An estimated thousand to fifteen hundred Citizens of the Greenvillearea concerned about the overreaching of Constitutional limits by the federal government participated in the “National Day of Resistance” Saturday, February 23 rd. The local event was held in the parking lot at Greenville County Square and was called the “Protect Us Now” rally. It was 38 degrees and raining at 10:00 a.m. when the event began with a prayer. Hundreds of people had arrived in the past 15 minutes and they were still coming. They ranged from small children to the elderly. All were dressed for the weather and determined to do what they could to preserve freedom for their children and their grandchildren.
Representatives of all the local network affiliated television stations were present for at least part of the event – so was the Gannett daily newspaper published locally. Individuals who attended the rally and watched the evening reports on the three local network stations were disappointed in the coverage. Some were outraged.
All reports missed the true meaning of the rally. Some were blatantly misleading. The Spartanburg CBS affiliate focused their cameras on two individuals with modified Confederate battle flags located across the street from the rally. The flag bearers were expressing their First Amendment rights, and they were respectful of the rally organizers and attendees. The reporter discussed the rally briefly with the image of the flags on the screen then shifted to their main story line which was an interview with a woman who was part of an anti-gun group attempting to build an organization of women in South Carolina. It had nothing to do with the rally, but was used to promote the anti-gun woman. The NBC affiliate report was brief and lacking substance.
Fox reportedly described the crowd as a “handful” of people. Feedback on their report is secondhand and mostly negative. The newspaper at least listed some of the topics discussed at the rally and then trailed off on an interview with Harry Kibler about RINO Hunt, the organization he founded some three years ago to identify and root out liberal Democrats posing as and running for office as conservative Republicans. They generally run their campaigns as Republicans and vote with Democrats on issues important to Republicans. It was good information, but not a report on the rally.
An amateur ninth grade home schooled student could have prepared a factual report and made it interesting. It would go something like this:
An enthusiastic cheering crowd stood for two or more hours in a cold rain to hear answers to the question: “What can I do to preserve freedom for my children and grandchildren?” They received answers. Rep. Bill Chumley has introduced a bill to Nullify Obamacare and stop it from being implemented in South Carolina. You can call lawmakers and urge them to support this bill that is currently in a subcommittee chaired by Greenville Rep. Bruce Bannister.
“We have come to the point where we have to make a decision. Do we have a Constitution or do we not?” Chumley asked. He said we have a Constitution and we have a bullying government and we must put a stop to it and the easiest way is through the election and legislative process with citizen lawmakers, not career politicians who become powerful and corrupt.
Senator Lee Bright introduced a companion bill in the Senate. He is compassionate about his defense of the Constitution. He deserves equal support and encouragement.
Dr. Thomas Kendall, President-elect of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, described the devastating effects of Obamacare. “When medicine is hijacked and transformed into a political instrument, corruption usurps compassion. This is what is happening in our American republic.”
Ashley Landess, President of the South Carolina Policy Council, said her organization is tired of doing studies and preparing “white papers” for politicians to ignore. And her organization is now exposing alleged corruption in the General Assembly and asking the Attorney General and SLED to verify or prove invalid her findings. SLED is currently investigating complaints against House Speaker Bobby Harrell.
The rally concluded with an impromptu prayer meeting that involved from two to three hundred people and lasted half an hour.
These people demonstrated their concerns for our republic and their commitment. They are determined enough to stand in a cold rain seeking information and wise enough to call upon God for guidance.