Unusual Warm March Weather... and the Freedom of Speech

Today was one of those perfect days to just go out and shoot. As I drove around various towns, I saw a group of people standing on the corner of the road, practicing their Constitutional Rights, and supporting a politician they feel will help this country. Now, I'm not one for politics - but I admire people that have so much faith and belief in any aspect of life. I pulled the car over, and was greeted warmly. I told them who I was, and asked to take some pictures and was welcomed to do so. As these people held their signs up to traffic passing by, there were honks of support, as well as jeers from those that supported Obama, or other candidates for the race of 2012. Again, I'm not one for politics, but I'm glad to be in a country where people can gather on street corners, and tell the world how they feel. I grew up in a very different country, under a then Communist regime. If you weren't for the Communist party, you could have been thrown off of downtown city buildings to be set an example of, or go to jail for conspiracy charges. Although I was young, and never really felt the darker sides of Communism, my parents, and family lived it all too well. My father brought us to this country, for better futures. We spent a part of 9 months as refugees to come here, sleeping in tents at times, on hard rocky ground and eventually settling into an Austrian refugee camp before coming to the states. To capture events like this brings it full circle. Passion in life towards anything, whether its music, art, politics, science, pop culture - it's all passion. And although there are so many views when it comes to politics, the state of our country - at least people are out there, fighting for what they whole heartedly believe in. And although, that little girl may not know exactly what politics truly mean, she will grow up and one day understand, the importance of belief, and the importance of what she did with that sign on this particular day.