Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear ... our terrible street view coverage

Life is full of paradoxes, restoring sanity with weedwhacker would seem to be the pinnacle of such ...

Nevertheless, what follows is our little afternoon excursion at the JS and SC "Restore Sanity and/or Fear Rally" in the fair city that is Washington DC, or as I like to call it: "Wagging Whacking the Dog."

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e919d06de28e.jpg[/atsimg]

You guys can argue the "official" number estimates at your leisure, but just as I indicated when I attended the TP gathering a little over a year ago, it is simply impossible to tell from street view how many folks there really are ... so I will simply leave it by saying there were a lot of people. As in, a lot a lot.

In fact there were so many people that there was no way to get anywhere close to the stage or even really hear what Jon was going on about, but apparently he was funny. We were a little late as well because Metro and traffic was backed up for miles. In any case, we made it, found each other, and decided to walk on the periphery to take some pics and a couple of short vids to hopefully capture the general mood and fun absurdity of the whole thing. We stayed for about an hour.

I have linked the pics at the bottom of this post for anyone who may wish to peruse. I'm sure a whole bunch of pics and vids are available all over the internets with speeches and the like. This is more of an 'ambience' thing more than anything else.

Basically it was communists having a really fun time, as they do.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/fabfcd81b176.png[/atsimg]

Anonymous was there, 9/11 Truthers too (ww had a chat with them), and SW stormtroopers for truth, and as you can see the whole crowd was copiously and efficiently chemtrailed from above.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/36a0c1f6f771.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/bde166636f3c.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ed39167695bd.jpg[/atsimg]

On the whole I think most were shocked that there were that many people there, and not knowing why they were there. But they were there looking at each other and giggles abounded. Everyone was very polite and slightly smelly. Many found that having their picture taken in front of the Fox News truck was the highlight of their day.

Anyhoot, I'm sure you'll get all the news and details from your main street media (pfff), but whacker and the dog were there and fun was had by all. Lunch was also good.

Photos and a couple of short vids available here.

I'm sure WW will be by asap to chime in with his 'thoughts" ...

Dictated but not read.

Cheers!

reply to post by schrodingers dog

Basically it was communists having a really fun time, as they do.

and as you can see the whole crowd was copiously and efficiently chemtrailed from above.

Why would the NWO be poisoning it's own communists...? Oh, they are just that evil aren't they...

Some funny signs no doubt


Guess I'll watch tonight to see what was said.

S+F

The pictures turned out fantastically clear and it truly captured the mood of the crowed. Whoever was the photographer has an excellent camera and an excellent eye. I watched the rally on television from my home as I was not fortunate enough to be the in DC metro area. The music was exceptional, they did excellent collaboration and the crowed appeared large and very enthusiastic.

Great job!

Nice to hear from someone there.

My TV assessment .... The first hour could have been left out. The bad was awful. I liked the wave thing they did. But that band .. yikes! Once Stewart came on it was better. He got across what he wanted and did it in a nonviolent way. It's a good day for America when people can hold non violent rallies and speak their mind.

So is SD on the left? Love the hats and I was hoping there would be an ATS emblem somewhere!
Thank you guys for showing support and bringing your experience back here. It looks like everyone had a good and harmonious time. Although the specific numbers are hard to determine, did the span of the crowd compare with Beck's rally, iyo? Just curious, and I guess we'll get some numbers tomorrow. Was there a lot of trash left over?
I hope not or that may become a talking point instead of the issues.
I caught some of the show and Stewart's closing words, which imo were accurate, encouraging, entertaining and hopefully effective in representing the "middle road" people.

Peace,
spec

Originally posted by speculativeoptimist
So is SD on the left?

Always!

Although the specific numbers are hard to determine, did the span of the crowd compare with Beck's rally, iyo?

I dunno, I didn't go to the GB rally and it was at the other end of the National Mall. I'm sure one could compare from overhead shots. Not sure why it matters though ... it looks like both rallies exceeded their respective numbers expectations.

reply to post by schrodingers dog

Not sure why it matters though

I guess it's more of a personal inquiry, a barometer, if you will, as an attempt for me to gauge the social perspective proportions of our country and their stances. I will concur though, other factors of the event outweigh that tidbit of info, just curious.
Where can we get one of those ATS hats? Did you guys see any other ATS emblems anywhere?

spec
ETA: Thanks for the u2u

"On the whole I think most were shocked that there were that many people there, and not knowing why they were there. But they were there looking at each other and giggles abounded."

That part is great. Why the hell WERE you all there ?

Beck's rally drew a larger crowd, but that's hardly a fair way to gauge the popularity of either political movement seeing as most Beck followers just drove their houses there while reasonable, sane Americans have jobs and/or various other real-world responsibilities.

Thanks for the piccys and the going guys!
cant do so from the other side of the world. I was hoping this rally would be a success.

so what was what is the official attendance...actually its ok , that would just start a uselelss debate that wont prove anything.

I am just glad that lots of people went.

nothing like a little solidarity with giggles!

Originally posted by 2theC
so what was what is the official attendance...

Daily Show producers estimate the total attendance to be somewhere between 50 and 500 million people.

What a tame show though.

