Yesterday I drove to Lansing, Michigan for the Tea Party Express rally in front of the State Capitol building. While I'm no estimator, it was a good-sized crowd, and I read that there were thousands of people at the earlier rally in Grand Rapids. That may explain why the event started an hour or so late, and this became a nighttime event (which if you think about it, is in the original Tea Party tradition). Photography became difficult after dark, but there was a huge amount of enthusiasm, and I thought I would share the pictures I took just before the twilight's last gleaming.

Here's the Capitol building from afar:

And up closer, on the front steps, to the left and to the right:

While it pains me to have to point this out, considering the utterly bogus (but utterly relentless) charges of Tea Party racism, I feel obligated to mention that not only were there a number black Tea Partiers, but at least two of the speakers were black. One of the Tea Party Express tour leaders is author and musician Lloyd Marcus, who has been singled out for especially vicious left-wing abuse. Because he's black, of course, and he won't conform to their degrading narrative.

So I say, more power to those who turn the tables on their would be masters!

And more power to those who turn the tables on the language of the oppressor by mocking it, as this protester did.

As the oppressors are defined as those who think we should be ruled from above as opposed to governed with the consent of the governed, naturally I loved this sign:

Of course, foremost in the minds of the Tea Partiers was the health care atrocity which is so monstrous that does not even deserve to be called legislation. Tea Partiers were among the first to blow the whistle about the notorious "end of life" panel provisions, and they, along with Sarah Palin were ridiculed for calling them death panels. But now that the death panels have been embraced by lefties like Paul Krugman, where are the apologies?

It was a favorite theme, and I liked this couple's signs:

And this one, calling for "end of life counseling" for Congress:

This brings to mind a petition I signed there, which would amend the Michigan Constitution to basically nullify Obamacare. Sponsored by Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom, the amendment would accomplish the following:

DECLARES THE RIGHT OF PERSONS TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE WITHOUT BEING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY COMPELLED BY GOVERNMENT ACTION TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

PROHIBITS THE GOVERNMENT FROM IMPOSING PROHIBITIONS ON THE PURCHASE OR SALE OF HEALTH INSURANCE OR HEALTH COVERAGE IN PRIVATE HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS.

PROHIBITS GOVERNMENT FROM IMPOSING PENALTIES OR FINES AGAINST PERSON, EMPLOYERS, AND HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS FOR PARTICIPATING IN DIRECT PAY ACTIVITIES FOR LAWFUL HEALTH CARE SERVICES.

PROHIBITS GOVERNMENT FROM CREATING ANY DISADVANTAGE AGAINST A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM FOR PERMITTING A PERSON OR EMPLOYER TO PAY DIRECTLY FOR LAWFUL HEALTH CARE SERVICES OR FOR PERMITTING A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER TO ACCEPT DIRECT PAYMENT FROM A PERSON OR EMPLOYER FOR LAWFUL HEALTH CARE SERVICES.

BTW, I simply love their redesigned "Gadsden Caduceus."

One of my favorite signs (which reflects the theme of yesterday's post) was this:

And if you want to keep everyone guessing with a generic sign that could be carried at virtually any protest, anywhere, it would be hard to do better than this:

I'm all for stopping nonsense!

But OTOH, maybe I'm not! (I mean, sometimes I work hard at my nonsense, so I'm still puzzling over exactly what she meant, but a little surrealism is always OK. A sign like that can be read any way you want!)

It was a fun event, and obviously I can't say that I agreed with everything said by every speaker, but I couldn't be more supportive of the overall message, which is to stop socialism and restore freedom.

MORE: Reporting on the event, the Detroit Free Press says there were "more than 1,000 on the steps of the Capitol."

And there were many more on the promenade in front of the Capitol!

MORE: Capitol Confidential says there were "about 1,800 people."

AND MORE: And via Glenn Reynolds, don't miss theblogprof's report!