The Board meeting was scheduled at 2 PM, I got there at 1:30, and there were already about thirty people there, holding signs and a couple of Colorado TRT-Shirts visible. More and more folks showed as the 2 PM meeting time approached, and one TRT'er down here had the brilliant idea of having 100 3" TRT buttons made up. This was a great idea, because many of us were dressed up with ties and coats, but with the buttons we could still be ID'd as part of the TRT. Everyone was wearing them! And as soon as we broke out the box of CA TRT-Shirts, those went fast and some folks switched shirts and put them on.

The meeting started to an absolutely packed room -- I'd say there was at least sixty, maybe seventy people in there, plus another twenty or thirty outside still carrying signs. Bottom line, we outnumbered the antis at least fifteen or twenty to one -- boy, were they surprised and sulky!

Meanwhile, I stayed outside since the room was crammed, and ended up being interviewed by a woman reporter from KFMB Channel 8 TV news, as well as a Metro reporter from the San Diego Union-Tribune, and our little event actually made the 4 PM TV news -- they did an OK job of presenting the affair, I got in a good fifteen-second sound bite, and they had lots of close-ups of our signs and attendees, both outside with signs as well as inside giving their views. Of course, KFMB also interviewed the main freedom-hater, who I had previously termed a "small vocal minority" in my fifteen seconds of fame -- but overall, we were treated OK. It was interesting to note that, though there were TRT-Shirts in the crowd and EVERYONE had those TRT buttons on, all the camera shots purposefully excluded this. We'll see what the SD Union does with my comments later, I suppose. But it was great to be able to speak the truth straight from the heart to the media -- and if things go according to plan, they are going to be interviewing a lot more of us TRT'ers as time goes on!

The meeting was over in about an hour, I guess, and we made sure that everyone there had info about Sunday's counter-MMM rally in San Diego. Overall, we stomped 'em! The board was pretty much behind us anyway, and those antis had all the look of not expecting to be confronted much, if at all, only to be caught completely off-guard by the opposition. Next time, they'll probably bring more friends, and so will we. $:-)

This event is proof that this TRT concept CAN and WILL work -- I can hardly wait until Sunday, although next time I better remember the sunscreen!

Joe Brower
CA TRT guy