Last Wednesday, concerned citizens gathered in various Mississippi cities and across the nation to protest uncontrollable government spending and, essentially, higher taxes in the United States.

Rallies in both Greenwood and Grenada drew large crowds, and people from Montgomery and Carroll counties attended both in support. My opinion on the protest - it's about time.

For so long, Americans have swallowed whatever was spoon-fed to them by governmental spin masters, self-serving lobbyists, and special interest groups. Lost in this mire of one-sided dialogue was the vast majority of Americans - unwilling to rock the boat.

Over the years, American life has changed because one person barked enough to buck the system - and in some cases, not for the good of the country. Maybe, as was shown with the Tea Party, the majority is finally willing to bark back.

Sometimes, we need to forget about being politically correct or, as we are here in the South, polite, and take a stand for what is right for us and our nation.

This country was built by those not only willing to rock the boat but flip it. These patriots fought the tyranny of an English king, conceived and created a new government, and led that country to become the most powerful nation in the world.

That gumption has gotten lost over the years, and it is high time we find it before our country is no longer recognizable - or better yet, no longer ours.

Saturday night, I attended a live and silent auction benefitting the American Cancer Society in conjunction with the annual Montgomery County Relay for Life at the Montgomery County Colisem. The Relay for Life team named "The Bidding Bunch" from Vaiden Community Living Center organized the event.

This year's crowd was light in relation to last year, but everyone in attendance was present for one reason - to bid. And even with a fraction of guests, the event raised $4,300 for cancer research.

As a former employee of a non-profit organization, I understand the work and planning an auction takes.

Each item must be solicited individually from a local business, organization or individual. Items must be catalogued, stored and priced. In addition, each donor must be thanked and given the proper documentation for tax purposes.

This process takes weeks to accomplish - for someone working full-time on the project. However, the members of "The Bidding Bunch" did not have that luxury. As employees of Vaiden Living Center, this event was done in addition to their daily duties at the retirement home.

The rule of an auction is that the minimum bid is approximately one-third the suggested retail price. So in raising $4,300 on winning bids, one can deduce that around $10,000 worth of items was secured. Now that is dedication.

The event was well-run and organized and the volunteers were enthusiastic for their cause. I even got into the bidding frenzy!

I applaud "The Bidding Bunch" for their hard work and dedication to this event. It was evident that much time and effort was made to make this auction a success.