The 9/12 Experience 2009: A Chronology With Comments Part Four

As we took our place on the Capitol Lawn, we found ourselves next to the walkway between the Capitol Reflecting Pool and the lawn.  In the background is the Grant Memorial.  In the foreground are many concerned Citizens of the USA.  In all cases I would recommend that you enlarge the photo and check it out closely.  This is looking directly south from our position.  THIS BEGINS A SERIES OF ELEVEN (11) PHOTOS WHERE I PAN THE CAMERA FROM OUR POSITION TO GIVE A 360-DEGREE VIEW.(click on photo to enlarge)

As I pan the camera, I noticed this gentleman's hat and I thanked him for his service to our country. He is a Former Marine from Georgia, here along with some family members and friends.  He served in the Korean Conflict.  He shared with me that some of his fellow Marines did not make it back from Korea.  He was there both as a concerned citizen and to represent those fellows who had made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. (click on photo to enlarge)

 

This was our view looking toward The Capitol.  The speakers platform is somewhere up there.  (click on photo to enlarge)

Here's the view slightly to the left of the previous picture (note the man in the blue shirt in both pictures).  The Senate Wing of the Capitol is visible in the background. (click on photo to enlarge)

This is looking even further to the left from our position than the previous picture, with the Peace Monument in the background, as well as the Senate Wing of the Capitol.  (click on photo to enlarge)

The Peace Monument is visible on the right border of this photo as I continue to pan the camera.  (click on photo to enlarge)

This photo is looking back toward where Pennsylvania Avenue meets 1st Street as I continue to pan the camera.  If you enlarge, you can see the marchers still coming into the Capitol area on Pennsylvania Avenue.  In the background, across Pennsylvania Avenue, is a row of portable toilets, vastly inadequate in number to handle the needs of a crowd this size.  (click on photo to enlarge)

This photo shows the edge of the reflecting pool, people passing by on the walkway around the pool, and the marchers still coming into the area from Pennsylvania Avenue.  The Department of Labor and the US District Courthouse for DC are in the background.  (click on photo to enlarge)

Looking directly behind us over the reflecting pool, with the DC District Courthouse in the right background and the National Gallery of Art East in the left background.  When we first arrived in our spot on the edge of the lawn at about 10:55 am, the area on the far side of the reflecting pool was sparsely occupied, but within a few minutes it filled with people.  (click on photo to enlarge)

Another view across the reflecting pool, with the National Gallery of Art East in the background.  The grove of trees in the left background are on the edge of The National Mall.  I am continuing to pan the camera.   (click on photo to enlarge)

This lady came along as I panned the camera further to the South showing the view across the reflecting pool.  Many, many people would pass our position on this walkway.   THIS COMPLETES MY SERIES OF 11 PHOTOS GIVING 360-DEGREE VIEW FROM OUR POSITION.(click on photo to enlarge)

This is a video with the same 360-degree viewpoint.  (The quality of my videos were less than desired on this day.  I was not on my HQ setting on my camera because I wanted to have lots of hard drive space available.  In retrospect, I would have gone up to HQ). 

This video shows the same panorama, note the police officers running through the crowd.  There was a apparently a medical emergency on the Capitol Lawn, and these were likely first-responders.  The sirens on the video are emergency vehicles responding to the same area to which these officers ran. 

Balloons were among the items used in addition to signs. 

This gentleman was among those passing by on the walkway next to the reflecting pool. He had his sights on a project that is above Barack Obama's pay grade, although if The President thinks he can make the oceans recede then he may think he can deal with this issue as well.  Stop Plate Tectonics is what the shirt says, and I hope he hits a search engine and finds his photo here, he was a nice guy and his sense of humor was keen, as you might imagine. Plate Tectonics Theory is what his shirt is about. (click on photo to enlarge)

Remember 9/12, when ACORN was still a government-subsidized agency? Now the ACORN offices are "temporarily" closed for "reorganization". ACORN was the only non-government job that Barack Obama has ever had. I wonder what kind of advice Barack gave when he worked for ACORN? (click on photo to enlarge)

Agreed.

You'll need to enlarge this photo to read the sign.  I tried to get a closer shot but I was screened, and then they turned the corner.  (click on photo to enlarge)

The "Don't Tread On Me" flags were evident all day.  This is known formally as The Gadsen Flag.

Looking back toward the Senate Wing.  You need to enlarge to get the sign in the foreground.  (click on photo to enlarge)

Here's the other side of the sign in the center of the previous photo.  The gentleman holding it is from West Virginia.  The text is easily readable if you enlarge the photo.  Ronald Reagan was the most recent conservative POTUS, at least in my opinion.  (click on photo to enlarge)

Of course there comes a time when you need to head to the facilities.  Here we send a party to the Portable Toilets, crossing the line of marchers coming into the Capitol Area.

At this point we were in the Potty line.  I took a brief video looking back toward the line of marchers coming into the area.  We met a nice group of folks from Georgia and two ladies from Mississippi while in line; one of the ladies gave some members of our party some moist towelettes to clean up with - that's Southern Hospitality while on the road! When we were here for the July 4th TEA Party and DC fireworks, there were portable toilets on both sides of the mall, literally from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and no waiting was observed.  The restroom facilities were not nearly so numerous for this event. 

This gentleman was in the next line over.  I didn't ask him if he was the artist or not. (click on photo to enlarge)

A photo from the Potty Line, looking back toward the Capitol lawn across Pennsylvania Avenue.  Marchers are still entering the area.  (click on photo to enlarge)

We spent about 30 more minutes in our present location, and then we had to go around to the other side of the Capitol to use the restrooms at The Capitol Visitor Center as one of our party needed a diaper change.  (No it wasn't me).  The next two parts of this series of posts will document that part of our journey as we circumnavigate the perimeter of the rally, as well as our experience as we went past the CNN bus on either 3rd Street or 4th Street ( I can't recall which it was) and later when we visited the National Archives after the march was over. 

END OF PART FOUR...

...Go To PART FIVE