We had several readers write in asking about this rally near the Aragon this morning:"Does anyone know what the rally at the Lawrence L stop was about today? I was caught in the middle of it and honestly have no clue what it was about.
I got the L station a little after 9:00. There were a lot of people waving American flags and it seemed to be led by someone dressed as Uncle Sam carrying a blowhorn. Several hundred people were congesting the station so thoroughly that I had to walk to the Argyle station to have any chance of getting on a train to make it to work.
They then boarded a red line train headed south (the train I caught at Argyle) and managed to inconvenience everyone at every stop south to Monroe where they debarked. The train was as crowded as a Cubs game cattle car. I saw a few people at Belmont and North & Clybourn left standing at the platform because there wasn't room on the train for them to board.
The attendees seemed to be enthusiastic, but I couldn't decipher what about. Common calls were "Freedom is free" and "Freedom train." The most common sign I saw claimed "Jobs suck." There were a great deal of video cameras filming the entire debacle.
I'm not really a morning person and worked late last night, getting home sometime after 11:00, so I was pretty grumpy with whatever was going on. I just wanted to get to work and they were in the way for absolutely no reason I can decipher. Since I was in no mood for any of it (remember, not a morning person), I turned up my headphones and managed not to make snide comments to these obviously enthusiastic people.
A rally is fine, I suppose, but would it hurt them to make their purpose manifest to passers by?"
Forgot the guy's name, but some guy sold his company and is now retired at the age of 26ish. They were all celebrating his freedom, as well as free-commerce, the American dream, etc. That's the gist I got from a 5 minute conversation with one of the very nice participators on the Lawrence train platform. And one guy was paying for everyone's CTA fares, so I guess that was the guy. He looked retired happy, anyway.
ReplyDeleteYes, it started at 7 am in the morning in the Aragon Parking lot and woke everybody up who might need sleep at that time...
ReplyDeleteWhen asked what it was about everyone who was carrying signs that said "Stop Socialism" "Freedom" "Be an Entrepeneur" "America" said their "friend" who was a corporate recruiter who worked on in building on Sheridan road between Lawrence and Leland had retired at age 26. He was making 9,000 dollars a month...that's 108,000 at dollars a year!
This was a tea party and the people were like zombies, goofy, lots of Wisconsin liscence plates....a right wing rally in Uptown. The crowd was diverse and therefore, no doubt Churchy.
I told them this was Uptown and to get their right wing asses out of here...that's how I feel anyway.
They lied about what they were doing. that's what I found so strange. The story of the 26 year old makes no sense at all...it was just a cover to prevent people from getting angry at them.
OK, now after reading this I'm even more confused...
ReplyDeleteWas this covered on any Chicago news blogs or anything?
Stu Piddy you better get ready for November as the Tea Party Express is coming to town soon all across America. Are you against a person from celebrating his freedom to make money and live the American Dream The good old fashion way called work. Like most people on the left they don`t want to work for the American dream they just wait for the government to hand it to them and hate America and all the good things our forefathers worked so hard to build.
ReplyDeleteStu...not Stu Piddy said that they were celebrating the "American Dream"...
ReplyDeletePlease..With Freedom signs, Stop Socialism, America is number #1...running about the block on the street in parade style yelling Freedom!....
This was a cover to avoid saying we are Tea Party, right wing crazies who want to stop anything called "socialism", we are Pro War, Pro America, Pro Capitalist...
They were right wing Christian extremists and they all had this line about "their friend" while waking me up at 7 in the morning and ignoring my request to turn down the rap music going full blast, then running through the neighborhood at 8 in the morning screaming FREEDOM!
Many of these people had wisconsin liscense plates and this was a disguised tea party rally...they wanted to avoid confrontation in the big city with this stuff about their friend is retiring after making 100,000 dollars a year working FOR A Exectuive recruiting company.
It doesn't make sense...because they were lying and lying for no purposeful reason other than their own naivete about whatever it is they are trying to do.
It's understandable...anyone would be confused.
All you had to do is look at the signs. America #1, Stop Socialism, freedom
What's that got to do with retiring?
Nothing.
It's tea party strategem to get a message across without any problems from the community.
Job Suck? Rap music? Were they right wing crazies or left wing crazies? Neither angle makes sense to me.
