Local resident recaps 9/12 rally in D.C.

Earlier this month, folks fed up with big government marched on Washington, D.C. to voice their disapproval with a slew of government policies.

Among them was Emblem attorney Robert DiLorenzo, who made the trip out east for the conservative Sept. 12 rally.

DiLorenzo helped organize the Tax Day Tea Party protest in Cody, where hundreds of people showed up — in the snow and cold — to voice complaints with big government and spending.

As much of a success as that April 15 event was, DiLorenzo said he realized, “I’m making a speech and I’m preaching to the choir.”

So when the opportunity arose to head to D.C. for a similarly-themed protest this month, he jumped at the chance.

He wasn’t the only one.

“Every state in the union was (represented) there,” said DiLorenzo. “It was quite remarkable.”

Photo of 9/12 D.C. rally courtesy of Dale Lanham.

Quite the controversy erupted in the blogosphere over how many people showed up, with estimates ranging from 70,000 to 2,000,000.

DiLorenzo said from his vantage point, the true number likely fell somewhere in between those tallies, guessing that there were at least several hundred thousand folks on hand.

At the height on the 9/12 march, he could see people packed in from the steps of the capitol all the way to the Lincoln Memorial Washington Monument.

“That was not 70,000,” said DiLorenzo. “That’s 70,000 times many times.”

He added that part of the difficulty in getting a firm number is that there were different events from different groups all over the city.

“You just can’t get that many people in front of the capitol building,” DiLorenzo said.

Back in Wyoming, the state 9/12 Coalition held a parallel event in Casper which was “a total success,” according to organizer David Kellett of Powell.

“At the high point we had more than 200 people there at the same time. We eventually got rained out around 2:30 p.m., but that was okay,” he said. “We communicated with our people in DC, we had lots of good speakers, a very good open mic, and lots of coverage from the TV stations in Casper as well as the Casper Star Tribune.”

Photo of 9-12 Casper rally courtesy of David Kellett.

In D.C., DiLorenzo was able to get the ears of Senators John Barrasso and Mike Enzi (both R's-Wyo), meeting privately with both -- including over 90 minutes with Barrasso.

“They were fabulous,” DiLorenzo said of the senators. “Our representatives are just remarkable people and they really listened.”

DiLorenzo jokingly contrasted the 9/12 protest with that of the Vietnam War protests, which he said were youthful with a party vibe, and “a good place to meet a girl.”

“This march wasn’t like that,” said DiLorenzo, who attended the rally with his wife. “I would say the median age was 40. And they were upset.”

Generally, he said the crowds were full of folks who oppose “bailouts of anything,” and the growth of government. New federal involvement in healthcare was a common topic of complaint.

DiLorenzo said he saw “an enormous amount of fear and some anger (about) where the country is going.”

“There were saying enough is enough,” he said, adding, “When I’m seeing 70- to 80-year-old ladies marching down Massachusetts Avenue, I’m going, ‘Good grief — these people are really upset!’”

DiLorenzo predicted that 9/12 will not be the last that America will hear from Tea Party-ers.

“It’s only going to get bigger,” he said.