This past November of last year Glenn Beck announced that he was going to sponsor a rally in Washington DC he called simply "Restoring Honor". He did not give many details, but I began praying, thinking, and planning to attend. I assumed it would be a rally to honor the veterans who have served and the troops who are serving our country in the military. It was certainly that, but it was also much much more. The date announced was August 28, 2010. Although Glenn did not know it at the time, that date coincided with the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. Reflecting back, Glenn stated and I believe it was Divine Providence that selected this date, not coincidence. This would be a spiritual rally rather than a political one.
After I returned from a working vacation trip to Belize - which I blog about in http://kotamundisaysyoubetterbelizeit.blogspot.com/ - I began planning for the Restoring Honor Rally. There were groups organizing buses to the event in both Valdosta and Savannah, but none any closer. I talked with members of the local Tea Party and found three others who wanted to attend. I talked it over with my wife and youngest daughter but they could not come because both had scheduling conflicts with work and school.
On July 20, 2010, Glenn offered a 40 day and 40 night challenge to the listeners of his radio show to begin praying for the Restoring Honor Rally daily and to strive to live an honorable life daily until the event. It was evident to me that Glenn was imploring us to seek God's blessings on this event and to ask God to prepare our hearts as the event approached.
Vivian Stern volunteered to make the arrangements. On the morning of August 27, 2010 Vivian Stern, Donna Driskoll, Rick Allen, and I flew out of Albany Georgia to Atlanta and then to Washington. As I boarded the Delta flight from Atlanta to Washington, I shouted - "Who here is going to the Restoring Honor Rally? About half cheered and applauded. The steward and stewardesses looked puzzled, not sure what to make of the cheering. Within another hour or so we were walking the streets of Washington DC. As I walked through the airport and into the Metro, the first thing I noticed was how quiet the airport and the streets of Washington were compared to say Atlanta where we made a connecting flight. Congress was on recess. President Obama was on vacation. It seemed that those who were attending the rally were the only ones in Washington at that time.
Our first stop was to get tickets to a "Revival" service that Glenn Beck was also sponsoring at the Kennedy. As we left the Metro and went to board a shuttle to the Kennedy Center, the driver told us that the tickets available to the public had already been given out. They were supposed to be given out beginning at 10AM but because of the crowds forming the night before, they were given out Thursday evening. We were disappointed but Donna commented that she could get us into another event sponsored by the Frederick Douglas Foundation later that afternoon. So we grabbed a quick lunch as per my suggestion - at Ollie's Trolley - and began touring our nation's capital. We stopped at the Smithsonian and toured the American History Museum for a little over an hour. Vivian and Donna both commented that they wanted to some new art museum, so Rick and I shrugged our shoulders and said, "okay". A typical male response. But it turned out to be a cool move because inside the museum, we got to see Antonin Scalia - one of the nine Justices of the Supreme Court. How cool is that. We finally decided to take a taxi to the hotel and check in.
Taxis are everywhere in Washington. I have ridden in a taxi maybe twice in my life. The next two days I would ride in taxis a total of six times. I would compare Washington's taxi rides to a trip to the amusement park. One driver might drive like the merry go round or the ferris wheel - methodically driving through town. The next would drive like the roller coaster - fast, then slow, weaving in and out and around the other cars with the passengers having no clue which way the driver would turn them next. Then there was the House of Mirrors, or better, the House of Deception drivers who drive you for fifteen minutes around block after block after block only to drop you off about four blocks away from where you began. I just held my tongue, held on to the seat, and prayed with each trip.
We checked into the Hilton along Embassy Row in Washington and then taxied to the Capital City Club where the Republicans in Washington hang out. Donna asked the doorman for directions to the reception, but I think she must have forgotten to say which reception. We went to a reception on the third floor that had some three dozen or so people in attendance. Around one dozen of those were wounded war veterans - twenty something year old kids who had their legs or arms blown off, but whose spirits were as up beat as anyone there. It was a truly humbling experience meeting these guys. After about 45 minutes there they opened a dining hall with a banquet prepared for the guests. But we chose to leave because Donna indicated we were only invited to the reception and we did not want to intrude. We then got another taxi to take us to the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall. Freedom Works was holding a convention there with tickets still available. We found out the next day that we were at the wrong reception at the Capital City Club. The Frederick Douglas Foundation reception was on the fourth floor.
