Santa Barbara residents looking to express their patriotism have a chance to paint the town red, white and blue downtown on Saturday.

Charles Kirkby, host and producer of the local cable television show “What’s Right With America,” has organized a rally to support U.S. troops. The rally is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. at MacKenzie Park on the corner of State and De La Vina streets.

Although anti-war protests have been dominant in the Santa Barbara area recently, Kirkby is sponsoring what he called a “grass roots project” to express a different kind of public sentiment.

When asked his opinion on the recent anti-war demonstrations, Kirkby said that it is their right to demonstrate a cause, but “the mistake [the anti war protestors] are making is that they blow the public’s sympathy for their cause by annoying and sometimes angering people.”

In contrast to some anti-war rallies that have been held downtown in the past, Kirkby said the rally will not involve a march.

“Our goal is to counter [the anti-war rallies] in a positive way, without being arrested or causing problems,” he said. “We would like to do this with class.”

The rally will begin with a welcome address from Kirkby, after which Kirkby said “the plan is to make our presence known and to show our support for the troops.”

Kirkby said participants should bring flags, signs and banners of support.

Kirkby’s show is a caller-based discussion forum in the Santa Barbara area that emphasizes opposing political views on current events and airs Tuesday and Thursday nights on the community access television station, ComTV.