Anger evident at Elgin rant night

Imagine the angry people who have filled the recent town hall meetings on health care. Now imagine all of them in one place.

That would give you a rough idea of the scene Wednesday night at Elgin's American Legion Hall, where more than 30 local residents gathered to vent their outrage over a perceived loss of freedom under an expanding federal bureaucracy.

The "Rant Night" was hosted by the Tea Party Patriots, a group that supports less government spending, lower taxes and common-sense legislation.

"All people have different points of view," Elgin-area coordinator Todd Hartwell said before the event. "That's pure Americana. That's freedom of speech and that's a good thing."

Wednesday's event was a fundraiser for next month's Liberty Trail, a series of rallies along Randall Road that aim to recreate the sense of unity Americans felt in the days after the 2001 terror attacks.

Hartwell's daughter, Victoria, delivered one of Wednesday's most rousing addresses - surprising even her father with her intensity and rage.

"It starts with the young. It starts with the young!" she said. "You need to fight, you need to get up. Failure is not an option.

"I watched President Obama take his Oval Office," she continued. "I cried that day because I knew my freedom was gone."

Speakers took aim at the failings of both parties.

"I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican because believe you me, some of these people are wolves in sheep's clothing!" said Jim Bayne of Aurora. "I will not die until I kick their rear ends. Let me tell you something. I know how to use a gun, too. I spent two years in Vietnam. I didn't take any crap over there and I'm not going to take any crap here."