Could almost say pro war show, with the soldiers singing the national anthem etc

Maybe it's just me but is there a uncanny resemblance between Schrodinger and Schrodinger's Dog?

reply to post by Monger

Daily Show producers estimate the total attendance to be somewhere between 50 and 500 million people.

Yes, they counted all the footprints, and divided by two. Later tonight, I think they're gonna get some Fox "News" interns to weigh all the Porta-Potty contents, to come up with a more precise estimate.....

A happy happenstance was the coincidence of Hallowe'en weekend; so, quite a few costumes, though not de rigueur, added to the festiveness. AND, as a person who usually is not particularly fond of crushing crowds, this group of people had a mood that was open and jovial, and vibrant. Made it less unpleasant than a bunch of stick-up-their-arses types I reckon would have been at Glenn Dreck's Beck's little shindig. (Beck's........hmmmm, beer....slobber, drool....)

We were in time for (it came upon us without warning) the experiment of the first-ever (AFAIK) crowd "wave" on the National Mall, organized (I learned later, from passenger on Metro) by Jamie and Adam, of the Mythbusters show.

Trying to recall some favorite signs...anything that bashed Fox was a given, of course..."Sanity...not Hannity" stood out. In SDog's linky you can see one that caught my eye (because of the reference, and the misspelling!):

"Keep Master-
Bation Legal"



And, of course, "I Couldn't Think Of A Witty Slogan, But Anyway I'm Running Out Of Lett.."

The videos don't seem to work on the link (at least not for me) and I can't upload media on ATS, therefore I uploaded them to YT:

Originally posted by speculativeoptimist
reply to post by schrodingers dog

 

Not sure why it matters though

I guess it's more of a personal inquiry, a barometer, if you will, as an attempt for me to gauge the social perspective proportions of our country and their stances. I will concur though, other factors of the event outweigh that tidbit of info, just curious.
Where can we get one of those ATS hats? Did you guys see any other ATS emblems anywhere?

spec
ETA: Thanks for the u2u

edit on 30-10-2010 by speculativeoptimist because: (no reason given)

Jon Stewart went out of his way to tease the MSM and how they fail to report the message of rallies as much as "Color and Size"...

He went further in jest "because we know if you have too many white people at a rally, then your cause is racist but if you have too many people of color at a rally, well then you must be just asking for something "

In essence...he was making the point that number of attendees or the racial make-up of a rally is vastly less important than what the rally's cause is and he didn't want to get into a numbers game.

That said...For those who can't resist....

Beck estimates according to arial photography..87k
Rally to Restore Sanity, And/Or Fear!...215k
www.rawstory.com...


He also knocked NPR and CNN..

Here is one of my favorite quotes from the rally..

There are terrorists, and racists, and Stalinists, and theocrats, but those are titles that must be earned! You must have the resume! Not being able to distinguish between real racists and Tea Party-ers, or real bigots and Juan Williams or Rick Sanchez is an insult--not only to those people, but to the racists themselves, who have put in the exhausting effort it takes to hate. Just as the inability to distinguish terrorists from Muslims makes us less safe, not more.

The press is our immune system. If it overreacts to everything, we actually get sicker--and, perhaps, eczema. And yet... I feel good. Strangely, calmly, good. Because the image of Americans that is reflected back to us by our political and media process is false. It is us, through a funhouse mirror--and not the good kind that makes you look slim in the waist, and maybe taller, but the kind where you have a giant forehead, and an ass shaped like a month-old pumpkin, and one eyeball.

So why would we work together? Why would you reach across the aisle, to a pumpkin-assed forehead eyeball monster? If the picture of us were true, of course our inability to solve problems would actually be quite sane and reasonable--why would you work with Marxists actively subverting our Constitution, and homophobes who see no one's humanity but their own?

We hear every damned day about how fragile our country is, on the brink of catastrophe, torn by polarizing hate, and how it's a shame that we can't work together to get things done. The truth is, we do! We work together to get things done every damned day! The only place we don't is here (in Washington) or on cable TV!

But Americans don't live here, or on cable TV. Where we live, our values and principles form the foundation that sustains us while we get things done--not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

Originally posted by maybereal11
[In essence...he was making the point that number of attendees or the racial make-up of a rally is vastly less important than what the rally's cause is and he didn't want to get into a numbers game.

Which is what it should be. Now if everyone - including the far left - would just follow that standard.
The color makeup of Restore Sanity was much the same as the color makeup of Restore Honor.

Beck estimates according to arial photography..87k
Rally to Restore Sanity, And/Or Fear!...215k

I saw CBS pushing that 87K number. It was absurd. Just as the official Mall number for Restore Sanity of 60K was insanely low. In reality (without media agendas) it looked like they both got about the same number of people. And considering the political makeup of this country, and how split it is, the fact that they got equal amounts of people makes sense.

Both rallies were good days for America.
Freedom of speech. Freedom to express yourself in a nonviolent manner.
People coming together to help America in the best way they know how.
No one getting hurt. No crimes committed. No racism or violence.

Awesome!

reply to post by maybereal11


Agreed and thank you for the info

@ Flyersfan-

Both rallies were good days for America.
Freedom of speech. Freedom to express yourself in a nonviolent manner.
People coming together to help America in the best way they know how.
No one getting hurt. No crimes committed. No racism or violence.

Me too....

spec