The words, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America" meant more to me that day than just about ever. Standing, hand over heart, I got to pledge my allegiance to this country with half a million others. Where else can you do that with that many people? It was a powerful punch of pathos for all present. To sum up my impressions on the entire event, one word comes to mind: Hope.
I stayed the night the night before the Restoring Honor Rally near D.C. with a couple of my best friends. We woke up early Saturday morning and took the metro into D.C. One of the most impressionable elements of the whole experience was the travel time inside the train. I was surrounded by hundreds, thousands of good people. Everywhere I looked was the epitome of kindness, courtesy, respectability. If I could earn a dollar for each smile I saw, I'd be rich. Men were gentlemen, women were ladylike. I heard "pardon me", "after you", "would you like my seat", and "thank you" so many times. Clean language, clean dress, clean people! I felt like I could trust anyone around me, even with a child. It was very impressive and reassuring. Seeing this mix of people was a testimony to me that this event was a good thing. Look at the fruits. And, seeing this mix of people reminded me that there are many good people in this country and in the world.
Well, the metro dropped us off right outside George Washington University. Even though the bottlenecking of the station exit produced horrific heat and congestion, I never heard an angry expletive escape anyone. Good people.
My friends and I walked to the Mall where we joined around 500,000 supporters of restoring honor to our country. The massive crowds, though, didn't produce a feeling like an overgrown concert or anything rowdy at all. Plus, there were no demonstrations against the rally, only a couple of low-budget signs mocking Glenn Beck and venerating MLK. Ironically, the majority of those who spoke were African American, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s own neice, Dr. Alveda King.
Glenn Beck's simple call for our nation to return to Faith, Hope, and Charity was so powerful. But in order to appeal to so many, the rally included several interest groups that diluted that beautifully simple message. Nonetheless, I really think the rally was a great thing for our country. I think it gave courage to those seeking good in our country. I think it gave clout to the movement for a moral, small-yet-dignified American government. I'm so glad I was able to be a small part of the rally.
America has great hope!
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