My wife and I arrived at the state capital in Sacramento at 1030 am and parked as close to where the peaceful demonstration in support of those unions in Wisconsin was to take place. As people began arrive I noticed a small group of people across the street from where the demonstration began to form. The small group grew in number to about 40 or so and never matched in numbers the thousands of those supporters who came to express their solidarity with their counterparts in Madison Wisconsin. The mood of those there was peaceful and friendly and aside from 2 people trying to incite the crowd to a shouting match by a vocal attempt to voice their opposition to unions to those there assembled for the rally It became peaceful again after capital police asked the instigators of the disturbance, more for their safety than the crowds to leave.
Many supporters dressed in red and white the colors of Wisconsin and some even wearing cheese heads, carried signs showing their support. Many parents and grandparents brought their children to hear speakers vocalize their opposition to those who would take away the right for workers to bargain in good faith that past workers fought and died for.
The event was scheduled for noon and at the appointed hour a large group of people marched from the west of the capital down across 10th street to the where the rally was to begin. Cheers from the crowd erupted as this group of several hundred folks carrying signs and wearing shirts supporting the union arrived.
Milling around I noticed back across the street those who appeared to be in opposition to the rally were waving American flags and signs with slogans supporting their view; while at the rally people in support of the union groups were doing the same.
We left before the last speech was spoken but in my mind I was proud to be able to express my view in a peaceful way and that both sides of a debate could do so as well in a peaceful way showing the world the freedom to express ones agreement or disagreement can be respected and accomplished without the violence that we have seen in Egypt or more in recent in Lybia.
By Grapevine reporter Ron
