The 9/12 Experience 2009: a Chronology With Comments Part One

We're back from Washington DC after particpating in The 9/12 March  on Septermber 12th 2009.  I've got some photographs and videos to share, as well as comments about the experience.  I'm going to do it in chronological fashion, both with the comments and photos/videos.  (We were anticipating that we would meet up with the Ohio 912 Project group, however the logistics of moving through a crowd of the size that we encountered kept us from making it to the appointed place at the appointed time. Although hanging out with hundereds of thousands of our closest friends was enough consolation for not meeting up with the Ohio group, we wish that they would have among the images that we have of the march; maybe someone from Ohio 9/12 Project has some photos or videos that I can post-if so, please let me know by email). 

Before leaving for the march, we ate breakfast at our hotel in the Arlington Courthouse neighborhood.  We met several folks who were there for the march.  I borrowed a chair from another table and the lady there was from Tennessee, a nurse who works for the Red Cross, and she was going to meet a friend who was staying in Crystal City.  At another table was a couple from Indiana and a couple from Texas who were there together.  At another table was a family with young children. Outside on the hotel patio area, there were two gentlemen from Virginia who were also there with their wives.  I hadn't taken my camera to breakfast or I would have taken pics there, and I wish I would have done so. After eating breakfast, we took the short walk to the Metro Station to board the subway for the trip to DC.

(The captions are below the photos)

This is the DC Metro Orange Line train inbound to DC from Vienna, Virginia.  It is standing room only, and it was the second train that came through our station that was SRO; we were able to board this train by squeezing in, after the first train was too full to even squeeze into.

This is a lady from Florida whom we encountered as we boarded the Metro Train. She was apparently traveling with some other family members.  She led the car in song as we rode.  We sang "God Bless America" and "America The Beautiful".  The atmosphere was filled with electricity and anticipation.  (There were two or three riders who apparently did not anticipate encountering a car full of singing patriots.  They did not participate in the song or the excited conversation, however I will not question their patriotism).

This person actually squeezed onto the car after we did, along with this sign which sported a buzzard mounted on top.  "Our Government Feeds On US" was the caption.  I couldn't get the text in the picture because the bodies were too tightly packed to move around.  The hat, visible over the "buzzard perch" indicated that the holder of the sign was a Korean War veteran, one of many, many military veterans we would see that day.  These veterans gave evidence that they understood the oath that they had taken to defend and protect The Constitution.

Here was the scene at the Federal Triangle Metro Station as we disembarked from the train.  People were singing and chanting and some were taking videos and photos of the scene.  You can see a Metro Police officer just to the left and below the "New Carrollton" sign on the side of the subway car.  The officer occasionally reminded everyone to keep moving toward the elevator in order to keep clear the platform for the next train.  The marchers were focused on reaching the street and there was no resistance to the directives of the officer.

Up the escalator everyone went.  Solid humanity.  Many states represented, all age groups and cultures represented as well.  It was a cross-section of The USA, demographically speaking.  One could feel the anticipation building.  At this point all we knew for sure was that our subway line had been bringing full cars into Downtown DC, and everyone was excited to see what the scene on the street would be.

Here's what we saw when we emerged from the subway into the bright daylight at the Federal Triangle Metro Station. (NOTE: The upside-down US flag is a signal for distress.)

(As I post this series of photos and videos, I will make a brief comment on each post in addition to the comments with the pictures.)  At  the point that we reached the Federal Triangle Station it was about 10:00 am on September 12th 2009.   We had begun our Metro trip at about 9:15 when we bought farecards at the Courthouse Station. The Metro had been undergoing "scheduled maintenance" so there were delays in the trains.  As we waited on the platform at the Courthouse Station for the inbound Orange Line trains, we met people from Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia.  Some were sporting signs with clever slogans.  There were hats with all the Military Service branches represented, including veterans of Korea and Vietnam as well as the Gulf War and the current War On Terror.  There were children as young as infants as well as senior citizens and all ages and demographics in between.  There were all cultural backgrounds represented as well; all members of The Human Race here to celebrate the rights and responsibilities given to Citizens of The USA by The Constitution.  As we watched the morning news before leaving our hotel, we were informed that The President was heading out of DC that morning to go to The Target Center in Minnesota, where he was to speak to a crowd of 20,000 people (15,000 was the actual attendance) in a "campaign-style" rally for "Healthcare" Reform.  In the next news item, the commentator had mentioned that there would be a small rally in Washington by a group of self-described taxpayers that was in opposition to the President's policies.

END PART ONE...

                                

...Go to PART TWO