The mainstream media were predicting that a few thousand people would attend the 9/12 tea party in Washington, D.C., protesting runaway government spending, deficits, and taxation. Organizers would have been extremely pleased with 30,000. How many showed up? According to the London Daily Mail, a million people attended the tea-party rally. But other media sources such as the Associated Press put the number at tens of thousands.

Your correspondent’s napkin math would suggest more like 300,000 based on YouTube time lapse photos showing throngs of 20 to 25 abreast streaming from Freedom Square to the Capitol from 8 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.

 
Actually most didn't get close to the Capitol as only the early birds made it east of the General Grant memorial with others surrounding the reflecting pool a dozen deep, and stretching west past 3rd Street NW toward the Washington monument. 
 
Whatever the numbers, they only tell a fraction of the story. The spirit of America on display was overwhelming. When getting on a metro train that had turned back to Washington only one stop earlier, there was standing room only. We, as newcomers, were greeted by cheers and applause when we squeezed in. We sang America the Beautiful, the National Anthem, did the “USA” thing, and cheered whenever anyone shouted “Freedom!” To those of us that had traveled many miles to be on the metro early that morning, it was astounding to find the Washingtonians — who were just riding to do Saturday morning errands — had never even heard that there was going to be a rally at the Capitol. One might imagine the publicity that would have blanketed the mainstream media had this been an event in favor of (say) a "public option" for socialized health care.
 
Marchers were supposed to be organized by states and were to carry their state flags, but the crowds at Freedom Square were so large that the march commenced an hour or so early precluding any kind of organization. There just wasn't any room to stand still; it was as if we were toothpaste and the tube was being squeezed pushing the tea party protesters down Pennsylvania Avenue.
 
Different than any such demonstration within living memory was the spontaneity of the gathering. There were no famous politicians or movie or rock stars to draw a crowd, nor a crowd manufactured by organizers who supplied transportation, food, lodging, and/or stipends for the marchers. Participants were there at their own expense without even having registered or otherwise given any notice to the tiny, dedicated cadre of volunteer rally organizers that they were coming. Except for a few "Life and Liberty" signs, there were few machine printed posters with the originality of the verbiage being one of the main sources of marchers' good humor. Everyone was taking pictures of everyone else's signs. Except for one case where an alert demonstrator scooted a picture of Obama under the product of a police horse, the signs (so far as I was able to see) were in remarkable good taste with the "Take Our Country Back" theme overwhelming anti-Obama rhetoric by a large margin.
 
It is likely that never in the last 150 years has there ever been such a mass demonstration at the capitol where the participants were not asking for a federal handout, a law favorable to special interests, or some other sort of favoritism. Instead, the marchers were demanding that the government obey the Constitution and "just leave us alone." Many people would come up to a stranger and say such things as "I am so very glad you are here" and "Isn't it wonderful thing to be an American today?" While not sure about the reaction of others to these heartfelt comments, your correspondent had a very difficult time holding back the tears. In fact, recalling that feeling, I'm having the same difficulty right now.

Practicalities, however, beg the following questions:

• What will be the effect on current legislative proposals? It is extremely unlikely that the Obama administration or Democratic congressional leaders will pay any attention at all to protests as they are driven by a collectivist ideology immune to any consideration of public opinion. But how will the moderate Democrats and the few renegade Republicans be influenced? We often hear that a factor of 10 or 100 is given to the weight of each letter received by politicians — that there is assumed another 10 or 100 people have the same opinion but didn't bother to take the trouble to send the message. How do these politicians calculate the weight of constituents who in many cases spent hundreds of dollars to travel hundreds (or even thousands) of miles, stay in motels, pay for baby sitters for the kids at home, and cover all of the other expenses necessary for a working individual to uproot family activities in order to show their opposition to the proposed unconstitutional growth in the federal government? In many cases, of course, these constituents had to take time off from work on Friday (often using a vacation day for the purpose) because of the travel time involved to be to Washington for the rally on Saturday.

• Will this movement be a flash in the pan? Will it lead to political action? And, far more importantly, will it result in large numbers of Americans (including the tea-party participants) becoming better informed about the Constitution and the principles of limited government? Without such an awakening, many good Americans including tea-party participants could easily be misled by political leaders who claim to support lower taxes while working for big government. American voters have certainly been fooled in the past, but the better informed voters become, the more difficult it will be for pied pipers to once again lead them astray. And this, of course, is exactly why informed constitutionalists should make their voices heard within the tea-party movement and point as many tea-party participants (many of whom have never been involved before) in the right direction.

Photo at top: AP Images

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Mark Redeker said:

This is not a flash in the pan Two friends and myself traveled 21 hours Strait through from Kansas and are already looking forward to any event to promote smaller government. The place was electric with feeling of patriotism and gave me hope that the over reaching by this administration has truly awakened a sleeping giant know in the past as the silent majority. I have a feeling WE will be silent no longer!!!

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September 13, 2009
Votes: +24

FRED BENSON said:

I WANTED TO COME I was really moved and wanted to attend, but finances wouldnt allow the trip from Florida. I believe in this economy and so many struggling just to get by, many people who wanted to go didn't go. From all I have spoke to, this is no flash in the pan. People want freedom that we get only from our constitution, no more no less. limited federal government must be returned to the people or we will revolt at the poles. Something to remeber is someone this motivated will not only vote but help neighbors to vote!!!

