Parade, July 4 rally hosted by local organization
The festivities began with a cruise and concluded with a celebration.
A
local group, Stand For The Constitution, hosted a Fourth of July rally
Saturday at Sherwood Park after dozens of cars, trucks and motorcycles
sporting American flags and other patriotic symbols cruised down North
Avenue. The event featured drinks, music and guest speakers.
The
event was branded as non-partisan, but with the majority of the more
than 150 in attendance displaying their political views on their clothes
and vehicles, event leaders embraced the moment as a rally for
conservative ideals.
“And you thought this was a non-partisan event,” joked emcee and longtime Palisade business owner JJ Fletcher.
The
event was kicked off by a performance of “God Bless America” by Mathias
Mulumba, who played his acoustic guitar as he sang. Mulumba emigrated
from Uganda to the United States in 2008. He says “love’” was his
motivation to become an American.
“I
feel proud (seeing this turnout),” Mulumba said. “I feel excited. I
feel that there are people who are still loving, who still love our
country and who want to stand for what is right.”
Fletcher
once again addressed the crowd, revealing that negotiations are
underway to bring President Donald Trump to Mesa County later this year
for a rally. Lauren Boebert, the recent GOP primary winner in the 3rd
Congressional District race and the owner of Shooters Grill in Rifle,
attended Friday night’s Independence Day celebration at Mount Rushmore
in South Dakota, where Fletcher said Boebert spoke with Trump about a
Western Slope visit.
He then offered the stage and the
microphone to three speakers: Stand For The Constitution organizer Mike
Miller, Colorado House member for the 54th District Matt Soper and real
estate agent Cindy Ficklin.
“It’s
about taking a look at our Constitution and our freedom and the rule of
law and what that means,” Miller said. “I think we’ve lost sight of
that to a large extent in our country today.”
Miller
spoke about the United States’ rule of law and its importance,
discussing how the ‘rich and powerful’ seem to be shielded from
accountability, as well as how many of the nation’s problems stem from
civilians and law enforcement ignoring the rule of law.
Soper
gave a detailed analysis of the Constitution of the United States and
the importance of its preservation. Ficklin followed with a focus on
freedom.
“I believe, right now more than ever,
it’s really important that Americans understand what their rights are,
what their liberties are, and to just be reminded, hey, it’s the
birthday of our nation,” Soper said. “It’s about where we came from and
where we’re going, because these are basic questions every generation
has to grapple with and deal with.”
Soper,
who is from Delta and a Colorado Mesa University alumnus, wasn’t the
only public figure in attendance. He was joined by District 55
representative Janice Rich and Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters.
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