Bakersfield Celebrates Ruling!

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What an evening we had in Bakersfield!

Wow!

I got the word about the Superior Court Ruling around noon today, and immediately began calling the folks on our newly created Rapid Response Team. Most folks were answering and available, and there was a lot of positive response.

At 4pm, I went to local ABC-affiliate Channel 29 for a quick interview, and then I landed at the local courthouse steps, where there is perched a replica Liberty Bell. A fine backdrop for the day's festivities!

By 4:30 the media was crawling all over the place. Three local TV stations, 2 radio reporters and the local Newspaper. Several local MECA members were interviewed throughout the evening, and we got headline coverage, even above the "Officer Assaulted" story.

For about an hour, we stood on the corner of the nearby busy intersection, reaping honks and waves for our efforts. At one point, a small detachment made its way around the crosswalks about five times, getting lots of attention and endearing themselves to those of us who are exercise-challenged. At that point, we had about forty people, the largest ever seen for a rally or celebration of this nature in Kern County.

One last interview was conducted for TV, with a chorus of voices harmonizing "We Are a Gentle, Angry People," which we all agreed was a fine note to dash off to the local pizza joint, where we continued to celebrate as we watched ourselves on local news. We all agreed that this was a fantastic ruling, fantastic day, and that we are fantastic people. A Mutual Admiration Society was born!