I'm still a little jacked up!

Yesterday was amazing.
To see so many people stand up for their country as it was founded did my heart good.
THERE IS HOPE PEOPLE!!! Because so many of us care. We are truly not alone.
I'm so honored that I was able to speak yesterday. Now I'm not saying that I wasn't terrified (oh man,, and it showed!) but it was definitely a once in a lifetime thrill!
The weather on the other hand was FOUL. We were wet and frozen to the core but do you know what? So was George Washington when he crossed the Delaware. The Hessians weren't expecting him because of the weather. I wonder if Washington was expecting us?!
Here is my little speech from yesterday:

Good Afternoon!

I (too) want to thank you for coming out today when it would have been easier to stay home.
I want to thank those of you who have never done anything like this before but are ready to say "I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"
I respectfully stand in awe those of you who are steadfast and strong and have decided to stand on your principles.
I commend those of you who are afraid,,, but you're here anyway.
And for those of you who lie awake at night and worry.........
This homeschool mom of 2 awesome boys and wife of an incredible soldier who served his country until they made him come home.....
I would like to offer you a shoulder... because I understand.

When I began to ask people to join me here today they would inevitably ask me "What are you protesting?"
This gave me pause.
I hesitated again when Anne asked me why I felt like today was important.
Why do I feel so passionately about our presence here in Charleston WV? Why are people all over the nation raising their fists and saying "DON'T TREAD ON ME!"?
I believe we run the risk of becoming fractured if we do not come together and agree on a purpose.
I understand that without purpose there is anarchy and anarchy acts as a vacuum to which anything will rush in to fill the void.
So I needed a purpose, I settled on three major reasons:
My first is that I am terrified by the massive leaps towards socialism that this country is taking. What was skipping in previous years, is now a full fledged run. I cannot stand by while the greatest nation the world has ever known is destroyed from the inside out. President Reagan said it best when he reminded us that "if we loose freedom here we have no place to escape".
My second is our liberty. Liberty is what I hold dearest. I mentioned before that our family educates our children at home. This is only one of hundreds of liberties that are dangleing precariously ready to become over regulated and nearly impossible if the current transnationalist friendly administration gets it's way. We are entering into an age where state protectionism, economic interventionism, and regulatory policies are becoming the norm.
Thank you but no thank you Mr. President, I am a free citizen of these United States and I will fight while clinging to MY GOD and MY GUN, to keep it that way.
Last and certainly not least is OUR Constitution. The greatest document ever carved out by common patriots. The framers went to great lengths to prevent the type of tyranny they fought so hard against. The idea that political rule should be according to a document, not the will of kings is the essence of the republicanism (small r) that has made the US government great.
Right now? I don't feel like it is. I feel like they are making up rules as they go along. "Social Policy" they say. We are a nation of Laws not Men and NO ONE should be above the law.

Do we still know the freedoms that were intended for us by the founding fathers? I challenge you to pick up a copy of the Constitution, read it, and cross off the parts that you don't want or that you are willing to compromise on. I'm willing to bet that it remains uncut.

I hear so often when I ask people to stand with me, "I'm just one person,, what can I do?" or "It won't do any good, they don't care". I understand this all too well because I too am only one person, as are you.... and you... and you.... and you. Together we are not "one person" together.... we are a MOVEMENT. While we may disagree on policy, I think we can all agree on the values of a peaceful society. The time has come to hold our representatives to these values as well.
Honesty
Reverence
Hope
Thrift
Humility
Charity
Sincerity
Moderation
Hard Work
Courage
Personal Responsibility
Gratitude
I know these are the values that YOU live your life by and the time has come to send a clear message to our representatives that they work FOR US! They are held to OUR standards, we are not ruled... we are a REPUBLIC.
Thank you.

Here are some pictures