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September 14, 2009
Votes: +15

tom edmondson said:

	... John Tate for Campaign For Liberty's speech was one of the best., and the only one emphasizing the evil of The Federal Reserve Bank and the Chairman Barney Frank's scheduled hearings September 24th(??). Ron Paul's book release this week will be frosting on the Constitutional Cake of Liberty!!
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September 14, 2009
Votes: +9

NHq said:

	... ACtually if you view the park service's charts you will see that when the streets are full like that it's automatically 1.5M. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-01-19-crowd_N.htm http://www.nhteapartycoalition.org/tea/2009/09/12/bigger-than-woodstock/
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September 14, 2009
Votes: +9

LynnS said:

Estimates are WAAAY off "If the National Mall is densely packed from Third Street to the Washington Monument, and if the area from the monument to the Lincoln Memorial has an average density, the space could contain 1.5 million people.. Average density is one person per 5 square feet. A tightly packed crowd has a density of one person per 2.5 square feet.." (See above linked USA Today story for population charts) Mainstream blather is lying, once again.

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September 14, 2009
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Wayne Leach said:

	... Freedom is not automatic - nor eternal. It requires vigilance AND participation. This movement is not going away! Suggest another related "to the cause" website, www.GiveMeLiberty.org.
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September 14, 2009
Votes: +7

cherri said:

	ms. there is nothing on major news about this march! nothing on the internet on sunday under Yahoo News. The media has not reported this! a few stories but you have to search for them! What is going on????? If the march had been FOR Obama, we would still be watching interviews. this is scary
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September 14, 2009
Votes: +19

Lewis said:

	... Everyone should e-mail this story to every news media outlet they can find an address for. Tell them that we will no longer tolerate their propagandizing favoritism for BO!
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September 14, 2009
Votes: +4

The Warner said:

... Cherri, After the "League of Nations" failure after the planned WarI, to end all wars, the bankers bought the Media to prepare the populace for the next planned WarII "United Nations" as a "peace keeping" agency. So, it is the Bankatariate financing the strategizing of the Professariate (universities purchased through "Study Grants" to organize and through NGOs the Proletariate. The NGOs (Non Governmental Operatives) receive the money through the naturally tax exempt foundations and government programs. Thus you can now see why we, Constitutionalists, cannot get a fair shake-it was planned that way. Large organized religeon is also media. Thus you have the National Council of Churches...etc. I have not explained local conspiracies like the Madoffs but the "Master Conspiracy" explained when you read the confessions of David Rockefeller in his book "Memoirs" that he has participated in this theft of the world scam - and "proud of it". Nothing is too small or to big to rig.

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September 14, 2009
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Thomas Paine said:

We won't forget the following: We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide a common defense, and to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this Constituion for the United States. (Preamble to the constitution). Gee how original!!! Maybe we should listen to the old men in wigs.

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September 14, 2009
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Harlan Powell said:

Town Crier of Polkville I was there, and enjoyed every minute of it. People have called the town hall protestors "uncouth rednecks" and even such defamatory things as, can you believe?, as K.K.K. These sophomoric pontificators should read the reports and look at the videos shot at the Tea Party. They would see a cross section of citizens who have worked for what they got and paid taxes -- all this for a spendthrift government that is hell bent to take, as Lyndon Johnson said, "to take from the haves and give to the have nots." He was not only smiling, he was drooling, when he was photographed signing the welfare legislation 'entitled' The Great Society. They say Robert Kennedy and his brother Teddy didn't like Lyndon Johnson. How could that possibly have been? Teddy also seemed to delight in creating government handouts, many of which have gone to able-bodied people who should be working instead of sitting home puffing cigarettes and watching television. Govt. spending is worse than ever, a spree of long standing intensified by George Bush and gone asolutely amok with this administration. People who pay taxes and obey the laws have sat and taken it long enough. Let us take to the streets, gang. Geronimo!!!!!

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September 14, 2009 | url
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Lannis W. Janssen said:

	Mr. The movement is underway. Watch for next chance to climb on board...Stand up and be heard until the truth is accepted as truth.
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September 14, 2009
Votes: +2

Lee Gonzales said:

Demonstrations by Patriots and Right To Lifers ignored [again] by the Mainstream media Was ABC television, NBC, or CBS there with their cameras? How much coverage did CNN cable news dedicate to it? Did Fox News give the event the same degree of coverage it gave the last Tea Party events? Lewis suggests that we : "...e-mail this story to every news media outlet they can find an address for. Tell them that we will no longer tolerate their propagandizing favoritism for BO!" For the last 10 years The Right To Life organization has been ignored by the MSM even though at the last event that took place in Washington, DC. http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/family/715 There was a massive turnout(200,000, but as usual were collectively ignored by the networks and major print media. Tea Party Express was not derailed locally. Many local affiliates of media networks gave them coverage along the way to DC where the TP Express was received with silence. Silence from Washington politicians and silence from local and national media. So why spend $'s on a trip by train, plane or drive there in your own car if media ignores the event? The up-side is that you get to feel good about mingling with thousands of patriots and personally meeting hundreds or dozens of other Americans who feel as you do. You get to network and meet reps from various organizations and see them in action. Bloggers and internet news sites such as this one gave the TPX good publicity and you'll have YouTube evidence to show the TPX was there. It's fun being a patriot. But the TPX went there to get noticed by the major media. There is your downside right there- no coverage. I don't see the enthusiasm dwindling as a result of zip coverage from Big News. People will still spend money on a trip and contribute to the election of a patriotic candidate. All good things to do to get our country back. In between the demonstrations and the candidates think about donating to the John Birch Society and this website. www.jbs.org

