Posted by
Christopher Parisho on Saturday, September 12, 2009 2:22:38 PM
I am at home today, not because I wanted to be but because other issues prevented me from making the trip to DC to join others in protest of Washington's out of control spending and growth.
One thing that caught my attention is the estimates of attendance.
I know it is early to make a definitive statement as to the crowd today, but comparing wide shots of the National Mall I see on the news to the wide shots from Obama's Inauguration (which has been estimated to have been 1.2 to 1.8 million) the crowds look fairly similar in size.
Maybe more so for the 9-12 protest because at the Inaugural there were all sorts of crowd control barricades, media booths, and large TV screens for those further back to get a good view of the speakers. Those objects took up valuable space for attendants. Today's protest doesn't have as much of the objects to work around so I would estimate the crowd on the Mall to be larger.
I know the protest organizers don't want to over estimate the numbers, but regardless of the actual count ANY protest that fills the mall and spills over into the streets around the mall is an excellent event.
Congratulations to those who were able to make it, and understand there are those like me who wanted to be there but for what ever reason couldn't. We are standing together with you today, if not physically we do it in spirit.
To the politicians at whom the protest is directed.....you had better wake up and realize that "We the People" are mad as hell and not going to take it any more!
You represent us. You aren't sent there to represent your own opinions or the desires of special interests. Start doing your job or we will fire you and replace you with representatives who will do their job.