Would you care for some TEA?

It was big, as I expected. Guesstimates are between 4,ooo-8,ooo Portlanders packed themselves into Pioneer Courthouse Square for the Tax Day Tea Party.
I brought several friends along. The square was full, but we weren't packed in like sardines or anything. You could move about it needed but it was much more comfortable to stay put.
That didn't stop Commander C and 2 other 9 year olds from going about distributing the 100 free copies of The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution that I brought along. I had planned to give them to people on the street who weren't part of the Tea Party but people at the Tea Party were SO grateful for them that I am very happy that I brought them.
It was patriotic. There was a reading of the ENTIRE Declaration of Independence accompanied by a lot of cheering. There was a pledge and I must say it is inspiring to say it in unison with 5,000 of your closest compatriots. There was a prayer that was "non-denominational" However, it was little too evangelical for the Mormons in the crowd. Mostly we were confused trying to figure out if the actual prayer had started yet and then we we alarmed at the irreverent echoing and cheers. We all said "Amen" and looked at each other furtively wondering if we really agreed with the prayer or not.
There were some great speeches including one about community. There were more anti-Obama signs than I would have liked to have seen, I really thought it took away from the message of out of control spending. Keira and I felt a little saucy about any would be IRS agents looking for someone to Audit.
The I "heart" Reagan "tea" shirts were worn and someone asked me to make one for her. I agreed. We had so much fun. I now consider myself a "real" Portlander with a protest under my belt.
The environmentalists put the kibosh on our dumping the tea in the river, so we had to make do with dumping the tea in bins. Still, it felt great. Someone did dress like an Indian. That takes guts.

I brought Commander C along because I wanted him to feel what it is like to be with people who are united behind the Constitution of the United States of America. I wanted him to feel thousands of people chanting "U.S.A." I wanted him to feel thousands of people who love our freedom enough to fight for it.

He knows about the Boston Tea Party of 1773 and why it was held and now he can say he was at the Tea Party of 2009 and why we were there.
He loved it.

I want my children to cry when they think of men and women fighting for their freedom, when they hear a patriotic song and when they see our great monuments, as I do. I want them to be angry and speak out when they see our rights and freedoms being taken away, as I do.

I want the hearts of patriots to beat within their breasts.