Wake Up and Smell the Scam

FreedomWorks interns joined forces with members of the DC Chapter of FreeRepublic.com last week to protest the mini- "Live Earth" concert in D.C called Mother Earth.  We also recruited some other interns from the Leadership Institute to join our crusade. The event was held at the Smithsonian Museum for the Native American.  Headliners Trisha Yearwood and long-lost Garth Brooks performed one song: We Shall Be Free. 

We set up camp right underneath the large TV screen [that] beamed the “all-powerful leader and most boring man in the world, Al Gore, to the unwashed masses” as described by my fellow intern, Matt Hittle. We got a lot of great press coverage, a majority of which was from foreign TV and radio stations snapping photos and pushing microphones in our faces like we just won the Tour de France. 

A majority of the folks who disagreed with our signs were either brainwashed already by the teachings of Al Gore or were ready to jump on the bandwagon that day.  Most people who tried to argue with us used arguments like "there are innocent polar bears dying because of global warming." One group handed out fans to people that read "hotter than it should be." 

I'd say the worldwide event was a total flop.  Reports show that 4.5 million people tuned in to watch Live Earth when 14.8 million watched the Princess Diana concert just last week.  Not only was it a flop in Britain, at East Rutherford, NJ (the second stop of the day for former VP Al Gore) it was evident that there were lots of empty seats at the show.  Although tickets for the show were a mere $55, some very enthused pro-green concert- goers paid a ridiculous $350. You'd think $55 tickets to see The Police, Kayne West, Dave Matthews Band, Alicia Keys, and John Mayer would have sold out almost overnight.  

Some highlights from the protest include an older man calling us "f-ing fascists" and the Code Pink gang pulling around an old lady on a bicycle.  I do remember one Code Pink lady wearing a crown tried making friends with Kristinn, the head of the FReepers. 

A man with a handheld video camera asked me why I was there to protest and I told him that I came to protest Al Gore.  He then proceeded to shove his camera in my face and tried grabbing my sign with his free hand.  I told him to back off and he just kept filming.  He couldn't defend Gore when I said he's simply a hypocrite and until he cuts back on his personal energy consumption, he can step down from that soap box he has created for himself.  The guy kept asking me how Gore was a hypocrite.  And I kept my guard up and reminded him of Gore's jetliner and his home in Tennessee that just feeds on electricity. He still didn't get the big idea so I pointed to the large screen and asked "where's the wind generator to run that thing?" Finally I said, "Look, I'm not here to fight, and I'd appreciate it if you back off."  Eventually he got a clue and left us alone. 

Overall I'd say the day was a success.  We stood around for about an hour after the show and talked global warming with many who were eager to hear our side of things. While doing so, numerous tourists gave us all pats on the back and said "thanks for doing this”, “we agree", or "We just came to hear Garth Brooks." 

I guess the whole event just goes to show that Al Gore really does have friends in "low places."