Patriot Freedom Rally Set For Friday
July 10, 2020 at 11:40 p.m.
Patriot Freedom Rally Set For Friday
By David [email protected]
Co-organizer Kevin Kyle said, “It was an idea I had. That’s all it was. It started out as a – it wasn’t really a rant, it was just, ‘Man, with all of this stuff going on, why can’t people that love this country, love the Constitution honor freedom, honor the police, why can’t we do something like this?’ Because all you ever hear in the media is negative, negative, negative, negative.”
He said after he posted the “little blurb” online, his phone started ringing and his Facebook page started “blowing up” with people telling him it was a great idea and he should do a rally.
“I’ve never done anything like this. I’m a rock star. It’s all I do, play guitar,” he said. “I’m not overly political, I have my views. I’m a conservative. I love my country. My brother is a Vietnam veteran. And yeah, we’ve got problems. Everybody’s got problems. As a country, we’re not perfect. We’re not even close, but you know what? I’ve been to the former Soviet Union. I’ve stood where Americans were never meant to stand. ... I’ve seen oppression first hand. What we have here is not perfect, but it’s a doggone sight better than what they’ve got over there, and it’s why they run around waving American flags.”
He said people should look at Hong Kong under Chinese rule to see oppression. “There’s people dying over there because of their views. They’re being slaughtered by their tyrannical government,” he said.
The Patriot Freedom Rally is not a “closeted Trump rally,” Kyle said. “It’s for people that support our Constitution, our Founding Fathers, everything that this country was founded upon.”
He does support the president, but he emphasized that Friday’s event is not a Trump rally, though he said people could bring their Trump flags if they so choose.
“Bring Trump flags. Bring American flags. I really hope I see a ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ flag there, I really do, because that was one of the very first,” Kyle said.
He stated he does not want to see any Confederate flags.
“Because it’s such a hot button. If you support it, that’s wonderful, support. You are free to do whatever you like. But I don’t want it here because it’s such a hot-button topic,” Kyle said.
Co-organizer John DeGroff said the event is also being billed as family friendly.
“I want people to feel free to bring their kids and to see what it’s about,” Kyle said.
DeGroff pointed out that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution “definitely says the right of the people peaceably to assemble. That’s the wording, and that word peaceably is incredibly important and that’s what the emphasis is here. This is not a protest, this is not a riot, this is a peaceable assembly of American citizens.”
When DeGroff called County Administrator Marsha McSherry to get permission to hold the rally on the courthouse square, one of the questions he was asked was if it was affiliated with any party.
“No. I’m a long-haired rock-n-roll musician. I’m not affiliated with anybody. I just love this country,” Kyle said.
DeGroff added they had no funding for the rally, with Kyle providing his own sound equipment for the event.
Kyle also said the rally is not an anti-Black Lives Matter protest.
“The reason this was done was because they did it, they could do it. Why can’t we do something like that?” Kyle said.
There were several BLM protests at the county courthouse and a fourth in Winona Lake since George Floyd was killed May 25 in Minneapolis, Minn., during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down, repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe.” Chauvin and three other officers have since been fired and arrested and Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder. Floyd’s death spurred weeks of protests around the world.
“You know what? If you support Black Lives Matter, that is your business. I’m not here to tell you what to support or not support. All this is, is a gathering of patriots and people that love the country. Honest to God, that’s what it’s about, and that’s how it started,” Kyle said.
He said he is a conservative and has Libertarian leanings.
“I want what is best for the United States of America. I don’t lay down for one particular party, person or individual. If I like you, you’re in,” Kyle said, noting he supported Ben Carson for president during the 2014-16 campaign. “So if you call me a racist and a bigot, you do not know me. I was born in Detroit. I guarantee you I have more friends of color than anybody else I know. I’m not trying to wave a flag. I love my country and I hate what’s happened.”
Kyle will not be the only speaker at Friday’s two-hour event. Also scheduled to speak, as of Thursday, are Pastor John B. Lowe, New Life Christian Church and World Outreach; Associate Pastor John B. Lowe III; Ken Locke, Salvation Army of Kosciusko County; and a couple others, who are tentative.
Kyle also encourages people to drive their muscle cars and motorcycles to the event.
“I’m a hot rodder. I love muscle cars. I have several nice cars and I also have motorcycles. I encourage people to bring them out, show them off. Because I have a whole ton of friends in the car circles that have similar conservative views. I’m just trying to say, come out. It’s not a car show. There’s no trapping. Just come out and show them off,” he said.
The Black Lives Matter protests didn’t have any counter-protesters, and Kyle wasn’t worried about having any at Friday’s rally either.
“Let’s put it this way: Anybody’s welcome to show up and if they want to be peaceably assembled, they’re welcomed,” DeGroff said, to which Kyle agreed.
If anyone is interested in speaking at the event, they should contact Kyle through Facebook messenger or call him at 574-253-3395.
“And because technically this is my rally, you have to tell me what you’re planning on speaking about and I have to approve it, because if it doesn’t fit the guidelines of the rally that I set forth, I won’t let you up there. I’m not saying you have to say this, this, this and this. I am saying I’m not going to tolerate prejudice or hate of any kind,” Kyle said.
