Rally: Vote faith, Constitution
By Catharin
Published in News on September 19, 2010 1:50 AM
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News-Argus/MICHAEL BETTS
Ellen Batten listens to the speakers at Saturday's God and Country Rally at Herman Park.
"Vote, and vote conservatively" was the message Saturday at the "God and Country Rally" at Herman Park, sponsored by the Citizens for Constitutional Liberties.
And Wayne County residents Joyce Hatch and Mary Davis said they are prepared to heed the call. The sisters were among the more than 100 people who heard speeches from U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, U.S. House District 1 candidate Ashley Woolard, Sheriff Carey Winders and other candidates running for office this fall, as well as motivational speaker Mason Weaver and KrisAnne Hall, former assistant state attorney in Florida.
Taxes are just one of the concerns that brought the group together, Mrs. Hatch said. The participants' goal was "to make people aware that don't watch the news, make people aware that we need to vote conservatively. We need to get rid of illegal aliens, and we need to hold the taxes down until the economy gets better," she said.
Rally volunteer Sue Bergman, who helped take registration at the event, said she had similar reasons for attending and supporting the movement.
"I want our country back," she said.
American leaders are spending too much money, and putting too high a tax burden on American citizens, Mrs. Bergman said.
"The way we're spending money, that is going out the window, going over in Africa, money coming down to, even staying in our country, that is not being spent wisely. Immigration is going to ruin our country. We need to quit taxing ... if we don't tax we'll have more money for our companies and industries and the economy," she said. "It's just, I don't want to be owned by the government, I don't want the government to take care of me. I think we should take care of ourselves."
The message behind the rally is for America to turn its focus back to protecting constitutional liberties, Mrs. Bergman said.
"Things are not going as the Constitution says," she said.
Organizer Linda Harper, president of Citizens for Constitutional Liberties, said she has worked locally over the past year to unite Tea Party supporters and Republicans. The decisions politicians are making today are affecting the foundations of the country, and it's important for citizens to realize that, Mrs. Harper said.
"Our primary concern is to motivate people to vote, to go to the polls and vote," she said.
But it was also important to Mrs. Harper to bring the element of faith into the rally.
"I feel like right now that I'm hearing a lot, nationwide, especially from Washington and New York, that we've lost our focus, we've lost our way as far as a Christian nation. We're having people in high places say that this is not a Christian nation, and we were actually founded on the Constitution, and that's our Biblical basis for that constitution," she said. "We believe in government by the people instead of having all these czars who are not accountable to anybody, and that way you can't tell, you just have a dictatorship, and that's not the way the Constitution designed our government to be."
It was the first time Goldsboro resident Linda Dean attended a Tea Party event, and said she appreciated the chance to hear the candidates speak.
"Before you go to the polls, you need to know who you're voting for," she said.
She is concerned about the changes she sees taking place in America, Mrs. Dean said.
"The changes in our country aren't good that are happening, our freedoms are being taken away slowly. Americans have got to stand up. We've got to vote, we've got to come out. Our forefathers, to me, would be very disappointed in what's going on right now," she said, expressing a common sentiment.
"America's at a crossroads. Where are we going to be after this election if we don't change things in Washington, D.C.?" Jones said.
State Rep. Van Braxton, D-Lenoir, and county Commissioner Andy Anderson also attended the rally.