Always determined to give Washington an earful, attending the big 9-12 march and rally with fellow patriots from across America, we found ourselves once again in the fantasy-land of our nation’s capitol.
Though this year’s crowd was considerably smaller than 2009 (seemed no more than a third of last year’s 1.7 million from my vantage point) it was no less enthusiastic, creative or determined.
There are many reasons the crowd was smaller but I find them inconsequential. To either minimize or excuse away the size of the crowd seems pointless.
When hundreds of thousands of Americans from all over the country who are united in common cause gather in Washington, it is a big deal. Particularly when it follows 300,000-500,000 like-minded countrymen assembling there just two short weeks ago.
Though Washington D.C. and much of the surrounding area is obviously a place of great reverence and historical significance, filled with hallowed halls, monuments to our nation’s greatest leaders and the resting place of fallen heroes, there is a disconnect that is unmistakable.
I find it impossible to ignore the “inside the beltway bubble”, a parallel universe that is so real it is palpable. After a day or two, you can feel it all around you. This city which represents what is best described as an elite ruling class is completely out of touch with the belief system of the people it presides over.
The federal government’s tendency to pick winners and losers, their desire to extend additional rights to some at the expense of others (all in the name of equal rights) is starkly evident as you visit various federal buildings.
Though the area has a rich and diverse mix of ethnic cultures among the population, interestingly, ethnic minorities are represented disproportionately high among government workers, at least those in positions that interact with the public.
I also thought it notable that a good number of these employees of the people possess very thick foreign accents. Unfortunately, a few so much so that it rendered their English incomprehensible - so much for the assumption that proper communication skills would be a pre-requisite for working for the government.
Mind you, most public employees I’ve encountered there appear to take pride in their jobs and do it well. They are helpful, pleasant and respectful. But a few – not so much!
I must say, I thought one was too many, finding each such encounter to be a purely infuriating experience. Surely, common courtesy and mutual respect should be a minimum standard to expect from those who we provide for.
Overall, there seems a sense of entitlement among the general population. Chats with the few like-minded locals to be found confirmed as much.
And why not? Most everyone there either directly works for or makes their living off of the government. As one local put it, “We manufacture nothing, we create nothing. We only take.”
The MetroRail system in DC is the preferred method of travel, providing plenty of opportunity to interact with locals. It was always humorous to encounter those who seemed aghast that someone would dare protest our government, though I found much less of that sort of thing than last year. Perhaps they are becoming resigned to the fact that we keep showing up.
I say it is among our obligations as a free people to keep showing up. Sure, there is serious work to be done in this election cycle, more so than ever before but there is something liberating about exercising one’s First Amendment rights out in the public square, particularly when it involves marching to the U.S. Capitol.
More to come…
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