Co-organizer Kevin Kyle said, “It was an idea I had. That’s all it was. It started out as a – it wasn’t really a rant, it was just, ‘Man, with all of this stuff going on, why can’t people that love this country, love the Constitution honor freedom, honor the police, why can’t we do something like this?’ Because all you ever hear in the media is negative, negative, negative, negative.”
He said after he posted the “little blurb” online, his phone started ringing and his Facebook page started “blowing up” with people telling him it was a great idea and he should do a rally.
“I’ve never done anything like this. I’m a rock star. It’s all I do, play guitar,” he said. “I’m not overly political, I have my views. I’m a conservative. I love my country. My brother is a Vietnam veteran. And yeah, we’ve got problems. Everybody’s got problems. As a country, we’re not perfect. We’re not even close, but you know what? I’ve been to the former Soviet Union. I’ve stood where Americans were never meant to stand. ... I’ve seen oppression first hand. What we have here is not perfect, but it’s a doggone sight better than what they’ve got over there, and it’s why they run around waving American flags.”
He said people should look at Hong Kong under Chinese rule to see oppression. “There’s people dying over there because of their views. They’re being slaughtered by their tyrannical government,” he said.
The Patriot Freedom Rally is not a “closeted Trump rally,” Kyle said. “It’s for people that support our Constitution, our Founding Fathers, everything that this country was founded upon.”
He does support the president, but he emphasized that Friday’s event is not a Trump rally, though he said people could bring their Trump flags if they so choose.
“Bring Trump flags. Bring American flags. I really hope I see a ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ flag there, I really do, because that was one of the very first,” Kyle said.
He stated he does not want to see any Confederate flags.
“Because it’s such a hot button. If you support it, that’s wonderful, support. You are free to do whatever you like. But I don’t want it here because it’s such a hot-button topic,” Kyle said.
Co-organizer John DeGroff said the event is also being billed as family friendly.
“I want people to feel free to bring their kids and to see what it’s about,” Kyle said.
DeGroff pointed out that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution “definitely says the right of the people peaceably to assemble. That’s the wording, and that word peaceably is incredibly important and that’s what the emphasis is here. This is not a protest, this is not a riot, this is a peaceable assembly of American citizens.”
When DeGroff called County Administrator Marsha McSherry to get permission to hold the rally on the courthouse square, one of the questions he was asked was if it was affiliated with any party.
“No. I’m a long-haired rock-n-roll musician. I’m not affiliated with anybody. I just love this country,” Kyle said.
DeGroff added they had no funding for the rally, with Kyle providing his own sound equipment for the event.
Kyle also said the rally is not an anti-Black Lives Matter protest.
“The reason this was done was because they did it, they could do it. Why can’t we do something like that?” Kyle said.
There were several BLM protests at the county courthouse and a fourth in Winona Lake since George Floyd was killed May 25 in Minneapolis, Minn., during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down, repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe.” Chauvin and three other officers have since been fired and arrested and Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder. Floyd’s death spurred weeks of protests around the world.
“You know what? If you support Black Lives Matter, that is your business. I’m not here to tell you what to support or not support. All this is, is a gathering of patriots and people that love the country. Honest to God, that’s what it’s about, and that’s how it started,” Kyle said.
He said he is a conservative and has Libertarian leanings.
“I want what is best for the United States of America. I don’t lay down for one particular party, person or individual. If I like you, you’re in,” Kyle said, noting he supported Ben Carson for president during the 2014-16 campaign. “So if you call me a racist and a bigot, you do not know me. I was born in Detroit. I guarantee you I have more friends of color than anybody else I know. I’m not trying to wave a flag. I love my country and I hate what’s happened.”
Kyle will not be the only speaker at Friday’s two-hour event. Also scheduled to speak, as of Thursday, are Pastor John B. Lowe, New Life Christian Church and World Outreach; Associate Pastor John B. Lowe III; Ken Locke, Salvation Army of Kosciusko County; and a couple others, who are tentative.
Kyle also encourages people to drive their muscle cars and motorcycles to the event.
“I’m a hot rodder. I love muscle cars. I have several nice cars and I also have motorcycles. I encourage people to bring them out, show them off. Because I have a whole ton of friends in the car circles that have similar conservative views. I’m just trying to say, come out. It’s not a car show. There’s no trapping. Just come out and show them off,” he said.
The Black Lives Matter protests didn’t have any counter-protesters, and Kyle wasn’t worried about having any at Friday’s rally either.
“Let’s put it this way: Anybody’s welcome to show up and if they want to be peaceably assembled, they’re welcomed,” DeGroff said, to which Kyle agreed.
If anyone is interested in speaking at the event, they should contact Kyle through Facebook messenger or call him at 574-253-3395.
“And because technically this is my rally, you have to tell me what you’re planning on speaking about and I have to approve it, because if it doesn’t fit the guidelines of the rally that I set forth, I won’t let you up there. I’m not saying you have to say this, this, this and this. I am saying I’m not going to tolerate prejudice or hate of any kind,” Kyle said.
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