-By Warner Todd Huston
I attended a gathering of Americans protesting both for and against Obamacare in front of Illinois Rep. Melissa Bean’s Schaumburg offices this afternoon, though those protesting against Obamacare far out numbered those in favor of it I have to say. It is also amazing that anyone came out as cold and snowy as it was!
I suppose there were just over 100 folks out with their Gadsen flags, American flags, and both professionally printed and homemade signs with their favorite slogans upon them. One fellow even showed up with his tricorn hat and a pitchfork!
It seemed to me that just over 1/8th of the crowd were pro-Obama folks. They were obviously professionally organized, however, and not true, grassroots folks because a big Obama Bus dropped them off in front of Rep. Bean’s offices. It is also worth noting that most of the signs that the pro-Obama forces had were professionally printed signs. There were some handmade ones, too (as seen in the photos below), but most were printed and not hand made.
On the anti-Obamacare side of the aisle, if you will, there were a few signs from a rally from previous in the week that were passed out by Americans for Prosperity (the signs were a well-worn, so it’s obvious that they weren’t passed out during this protest). The largest number of anti-Obamacare signs were hand made, however.
To me this bespeaks that the patriot forces were far more of a grass roots group. They all came on their own, few belonged to any larger organization, and they were passionate about the destruction that Obama has wrought upon the country. The pro-Obama forces were organized by Organizers for America — the subsequent website to Obama’s campaign website — they had mostly professionally printed signs, and they were bussed to the site. I know which side seems like real America to me… how about you?
Also in attendance was 8th District GOP candidate for Congress Joe Walsh. (following two photos)
A fellow that told the crowd that he was an insurance salesman also took the bullhorn for a few minutes to warn everyone what was in Obamacare and how it will destroy our medical care in America.
I also got a chance to meet Chicago Tea Party organizer Steve Stevlic. He also introduced me to the lovely Carrie Miller, the Regional Coordinator for the Illinois Tea Org. and Schaumburg Tea Party who, I was told, came out even though she had a terrible cold.
Here are some more photos of the protest…
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“The only end of writing is to enable the reader better to enjoy life, or better to endure it.”
–Samuel Johnson
Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as Andrew Breitbart’s BigGovernment.com, RightWingNews.com, CanadaFreePress.com, StoptheACLU.com, TheRealityCheck.org, Human Events Magazine, AmericanDailyReview.com, and the New Media Journal, among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events and is currently the co-host of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Conservatism” heard on BlogTalkRadio. Warner is also the editor of the Cook County Page for RedCounty.com.
He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of PubliusForum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston
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