I just came from the rally...

[Guest guest]

It seemed initially there were only 125 in our group, but it grew!

People walked up; came in cabs; got off Metro; got out of cars, etc.

(My youngest son took digital photos we'll send out.) A tall doctor in

our group created slogans to chant as we went along. (He later said

his practice formerly had athletes and now he treats children with

autism.) This is interesting: I think HHS staff were told NOT to look

out windows facing Independence Avenue. Only 2 on a top floor did. I

met people from CA, IN, SC, VA, NJ, FL, NC, NY, AZ, MD, MN, etc.

Tourists were everywhere; watching; filming; taking pix; waving;

commenting, etc. Staff from groups lobbying for Medicaid and hospitals

said they supported us. We walked up the Hill past the Rayburn

Congressional Office Building. People kept stopping to look. The

doctor changed our chants periodically. Police were next to us in

cars, on foot and on motorcycles. I heard a police dog bark from a

cruiser. We crossed a street to be in front of the Supreme Court

demanding justice for children. We crossed another street to walk down

past the Senate Office Building. You could not believe the

variety of signs carried. No 2 were alike. We had 4 speakers at Upper

Senate Park before moving for a Kennedy/ press conference. Our

speakers continued. Cameras were there from CBS, NBC and an

independent documentary film maker.

A final note is in order: It took a bit for me to be able to do the

chants without choking up. This mercury problem began over 20 years

ago. My son, now 25, with autism, had a temp of 105, convulsions and

seizures at 14 months of age the night of his vaccine in Tampa and was

hospitalized for a week.

msherrett.