REASON RALLY!!!

I attended my first American Atheist convention last year in April in Des Moines, Iowa.  I'd been to Skepticon here in Missouri before that, and truly enjoyed the speakers, meeting new people, and learning something new every single day.  But the American Atheists had a different feel to it.  There, I felt part of a "movement" like never before.  Listening to the letter written by Christopher Hitchens, then far too weak to attend in person, I sensed that something was "afoot".  There was palpable movement in that ballroom filled with hundreds of Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Humanists...the whole lot.
Each day brought a new perspective, a new idea, heck even an amazing movie, "The Ledge" that was screened for the first time right there in Des Moines, Iowa.  President of American Atheists, David Silverman saved his big announcement for the end of our time together.  He announced at that conference that the "Reason Rally" would happen in 2012!!  YES!!!  There would be a gathering on the National Mall in Washington D.C. of non believers from all over the country.  He billed it as the largest gathering of Atheists, Freethinkers and the like EVER to be seen in this country.  Everyone went wild at this momentous announcement!!  I can remember heading home with every intention of filling bus loads of us from the Midwest to attend the event.  Well, I tried anyway.  Turned out that the cost was a bit prohibitive as well as the time investment that just seemed to be too much for my target audience.  I honestly began to worry a great deal about this event as the months wore on and the date neared.  I recalled Mr. Silverman remarking that if our numbers weren't huge, it would not bode well at all for our "movement".  He was right.  Had the numbers in attendance been in the hundreds, say...well, the media would have had a day or two of mocking us, and the christians...well, they would have run with that for weeks.
But a funny thing happened on the way to DC......20,000 PLUS people showed up on the 24th of March, 2012 in the POURING RAIN and situated themselves on the National Mall in our Nation's Capital!!!   History was made that day and I'm thrilled to say that my husband and I were a part of it!!  Not to mention friends from both the Branson and Springfield Freethinkers!!!  We picked out our little plots of real estate and made base camp for the next six hours!!
With few exceptions, everyone was polite, gracious, and helpful as well as thrilled out of their socks to be there!!!  We were there early enough to watch Tim Minchin take the stage for a pre-rally sound check!  Hell, we're so easily amused, even that made the crowd go crazy!!!
I wandered around a bit.  I made my way over to the "protesters" to find mini debates taking place, but no outward hostility was witnessed from either side.  People dawned hilarious signs and shirts.  "Hi Mom! I'm an Atheist" was one of my favorites along with "Canadian Eh! Theists".  I saw Jesus riding a dinosaur!  Jesus was spotted another time standing 8 or 9 feet tall!!  I found that costume particularly clever.  Occasionally one would look toward the back of the mass of humanity to see this HUGE Jesus...swaying back and forth and waving!!
From Adam Savage, to Richard Dawkins the speakers were tremendous.  Social issues were addressed.  Political issues too.  But the thread that brought all the speakers together was simply that the voice of the non believer would no longer be whispered faintly in small groups afraid of reprisal.  Oh no...control of the conversation in this nation would no longer be monopolized by the religious!!  The myth of "religious persecution" is being torn down swiftly by this one simple show of solidarity!
From famous Atheists, to the little known poet, to the amazing talent of Tim Minchin...the stage was always filled with someone exciting!!  Despite the rain....it was a day I'll never forget.

I encourage everyone to search for the Thinking Atheist, and watch the video that Seth put together.  You'll get a much richer picture in your mind of that day...a bit like 'being there'.

Suffice it to say though, that one day in the rain in our Nation's Capital has set the bar quite high.  I am out and proud as an Atheist but a little more so now.  David Silverman made it clear  a year ago in Des Moines that we all need to come out from behind that proverbial closet door.  We deserve to have our views and voices heard. As citizens of this country we deserve our seat at the table.  The christians have had a monopoly for far too long in this country, and it's time for that to come to a grinding halt.  Reason must reign if we, as a society are to survive and thrive in a global community.  There is too much at stake to turn back now.