ReplyDeleteIf this was two years ago and it was a rally for Obama, I doubt Stu would have been upset. But since it was people saying things you do not happen to agree with, it upset you. People exercising their freedom of speech should never be slandered.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Since when is it that Right wing people can not live in Uptown? To all who ask me why I lean to the right and say the left is the way to go... I always show them Uptown as an example. Uptown is left leaning in its policies and no one can deny that. How's that working out for all of us in Uptown?
Nuff said....
"like button" on what Len said.
ReplyDeleteSince when is it that Right wing people can not live in Uptown?
ReplyDeleteNo one says Right Wing people can't live here, it's just that the rest of us can't figure out why you'd want to.
The Tea Party folks are as nutty as the far left. They want less government interference in YOUR life, except they want the government to restrict your rights. They are anti-big government until big government suits them. For example, they want abortion and gay marriage to be illegal, which means government control over your life. It makes no sense. I take no position on these issues because they are none of my business or theirs.
ReplyDeleteThe November election will have little effect on The US because that is the way our system is designed. The only interesting thing about this election is that we will find out what independent voters fear more... a far left socialist society or a far right theocratic society. Of course, neither of those extremes will become a reality in this country, it is all smoke and mirrors.
And to the guy with the jobs suck sign, hey, the world needs ditch diggers. Bonehead.
jason,
ReplyDeleteI don't normally like to get in the political debates here, but I think you're over simplifying the incredibly complex issue of abortion.
I'm a right winger, and it's sad to hear that I'm not welcome here in Uptown. I thought our shared values of public safety and transparent government were enough, but it seems that I'm wrong.
WCE,
ReplyDeleteI am not pro abortion, I just think it is a kitchen table issue not a government issues. Abortion is complex, no doubt!
Also, I think pretty highly of myself, but it is not my place to judge who is welcome in Uptown. ;-) I'll take a right winger over a crazy leftie or gang-banger any day though!
WCE,
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't think I said anything in my post to merit that response. Read it again, correct me if I am wrong. I just re-read it.
Stu-
ReplyDeleteYou are no different than Shiller! Instead of shouting for the condo owners to get out of Uptown you are shouting for the right wingers to get out. Anyone who disagrees with your opinion should just leave. This is what I love about the open minded compassionate lefties. They don't want to discuss the issues they just want to shut you up, call you racist, call you rich and demonize you. These are the same tactics that have been used in Chicago and Uptown for years. Its good to see that you have learned well.
"When asked what it was about everyone who was carrying signs that said "Stop Socialism" "Freedom" "Be an Entrepeneur" "America" said their "friend"
The above statement is so radical in our Uptown neighborhood and America. Do these people not know you should depend on the government? It is now radical to want to provide for your family without any help? Its radical to not want to give your hard earned money to the government so spend on wasteless programs?
"The crowd was diverse and therefore, no doubt Churchy" God for bid someone goes to Church? If half of the gangbangers in this neighborhood went to church we would be 100x better off. Because someone is churchy and has a set of values they live by they are somehow bad people?
Lets just be glad this was not a lefty rally. If it was there would be chairs thrown through windows, cars burned, police cars flipped over.
That was to Stu Piddy, not Stu.
ReplyDelete"No one says Right Wing people can't live here, it's just that the rest of us can't figure out why you'd want to."
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a Helen Shiller comment. I imagine Shiller thinking "No one says yuppie condo owners can't live in Uptown, but if they want to change it they shouldn't try and should move to Lincoln Park instead."
"Pay your taxes and shut up, or else move away." That sounds like another Helen Shiller-like comment.
It's amusing how a simple post can quickly devolve into absurdity.
ReplyDeleteGenerally I could care less about what my neighbors politics are.
Just mind your own business, shovel your snow, cut your lawn, pick up the garbage and don't steal or harm anyone.
Is that asking too much?
My politics ranges all over the spectrum. I find people who call themselves conservatives or liberals to be annoying. It signifies an ideology and not necessarily a thought process.
I'd no more want to sit at a table of Tea Partiers than I would want to sit at the same table with a bunch of granola eating, unshaven fourth generation hippies who live in a coop and avoid bathing.
Now I shall leave you with Rufus Wainwright singing a Beatles Classic.