The Freedom Works Convention had approximately 2,500 people in attendance according to their website: http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/mduncan/take-america-back-2010-convention-recap Once we arrived we discovered we had just missed Glenn Beck speak and Dick Armey had already spoken as well. I saw Dick signing books just as he did a few days ago at Merry Acres in Albany. We went inside and got to hear several congressional candidates, two senate candidates, a gubernatorial candidate, and Matt Kibbe - Freedom Works President - speak. There was one candidate - Charles Lollar - a black conservative who gave an incredibly dynamic speech. He is running against Steny Hoyer in the 5th District of Maryland. I am convinced whether he wins or loses, you will certainly hear more from this guy. His website is: http://www.lollarforcongress.com/index.php/home We then taxied to a restaurant that the taxi driver recommended. It took him about 15 minutes of driving to get there. Once we got there and paid him, we noticed we were no more than four blocks away from where we began. We laughed and thought, well you live and learn - Next time have your destination decided before you get in a cab. The meal was excellent consisting of a 3 part selection with the main course choices of baked cod, grilled shrimp, or roasted pork. The service was kind of slow, but we attributed that to the waiters having to put up with diplomats, lobbiests, and rude Congressional aides. The bill was on one check and it took the waiter forever to divide the checks into four separate ones. Anyway we left a nice tip and returned by taxi to the hotel.
Friday night I could hardly sleep. I was restless for some reason. I tried reading some of Dick Armey's book. But I knew that in the next 12 hours I would experience something wonderful. I was excited. Donna and I had agreed to get up early and go to the site of the rally early - like 6AM. Rick and Vivian chose to sleep in and come later. I set the alarm to wake Rick up about an hour after I left. I met Donna in the lobby and we walked the 16 or so blocks to the Lincoln Memorial. As we approached, people were gathering. It was like the end of the movie "Field of Dreams" when the voice that said "If you build it they will come" was born out in reality. I was surprised that there were already fifty to eighty thousand people already there. We meandered down the side of the reflecting pool and I found a spot on the side of a hill where you could see through the trees to the stage - about 200 yards away. Glenn had jumbotrons erected on either side of the stage for an even better view. We sat and talked to those around us. Almost everyone was dressed in t-shirts and shorts with no political signs (at Glenn's request) and only a few American flags spattered among the crowd. I saw a guy with an Auburn shirt and cap and yelled WARRR EAGLE and got the proverbial WARRR EAGLE response! People from Maine to California to Florida to Hawaii and Alaska and every state in between attended. There was even one guy from Africa who came to the Rally. There were families with their children, men in uniform, boy scouts, girl scouts, elderly in wheel chairs, and babies who were too young to even know what was going on in attendance. As the morning went by, the crowds just got bigger and bigger and bigger. It was clear that something BIG was about to happen.
As the 10AM time approached, the excitement and anticipation was growing. Everywhere I looked was a sea of people. I could tell that this event was being attended by hundreds of thousands of people and that we all were fixing to be a part of a historical and miraculous experience. I remember thinking how cool it would be to have naval jets or air force jets flyover in a formation honoring the military. But I knew that was unlikely in Washington DC where air space is heavily controlled. A minute or so before the event began, I heard a cheer growing in the crowd. I thought that something was happening on the stage, but I could not see anything. I noticed out of the corner of my eye and just over the trees in front of us a flock of geese fly by, but I did not connect the two. On Monday morning, Glenn mentioned that he was working on an announcement about something that happened at the beginning of the rally. It wasn't until Monday afternoon on Glenn's TV show that he could release this you tube video of a flyover that could only have been provided by God: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyK9QRr4ebQ I wept when I first saw this and I am teary-eyed as I post this now! The skeptics would call this coincidence. Believers call this Providence. I am sure that God was giving his blessing to this event.
