I don’t know if it was the draw of the Tall Ship Amazing Grace, or Bob Basso doing his Thomas Paine speech, but the attendance today at Vancouver Landing, on such a hot day, was fantastic.
I don’t know how the Columbian will spin it, but I estimate a good 1500 or more withstood the heat to listen to the Thomas Paine speech and mingle with likeminded people fed up with what is happening in our country.
Thomas Hann opened the event on time at 1 PM. Following he Pledge of Allegiance and invocation, KPAM 860 AM Radio Host Victoria Taft took over as M.C. with a motivational speech, leading up to introducing Dr. Bob Basso as Colonial Patriot Thomas Paine who spoke for over a half hour, inspiring the audience and reminding us of our founding heritage and how we have allowed it to be abandoned.
He said that he had performed as Thomas Paine at some 416 rally’s over the past 9 months, a schedule most would be hard pressed to keep up with at half.
As if on cue and to the extreme pleasure of the audience, 4 F-15 Jets flew overhead one after the other. The roar of approval and appreciation from the audience was almost enough to drown out the sound of the jets.
A dipping of the wings of one of them would have been the perfect setting for all.
Along with reminding us of our founding heritage, Basso recalled all those who have lost their lives defending the very freedoms we are now poised to lose under the every growing government takeovers.
He asked all to give thanks to those serving today and then asked for all who have ever worn the uniform to hold up their hands, asking the audience to give a big hand and thanks to those who have stood up in the past for our country.
After the reception we Viet Nam Vets have seen and felt all these years, it is welcome, if not emotional, to finally see so many giving up thanks for all we did.
After Mr. Basso’s inspiring performance and with the audience “Fired Up, Ready To Go,” his wife Paula Swornay, Ms. Sr. California 2003 and a Soprano Opera singer, treated all to a really great rendition of God Bless America.
The Reverend Wayne Perryman, a Black conservative from the Seattle area, was up next and took up where Basso left off.
Unfortunately, during Rev. Perryman’s speech is when my wife and I had to leave.
People of Clark County and America, we have begun, there is no turning back. America belongs to us, not to elected officials who vote their own pay rate and benefits package in. The country doesn’t belong to those who ignore our very founding principles for power or personal gain, sticking future generations with the bill.
This is our country, Democrat, Republican, Independent; it belongs to us, not temporary officials who think of them selves first.
Look how politicians in Washington D.C. has stirred us up in opposition to each other, how the belittle the opposition across the aisle and demand what they will not give, then go have parties and drinks with each other, or appear together at functions, just like old friends.
We are Americans and we must put an end to all this and put the country back on track, as it used to be.
Remember, just as we were reminded today by Dr. Basso of Thomas Jefferson’s words, “When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”
Recall is other words as well, “What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?”
Thank you to all who organized and participated in today’s rally.
Thank you to all who bore the heat to attend.
Most of all, thank you to all of you who are serving in today’s Military and all those from times past.
It is a great time to be a Patriot and an American!
More photos HERE
All week long Victoria Taft has been announcing a scheduled interview with Mayor Tim Leavitt of Portland’s Vancouver for 11:25 AM Thursday, May 12. The scheduled interview was accepted earlier this week.
