Prayer Rally Dwarfed By Texans Who Flock, Desperate For Free School Supplies

[Chimichurri]

Houston’s biggest gathering on Saturday didn’t see national television news crews. It didn’t draw out protestors. It didn’t spark its own Twitter handle. And the event — which attracted an estimated 100,0000 people to a convention center just seven miles down the road from Gov. Rick Perry (R) and The Response prayer rally — had nothing to do with religion and everything to do with Texas families struggling through hard economic times:

“Some families camped out for hours to gain admittance into Houston’s first-ever, citywide back-to-school event at George R. Brown Convention Center, where free backpacks, school supplies, uniforms, haircut vouchers, immunizations, and fresh produce were provided.

Others were turned away.

“It was getting beyond capacity,” spokesman Jason Spencer said. “If nothing else, it shows the need.”
...


Only a few miles down the road from Jones, her governor prayed alongside 30,000 people for all those “who have lost hope.” He did not see fit to mention either the thousands of his constituents lined up for free back-to-school items or the multi-million dollar cuts his budget will inflict upon the Texas education system.



http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/08/08/290973/prayer-rally-school-supplies/

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. Where's the fucking media? All I see is how a huge popular christian

Rally took place, with perry in charge, and very popular.

[Chimichurri]

9. There priorities go to the highest bidder. Poor people need not apply.

[Rageneau]

11. The Media is where it has always been -- in the hip pocket of the oligarchs.

Some people are under the delusion that there was a time in this country when the Press supported the Truth.

That has NEVER been the case. Virtually every liberal idea, every liberal accomplishment, every liberal president has been dismissed, excoriated, or ignored -- as the case may be -- in order to manipulate the public into supporting the right or disliking the left.

[Starry Messenger]

2. k&r

[DoBotherMe]

3. Why wasn't this juxtaposition

on the news. That would have been real journalism. Our media are horrible. Dana ; )

[L0oniX]

4. Silly repukes ...pull yourselves up by the boot straps would ya already.

:sarcasm:

[indurancevile]

5. knr

[indurancevile]

6. 20% of Houston = below poverty line; 8.5% below 50% of poverty line.

http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Houston-Texas.html

[gkhouston]

19. There are so many low-income kids in HISD that ALL students

are offered free breakfast. They now serve it in the classroom instead of the cafeteria, to encourage the kids to eat. The teachers say it's a hassle, but I hope it's keeping a few more kids from going hungry during the school day.

[EFerrari]

7. Kick

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Chimichurri.

[Chimichurri]

10. Anytime!

:hi:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

12. Republicans and churches are all pigs busy destroying this country. nt

[Rex]

13. Why would the mostly Repuke dominated M$M bite the hand

that feeds them? It should be criminal to only show one side of the agenda, but HEY that is modern mainstream news for ya! I protested since day one of CNN and Foxnews...and now we are living in a country with news provided by corporations with a onesided political position.

[DoBotherMe]

14. It's an outrage

kick! Dana ; )

[CanonRay]

15. Why wasn't Perry, the good "Christian" gving away school supplies instead

of cheerleading a bunch of wackos. He's a joke.

[Ilsa]

16. If he really wanted Texas kids to get an education,

He wouldn't have messed with funding our schools. He's the second-worst governor we've had. His predecessor was the worst.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

18. Under sir barnum's theory of American politics, that means he's a shoo in

[ChairmanAgnostic]

17. I suspect either he or michelle will be the candidate in November.

Sanitarium? He's insane. T Paw? Yesterdays punchline. Romney? Too many people hate him. Inside the GOP. Newt the grinch? Hahahahahahahahaha. Who else is there?

[surrealAmerican]

20. k & r

I hope at least the local media covered this.

[jwirr]

21. Do these kind of contrasts make it into the papers in Texas? Or is

it all hushed up to save the governor embarrassment? Just curious.

[Chimichurri]

23. It's really astonishing considering how close in distance these events were.

[blogslut]

24. This original source of the story is from The Houston Chronicle

So far, it looks like only Burnt Orange report picked it up, as far as Texas newspapers are concerned. However, Houston is the largest city in the state, the Chronicle is its newspaper of record and whether or not national media entities further this news is anybody's guess.

[jwirr]

25. That is good - we have so much trouble getting our point across to

people and IMO it has been the newspapers that have done a better job of that. MSM is more about entertainment.

[w8liftinglady]

26. The Dallas Morning News had a good article on our free school supply rally

It was overloaded with "illegal", "welfare queen" comments from caring Xtian Texans.

[jwirr]

27. Well that wasn't so good. I think the difference in MN where I live

might be that the two newspapers I read were and may still be owned by FDR's family. Kind of a different slant on things.

[ej510]

22. Like I said before it would take mnore than 100, 000. In order to be heard

there has to be 100 million in the streets.

[LuvNewcastle]

28. I hope this makes it to the front page.

I would recommend it 100 times if I could. These same people who attended the Governor's prayer rally are the supporters of those who are trying to dismantle the public school system. Just a few miles away from the rally, the results of their policies were out there for everyone to see. "By their fruits ye shall know them." Indeed.

[Solly Mack]

29. K/R