The theme of this event was "Restoring Honor". It was promoted to include religions of many faiths. Some of my Baptist peers are criticizing the endeavor because there were multiple faiths represented and because Glenn is a Mormon. But I was pleased that Richard Land chose to attend the event and commented favorably on the event while maintaining his opinion that Mormonism is not a Christian faith: http://www.thebigdaddyweave.com/2010/08/richard-land-vs-russell-moore-southern-baptist-ethicists-differ-on-glenn-beck.html My own thoughts on that issue are for another blog. But I can tell you, this event was designed to be an ecumenical event, not a political one or a denominational one. All faiths represented there that day believe as Glenn does in living an honorable life; believe in honoring God in all we do; and also believe that in order for our country's freedom to survive, we must turn back to God.
The event began with a taped broadcast of Glenn describing the monuments that towered to the left and right of us. He pointed out the inscription on the top of the Washington Monument: "Laus Deo" or Praise Be To God. He also quoted Thomas Jefferson quote on the Jefferson Memorial: "God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are a gift of God?" Then he quoted from the walls of the Lincoln Memorial the quote "With malice towards none, with charity to all". He referred to our founding documents as "American Scripture". And Glenn asked the question: Where are the next Washingtons, Jeffersons and Lincolns of today? They are hear with us. They are our children. And he challenged the parents that unless we know our past and teach our children our history and unless we challenge ourselves to be currently better than we are, we will not grow the next great monument. It was certainly a majestic beginning. It was a message of faith, hope, and charity.
Then, leading us in the Pledge to the Flag, an Eagle Scout followed by the National Anthem: http://freedomslighthouse.net/2010/08/28/glenn-beck-828-restoring-honor-rally-pledge-of-allegiance-and-national-anthem-video/ To have an Eagle Scout lead the pledge to the flag is particularly meaningful to me. As an Eagle Scout myself, I have watch the media and government trash the Boy Scouts because of their uncompromising standards. President Obama snubbed their Jamboree on their 100th birthday. And Glenn chose to honor them because of their uncompromising standards. To quote my friend, Bill Waller using the Scout Oath to make a comparison: "On my honor..." Restoring Honor. That was perfect."
Starting with a joke about the 1,000 people attending, Glenn thanked us all and used the reflecting pool in front of him to metaphorically show the country what was being reflected back to the nation. He said something is happening....America today is beginning to turn back to God. He said "the story of America is the story of human kind. 5000 years ago, God's chosen people were lead out of bondage by a guy with a stick who was talking to a burning bush". Moses was teaching the God's chosen people about God and God's law. He pointed out that just like Moses and the Hebrews, our founders came to this country seeking to worship God as they saw fit, not as the king told them to. He then introduced us to two men, one a direct descendent of one of the Pilgrims who came to this country, and the other a direct descendent of the Indians who greeted the Pilgrims. We were then led in an opening prayer thanking God for bringing our founders here to establish this nation and in asking God for forgiveness and offering repentance for our transgressions.