Some of you folks are annoying me on a cool Sunday morn so I refuse to hyperlink.
Thpppppt!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAe1lVDbLf0&feature=related
"get their right wing asses outta here"? Looks like I'm not welcomed in Uptown. As an open minded "right winger" who enjoys diversity and polite dialogue, I wonder if Rogers Park would be more receptive to me establishing residence there? Seems like some in Uptown were never taught politeness and have a closed mind unless the other person agrees with them. Is that what liberalism" or "progressiveness" is all about? I wonder.
ReplyDelete@Sam45man
ReplyDelete“Asked about arguments that the forest has too many trees already, Nature sounded exasperated. ‘Maybe they want the desert’’, it said of the critics. ‘That’s not what this is’.”
“Asked about arguments that the oven has too much heat already, the Kitchen sounded exasperated. ‘Maybe they want the fridge’’, it said of the critics. ‘That’s not what this is’.”
I could go on, but I’m guessing you still wouldn’t get it.
I am enjoying all the so-called conservatives and gop'ers and thier liberal counterparts all flinging mud like school children! I now have less respect for both sides thanks to these posts. Let's be real people, whether your democratic or republican, you HAVE to know that this so called Tea Party rally had to be completely ridiculous and annoying. I wouldn't call it a rally any more than I would call it a raucous. A pointless one. Everybody should stop identifying yourself as left or right, ITS NOT A GOOD LOOK PEOPLE!!! Just live and people can judge you based on your actions. I don't think anyone should be proud to be a democrat or a republican these days. All they have done lately is point fingers and annoy the the shit out of the american people, kind of like this whole comment wall.
ReplyDeleteOkay, you've gotten a lot out of your system and gotten to call each other out.
ReplyDeleteNow, back to topic...
Irish, I'll see your Beatles and raise you an APP
ReplyDeleteLove,
Pompatus of
I love how people with no involvement whatsoever decided that this was a political rally. It wasn't. I was one of the participants. Here's what happened: a 26 year old man started a part time business a few years ago while working a full time job that he didn't like. He now makes enough money from his side business that he quit his full time job and will maintain his part time business and have a lot of freedom and control over his time, while increasing his income. Several hundred people, who are all working together within the same business team to accomplish similar goals, came to the area to celebrate, watch this man walk out of his job, and then we all caught the red line downtown where we had a space rented for a party. Why is everyone acting like we had no reason to be on the train? Same reason you other riders were... because we were in Uptown, and we wanted to get downtown... it really is that simple, folks. No Tea Party affiliations, and everyone carrying the "jobs suck" signs are people who have jobs but who don't want to rely on them as a sole source of income.
ReplyDeleteEchoHSU, it still sounds like a tea party rally to me. I have never in my life heard of a party or celebration in such a manner. Who has 'hundreds' of friends and business acquiantances able to come at 7 am to watch him 'walk out' of his job. And furthermore, why would ANYONE celebrating that occassion carry a sign saying 'stop socialism'? I don't buy your story, not one bit.
ReplyDeleteOk ChiTownPhilly, have it your way. Not sure if you're aware but employees can take a day off of work. And since a 26 year old retiring IS so rare, a lot of people involved with our group took the day off to be part of it. As for the "stop socialism" message-- of course that's inherently political in nature, but you don't have to identify with a specific party or be having a political rally to share your feelings on it. I know you don't believe the facts, so this explanation is moot anyway, but imagine a few hundred people willing to work very hard, willing to put a lot of time into an entrepreneurial venture outside of having normal jobs, and imagine how these people feel about all that hard work and extra income boosting them into higher and higher tax brackets, and that money going into all kinds of social handout programs that give money to people who were unwilling to work hard for it. (And no point in arguing with me about the recipients of government handouts - I was all for it, I worked in social work, and I worked directly with hundreds of those recipients... you will never convince me that they're helpless. Lots of people feel crappy about their money getting used in that way, but it doesn't mean they affiliate with any party. What if we're fiscally conservative but liberal on other issues? Anyway you can believe whatever you want, I'll get back to living my life now. Have fun making up stories about total strangers who make different choices than you!!
ReplyDeleteECHoHSU,
ReplyDeleteWhat is the club? Sounds like an entrepreneurial group and the kind of inspirational people I wouldn't mind being a part of?