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The Daily Herald Staff Writer
  
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Protest signs compared Obama to Hitler, while others warned voters to put representatives in office and could/would take them out.
Organizer Pat Croisetiere brought in speakers like Tom Redfern from the John Birch Society, Robert Cressionnie from America in Danger, Rory Richardson from the American Patriots Committee and Doug Kemerer from OathKeepers.
There were salutes to veterans, the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem. Those in attendance were encouraged to keep the movement up to fight issues like cap and trade and the government run health care system.
Several members of the audience took the podium to speak of their dissatisfaction with government decisions.
Elizabeth “Grandma” Pullen expressed her concerns about Medicare. “They’re not going to take our Medicare away from us. We earned it,” she said. Pullen also said, “Last time we got together, I was an angry Democrat. Now I’m a registered Republican.” The crowd clapped and cheered at her decision. She, along with the other speakers encouraged everyone to continue to contact their representatives and give their opinion on how they should vote on the issues.
Many in the group brought items for Christmas stockings for the troops through Boatsie’s Boxes. Christmas stockings for the troops will be assembled at Becker Village Mall this weekend.
Horace Pullen, a veteran from Whitakers, encouraged the crowd to give and explained how much it means to a soldier when he gets a care package, especially over the holidays. He said, “You can’t know how much it means when you get something from home.”
Comments
John Hampton wrote on Nov 17, 2009 11:05 PM:
I don’t understand how people can be so selfish; when it concerns there follow Americans. One in six Americans didn’t have enough to eat last year, but we send billions of dollars in food to other countries every month. It’s like giving money to another family when your family has nothing to eat. I am veteran who served over 26 years in the military and have been working in Afghanistan for the past 2 years in support on my country and the Tea Party don’t represent me or the troops making sacrifices. As far as heath care raising taxes, a Taliban fighter that’s injured in battle can visit any American hospital after fighting our troops, receive Class A care and then be released to fight again. Everyday the hospitals are filled with lines of local Afghan and Iraqi people and if procedures can not be done at the location they are transported to other countries for care. Why are we granting Visa’s to Afghan and Iraqi civilians and funding their travel, living expenses for 9 months in the states. How are these operations being funded? I well tell you, our tax dollars, that’s how.
These people say they love there countries but its American troops that are getting killed to protected it. If they don’t care enough to protect there on rights, why are our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers being asked to make such a huge sacrifice. It should be the Afghan Government responsibility to convince the Afghan people that life would be better with a secure country. Instead they are lining there pockets, through kick backs and bribes from equipment and support that our Government is providing. I don’t know how they will pay for there houses in Dubai and California if the Americans discontinue funding for this operation.
People should not be protesting about paying taxes so Americans can have heath care and other benefits, when our tax dollars are making Afghan’s billionaires and they pay zero into our tax system. Let’s take care of home first.
John Hampton
3250, HWY 301 North
Pleasant Hill, NC 27866 "