 and maybe even 3 to 1.

But 30,000 people? NO WAY IN HELL!

I've seen 3OK enmasse, this wasn't big enough.

I don't want to sound like I'm against GoE, because I'm not. I was down there with Jane of SeeJaneMom and Sniper of 762Justice in FULL support of GoE. But I'm telling you all 30K is a fantasy in someones brain.

V5

Posted by: V5 at March 18, 2007 05:48 PM (bP+3v)

11 Would an odonnelphant count as a huge crowd on her own?

Posted by: wb at March 18, 2007 06:18 PM (o6TL7)

12 No disrespect V5, but I was there also.  There were veterans every-freaking-place.  The Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Nurse's Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and along-side Constitution Avenue.  It was just WONDERFUL to see so many of my brothers-in-arms outnumbering the loonie-lefties.  I will admit that I did not count them, so I cannot say that there were 30,000, but we certainly outnumbered the poor sorry moonbat bastards!  Go tell the Spartans!  Urrah!

Posted by: 509th Bob at March 18, 2007 07:28 PM (a8v1Q)

13 Bob,

There's no doubt in my mind we outnumbered them. I just think everyone - left, right, and police departments - are going a little overboard in their "estimates" of the crowd.

I will say this though, and it's definitely no exaggeration.

The GoE crowd totally cleaned up their area and the anti war-peace-tree hugger-love mother earth-peta freaks crowd left their area destroyed and covered with litter.

Hows that for ironic?

V5

Posted by: V5 at March 18, 2007 07:41 PM (bP+3v)

14 "...anti American bias of the NYT'!?@?#?
Only since 1917!
As I have siad here many times the last few years if your read their coverage of the war in the jpacific 63 years ago and blank the date and names it is the same as their coverage of Iraq. But they loved Sacco and Vancetty. I know I can not spell communist names! But I know who they were and what they did. I also know the lies the NYT ut out 85 years ago! Nothing has changed.

Posted by: Rodney A Stanton at March 18, 2007 08:41 PM (2XJJ7)

15 Please folks lets keep it real here, did anyone honestly expect the libral media to be honest? Dan Rather anyone? There could have been 3 million people at the GoE and they still would have reported it as a few hundred...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
http://www.mp3.com.au/artist.asp?id=16834
 
 

Posted by: doriangrey at March 18, 2007 09:11 PM (F5T2G)

16 I cannot say for sure how many were there either however I thought for sure 10K and then I made my way to the Lincoln Memorial as well as the memorial bridge and there was a mass of another at least 5K so I would stay with the 15K none the less we definately outnumbered the left wing drug addled hippies 3 to 1.  I just am still awed by the sheer strength of numbers and the vets who just made you feel safe in their presence and really that is how the military makes my family and I feel every day, protected.  God Bless the United States Military.

Posted by: Rightmom at March 18, 2007 09:15 PM (ElLn4)

17 I wish I had been there to be part of such a great event. Congrats to all who managed to be there, and help make this happen. You are all winners!                     USA, all the way!.

Posted by: Michael Weaver at March 18, 2007 11:17 PM (2OHpj)

18 It may not matter how many people were actually there.
Enough GoE people were there to do what they set out to do, so enough GoE people were there.

Besides, if you say it enough, it becomes true!
Can you say "Million Man March"?

I was unable to attend, but my heartfelt thanks go out to those who did!
You rule!

Posted by: Kafir at March 19, 2007 01:11 AM (HsmTD)

19 Good Morning John Lyin: You simple minded little commie shit.

Posted by: greyrooster at March 19, 2007 05:04 AM (jNRRK)

20 For all of you that went and countered the liberal loonies, I thank you.  Sometimes I feel helpless with the media coverage these kooks receive and feel there is nothing I can do.  Well you folks proved that we, middle America can do something.  We need to do more of this.  Thanks again you have inspired me to action on the next opportunity.

Posted by: Steve at March 19, 2007 01:40 PM (OkGMZ)

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