We're Still Here: A Tea Party Survival Guide
Christine Morabito |
By: Christine Morabito
So the Health Care Reform bill has now passed. As the Tea Party takes some time to lick its wounds, it has absolutely no intention of going quietly. The movement was given a much needed shot in the arm with the release of Michael Graham's book That's No Angry Mob, That's My Mom. Graham has been a staunch defender of the Tea Party since its inception. His latest book brilliantly defines what we are and, just as importantly, what we are not.
Yet the Left and the mainstream media continue their attacks. Why? Because we dare to ask tough questions of our government. Instead of answering them, they prefer to call us "paranoid," "fear mongers"--and of course--"racist." Such was the implication in the Boston Globe story by Joanna Weiss ("The makings of a Boston Tea Party" March 27, 2010). I take issue with Joanna's statement that the Tea Party has "hit a paranoid height," and that we are "trying to equate every moderate-left policy with Marxism." I must have been so high from the marker fumes I used to make protest signs, that I missed all the "moderate" policies of this administration.
The often employed Saul Alinsky style tactic of marginalizing the opposition to silence dissent has been an exercise in futility. This is evidenced by the fact that our membership has continued to swell since the passing of HR 3590. Massachusetts Tea Parties are reporting close to 100 new members since the bill passed, along with numerous requests for new chapters. Barbara Klain, co-founder of the Greater Lowell Tea Party, shared the story of a man who called her at 9am "the morning after" because he was so distraught over the latest government takeover. He proceeded to vent his frustrations for about 10 minutes. I submit that by giving this man a voice and a place of refuge, the Tea Party may actually provide a service, helping to prevent such people from becoming so frustrated that they turn to violence against the perceived violators of their liberties.
Pelosi & Lewis Taunting Tea Party |
As for the supposed racial slurs, I've watched the videos over and over, and have yet to hear them. Anyone with a functioning cerebrum knows that with a group as massive as the Tea Party, there are bound to be one or two--shall we say--kooky people. In my opinion, this includes the individuals carrying "Obama as Hitler" signs. Unfortunately, these are people who get the press coverage.
With the forced passing of HR 3590, the Obama administration has not only broken its promise to make the economy top priority, but has also proven that it couldn't care less whether or not you have a job. But by God, there will be health care for all! Senator Dick Durban defended the resulting tax increases (during a recession) as "the cost of having the kind of America we want to have." Well thank you. But I'll settle for the regular, garden variety kind of America I have grown to know and love. The kind where with hard work and determination you can enjoy the fruits of your labor and not have them confiscated and redistributed to the growing number of citizens dependent on the nanny state. This socialist policy, which fails every time it's tried, does nothing to encourage self reliance, entrepreneurship or innovation. Instead this elitist scam results in "trickle up poverty."
In his book How Capitalism Saved America, Thomas Di Lorenzo wrote:
The most important point that the anti-capitalists overlook or ignore is this: overwhelming evidence indicates that the more regulations, controls, taxes, government-run industries, protectionism, and other forms of interventionism that exist, the poorer a country will be. Big government invariably causes higher unemployment, higher prices, shortages of goods and services, and a myriad other problems that can be eliminated only by more, not less, voluntary exchange on the free market—that is , by capitalism. Excessive government controls are precisely why countries of western Europe lag so far behind the United States economically.
Speaker Pelosi beamed when she spoke of HR 3590 as "a gift to the American people." Much like the fruitcake that no one wants, the American people may choose to "re-gift" this one.
About the Author
Christine has a BA in Communications from Truman State University. Before becoming a psychiatric nurse she worked as a zookeeper for 13 years. While in the animal field she traveled extensively around the country presenting educational bird shows. She became passionate about politics over the past several years and is currently on the steering committee for the Greater Boston Tea Party.
(ArticlesBase SC #2174674)
Tea Party Survival Guide: We're Still Here
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/
Added July 16, 2010
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