September 11, 2009. A grass roots effort to protest national health care proposals and the out of control congressional spending has resulted in a bus tour to over 30 cities across the United States. The conclusion of the tour would culminate in Washington DC on September 12th. Paddy and I attended the September 11th tour in Toms River NJ.
Paddy and I came early and had dinner at Jack Baker's Lobster Shanty restaurant. It had rained heavily and the high tide was backing up into the street. We asked our server, who was around 25 years old, if he knew where the Tea Party Express rally was being held; he never even heard of it. We found out later that it was only 3 blocks from the restaurant !
It was raining lightly when we arrived.
Many people had signs. It was a quiet and orderly rally. When queried, the sign holders were well informed about the current situation in our country.
I was reluctant to go to this rally because I was catching a head cold and it was raining. Even though it was 15 minutes past the start of the event, the Tour Bus was still an hour out on the Garden State Parkway, a victim of Friday night traffic at the shore. Since dinner didn't perk me up, we left. I would have liked to have photographed the bus, the speakers and the music venues, such was not the case.