Glenn then began a tribute to our military. Glenn chose a charity called Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) and to used proceeds raised from this event to fund SOWF's. I was familiar with this charity because I had heard Sean Hannity speak about it many times. They provide scholarships to pay the full tuition, room, board, and books for the children of the military who have been wounded or killed while serving their country. Glenn had set a goal of $5,000,000 to be raised. He said he was $600,000 short. He offered us the opportunity to contribute by texting with our cell phones a code to SOWF which would cost us only $10 on our cell phone bill. I made the text and it took about 15 minutes to go through, so I knew most there were doing the same thing. By the end of the event, Glenn reported that the total raised was now over $6,00,000. I encourage any reader of this blog to contribute to this charity. Simply go to their website: http://www.specialops.org/
Glenn then introduced one of the featured speakers by saying he wanted to have a mom speak to us. That mom was Sarah Palin. The crowd went nuts. Sarah focused her speech on honoring the history of the military and on honoring today's military. She made the only comment that could be considered political: She said: "You too know that we must not fundamentally transform America as some would want. We must restore America and restore her honor. She then proceeded to tell the stories of three current combat veterans. But she qualified that by saying that she was asked to speak not as a politician but as the mother of a soldier. She said that "no woman gives birth thinking that she will hand over her child to her country, but that's what mothers have done from ancient days. know, that of US Navy Seal Marcus Latrell's story in the war in Afghanistan, that of Marine Sargeant James Eddie Wright's story in the war in Iraq, and that of Air Force Squadron Commander and later Colonel Tom Kirk whose plane was shot down and who spent 5 1/2 years in the Hanoi Hilton in Vietnam. These men were honored, applauded, and cheered with chants from the crowd of USA, USA, USA!!!
Glenn then tells the story of how this event came to be. Glenn apparently learned that the answer to our country's problems was not to focus on the political, but on the spiritual. Turning Americans and America back to God was the way. He designed the logos for the mantras "faith, hope, and charity". This day he awarded three medals of merit; one for faith, one for hope, and one for charity. The medal of faith he awarded to Pastor C.L. Jackson. The medal of hope was awarded by Tony La Russa to St. Louis Cardinal outfielder Albert Pujols. The medal of charity was awarded to John Huntsman.
Glenn the paid tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream that he expressed on this day 47 years ago. Love he preached is the only way to invoke real change. I found it incredibly ironic that while Glenn chose to focus on the spiritual aspect of King's dream speech, just down the road and a little later this day, Al Sharpton would be focusing on the political side of King's dream. Both chose to honor King's dream, just from two different points of view. King's neice, despite harsh criticism from her family and members of her race, Alveda King chose to stand on the stage with Glenn Beck rather than with Al Sharpton. That took courage of conviction and for that I applaud her. Glenn introduced her to the podium and she brought with her 5 of her friends, one of which was a Dr. Ed Holliday. We met Dr. Holliday the very next day at Reagan International Airport, and I will discribe that meeting and an excellent book he has written later in this blog. Alveda had two awesome singers perform and she also paid tribute to her uncle while using quotes from his I Have A Dream speech to give glory to God and to call for all of us to be united as one race, the human race. We are all one human family she said. She said "Today in more than one sense America is nearly bankrupt. Our material gains are going the way of our moral losses. We are still suffering from the great evil divide of racism. Our children are suffering in failing school systems. Our sons and daughters are being incarcerated at astronomical rates. Sickness, disease, and poverty are plaguing our communities. The pro-creative foundation of marriage is being threatened. And the wombs of our mothers have become places where the blood of our children is shed in a womb war that threatens the fabric of our society" Now that pretty well sums up our nation's status in powerful way.. Wow, I love the way this lady expresses the truth!!! But she concludes that "Yet we are not without hope. Faith, hope, and love are not dead in America. Hallelujah, we still trust in God. Our honored heroes here today veryify that there is still hope for the human heart. Oh that the fountain can be refilled, that heaven's unlimited bank account can flow back to our lives here on earth. When will we know that the check that uncle Martin spoke of is good? We will know when prayer is once again welcome in the public squares of America and in our schools. We will know when our children are no longer in mortal peril in our streets and in our classrooms, and in the wombs of our mothers. We will know when righteousness rolls down like waters and justice like a mighty stream. I too have a dream. I have a dream that one day soon that God's agape love will transcend color and economic status and cause us to turn from moral turpitude "
Glenn then took the stage. A humble man preached like Billy Graham - so said Richard Land - public policy director of the Southern Baptist Convention. Over and over, Glenn reminded us that our history is rooted in God. It is when we turn back to God that we struggle forward to a better standing. Glenn said "God is the answer. He always has been". "America is only what we choose her to be" Glenn said. "We as individuals must be good so America can be great. America is at a crossroads. And there is a clear and simple choice. Look forward, look ahead, look to God and make your choice." He challenged us to be like Moses, pick up our stick and stand for God.
