"They say we're apathetic, we're not energized" "In four weeks we're going to have to take the midterm exams. We've got to go home and hit the pavement."
-The Reverend Al Sharpton addressing the crowd at the One Nation Working Together rally in DC
Despite the fright-wing media's attempts to scapegoat and red-bait in the weeks running up to the One Nation Rally an estimated 175,000-200,000 people of all ages, races and religions descended on Washington DC with one message, Jobs! Education and Peace!!!
The massive turnout trumped any of the Tea Party rallies or Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally of an estimated 87,000 (less than HALF those who attended the One Nation Rally) and was most definitely the most diverse rally America has ever seen!
The crowd was black, white, brown and red, old and young, christian, muslim, jewish and atheist just like America. NAACP president Ben Jealous addressed the attempts to divide the movement with anti-communism by saying “This is a big tent, anyone who wants to stand up to create jobs and defend the jobs of teachers, police officers, nurses, firefighters — I say come on and join us.”
The YCL was in attendance and standing strong for America's future and the steps we need to take to save it. Comrades from Georgia, Connecticut, New York, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit and many other places all collected on the lawn on the National Mall and made their voices heard.
We were also very warmly recieved by the different organizations in attendance. Some people even voicing anger about the right's attempts to use us as scapegoats to smear the event. One patron stopping a YCLer remarked "Are you a Communist? Thank you! Keep it up!" something we are not used to hearing in America.
All in all the rally was a huge success but the true guage of the impact will be determined by how many people (especially young people) are driven not just to vote but to work on campaigns and knock on doors. America needs it's young people to be the example and step up to the electoral plate with all it's energy and enthusiasm to get the vote out this November so LET'S GET TO WORK!
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