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September 14, 2009
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still free said:

	Thanks to all who commented above. Soros made sure the press would not cover the DC story. It's just business as usual for them ... ignore us completely until we go away. But this time we are NOT going away! Freedom has an address: jbs.org Join us in the battle to take America Back. Donate if you can, no matter how little. God Bless America.
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September 14, 2009
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Wisconsin Patriot said:

The Giant has Spoken! I was there last Saturday, and wept as the National Anthem was played. I am so proud of my country. i hadno idea the turnout was this big. I expected 300-400,000 people. The DC metro police estimated the crowd to be 2 million. One cop I spoke with said he has never seen a crowd this big before. It doesn't matter what the exact number was, what does matter is that America has finally woken up. To borrow the phrase, "They have awoken a Sleeping Giant" is exactly what has happened. This movement was as grass roots as it can get, everyone paid their own way. God Bless everyone who went to DC or prayed for those that did go. We will take our Country back from these Tyrants, they are running scared, the cat has been let out of the bag. We will not let up until the Federal Reserve and the IRS are abolished. Way to go America, Pelosi, Reid, Obama and the rest of those cock roaches can shove it where the sun doesn't shine!

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September 14, 2009
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Flu-Bird said:

	Too bad liberals Too bad for the liberal news media but there wasnt one single proobama sign no signs reading HOPE,CHANGE and no ACORN wackos waving foodtrys and the liberal news media sit around in a state of shock
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September 14, 2009
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lookinthemirror said:

	... Once you know the truth, you can never go back. revolution. "If you want to know who is going to change this country, go home and look in the mirror." -Maude Barlow
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September 15, 2009
Votes: +1

Citizen Joe said:

... The blackout of news coverage of the 9/12 tea party by the Council on Foreign Relations controlled media cartel has been simply incredible. I have seen some estimates of attendance at 1.7 million people. The day after the party (Sunday) and again on Monday, I found no mention of this huge event on NBC, CBS, or ABC. Ditto for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The media can devote the majority of air time to the death of the likes of Michael Jackson for weeks and yet an enormous crowd in the nation's capitol demanding less government is not considered news. The dwindling circulation and influence of major newspapers is well deserved. I have decided to no longer follow the media cartel's TV national "news". It would be well for them to follow the cartel's newspapers and magazines into oblivion. Citizen Joe

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September 15, 2009
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Drew Briney said:

... Media coverage on this is infuriating. For those of us who are broke during this marvelous recession caused in part by our out of control government, how can we show our support for rallies like this (couldn't afford to go to it) but more importantly (perhaps) help educate people about alternative media sources so that these demonstrations get the attention that they rightfully ought to have? Concerned...

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September 15, 2009
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Debbie said:

... I went to the march and it was amazing. I don't care that the obsolete media wasn't there. As far as I'm concerned they can go under. I don't watch them anyway. Our message is getting out on youtube and Fox, etc. If each of us talks to a few people in our neighborhoods everyone will know what's happening soon enough and be happy to join with us. Go to icaucus.org to find out how to elect new constitution loving representatives. They have a system that has already been tried successfully.

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September 15, 2009
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JJOHN said:

	Re: Willing to join I will join at anytime, anyday, anyplace!!!!!!!!
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September 15, 2009
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Jim Capo said:

Awesome turnout for the freedom movement, but let's get our numbers straight. I was there too. It was fantastic. The only thing keeping me from being totally pumped are the wild exaggerations of the attendance figures. Our side of truth seekers needs to set a higher standard than the controlled media, tabloid bloggers and the disinformation specialists. Absolutely NO WAY there was anything like a million or more people there. Well over 100,000 is a big number in its own right. It does not need to be grossly inflated to prove that the message of less government please is catching on with the American people. Ed has done well to start out with a napkin number of 300,000. Taking a sharper pencil to the back of envelop will get him down to 200,000, which is in striking distance of the truth. WND and others who reference numbers in the millions from British tabloids like the Daily Mirror do nothing for anyone's credibility. Additional commentary and photos: http://www.jbs.org/component/myblog/big-crowd-for-small-government.html

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September 15, 2009 | url
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St. James said:

	I wish I was there... Congratulations to all those true Patriots who made it to the event... Your Patriotism and American Spirit was an awesome spectacle to behold. Your humble gathering makes me proud to serve this country. I salute each and every one of you. God help them in 2010!
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September 16, 2009
Votes: +1