God is sending us wake up calls, Glenn said. There are two kinds of wake up calls - the first is fear like we felt on 9/11. But fear only wakes you up for a short time. Then there is the wake up call to wake us up as a warning - like the stewards who woke everyone up on the Titanic as it hit the iceberg. And the wake up call of the disciples after Jesus' resurrection. These wake up calls keep you awake and strengthen your spirit.
Glenn reviewed his 40 day challenge issued back in July - faith, hope, and charity. Pray on your knees. Recognize your place to the Creator and that he is who guides and protects us. Let your children see. Pray with them, but let them see their father and mother humbled to Him. Second, tell the truth....even if it hurts. America is crying out for the truth. Tell the truth in your own life then you can expect if of others. Connect with your family, your spouse and children. Give them extra time and attention. Charity begins at home. Make a choice. Does America go forward and does the American experiment expand, or does the experiment fail with us? WE THE PEOPLE are the largest words on the Declaration of Independence for a reason. Discover what you truly believe. "With firm reliance on Divine Providence we pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor", as the Declaration proclaims. Pledge your lives. Each of us has a place in this universe. Know who you are and know whom you serve then you can choose to do the right thing. Pledge your fortune. Tithe to your Church. Our nation can only do great works through our Churches if they have the means to do it. Charity comes from us and from our Churches. And pledge your sacred honor. Tell the truth and it will set you free. Warning, the truth will make you miserable at first, but then it will set you free. Go to God boot camp so we straighten up our own lives, then we can lead others in the world to safety. With firm reliance on Divine Providence we pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. Then we can know we have put our lives in shape so that we are on God's side.
Glenn then gave the history of the Black Robe Regimen. He said that England hated the preachers. It was first a preacher that said all men are created equal and that our rights come from God. Today our Churches have fallen asleep in America. Glenn then announced that the Black Robe Regimen is back again today. 240 men and women of all faiths are standing with us today. These 240 clergy represent thousands of clergy who stand with you today all across the country. These men and women don't agree on everything, but they do agree that God is the answer. He said that if we choose to change our life and root them in faith, hope, and charity it will change the world. To paraphrase Lincoln: "The world will little note nor long remember what we said here" but its what we do from here that matters. Take the 40 day challenge and let your children see it. Teach your children these things.
Glenn then tells the story of John Newton.....a slave ship captain who could not see the horror he was living. Only when he was shipwrecked in a storm that he was changed. And from that storm he wrote probably the best song for the bagpipes: "Amazing Grace". Then the bagpipes played, and we tearfully sang that beautiful song. I can testify that not only was Sarah Palin crying real tears, so were most of the 500,000 other Americans there that day, including me.
Glenn had Dave Roever close the event with a prayer. Dave Roever is an Vietnam War veteran who had a phosphorous grenade blow up in his hand next to his face. His face was horribly scarred. After contemplating suicide, he turned his life over to God and chose to not to focus on the scars but to focus on what was ahead and live a life for God. He prayed to God to make us His reflecting pool. He prayed for God to give all our veterans a welcome home. He prayed for us and for Glenn. It was a perfect closing prayer for a perfect day.
The event was concluded with a mini-concert offered by Jo Dee Messina, John Rich, and John Sullivan. As people were slowly leaving, I walked down to the front of the stage and got to hear three pretty amazing performances. Jo Dee Messina singing "American The Beautiful" and "Heaven Was Needing A Hero". John Rich then sang "The Good Lord and The Man"
While waiting for our flight out of Reagan International Airport, we happened to meet Ed Holliday. He had a t-shirt on that Donna liked so we talked for a while. He shared that he was on the stage when Alveda King spoke at the Restoring Honor Rally and that he was the only white person up there with Alveda King's group.... He was personally invited by Alveda King to stand with her. He said he would as long as he did not have to sing - and he laughed because he stood between two of the performers on the stage.
