Thursday, September 23rd, 2010 10:48:45

All American — Beer & BBQ

The invitation arrived via e-mail with a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln: “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.”

The invitation offered free barbecue and beer at a nearby home in Atlanta.

In Georgia, where we take our barbecue and our beer seriously, this was an invitation that would be hard to refuse. The event was put on by a group of concerned citizens not affiliated with any party or organization, just citizens who decided they were worried enough about the current state of our nation to take action.

It was held on Sunday afternoon, in a private backyard festooned with red, white and blue balloons tied to the mailbox and spinning in the breeze. Homemade signs greeted my husband, two children and I, as we walked up the driveway and onto a large, covered front porch. Made from poster board, the signs resembled a school project more than a polished political message, but somehow that made them appear more effective.

The crowd was mixed in age; with about a dozen children running about and playing on the backyard swing set. My husband estimates that there were about 100 attendees in all.