I was privileged to attend one of the more than 700 Tea Parties held across America yesterday and, to paraphrase the acting president’s wife, “For the first time since November 4th I was proud to be an American!”
We heard speakers from 14 year old kids with mortgaged futures to the obligatory gaggle of politicians promising the usual “if elected” miracles. However, the speakers that moved me most were two naturalized American citizens: One who immigrated from the former Soviet Union and the other who escaped from Cuba. Both warned of the signs of impending tyranny we are witnessing from Washington and expressed fear of having “To go through it all again”. They moved me to the edge of tears, as I was later so moved while surrounded by an estimated 1500 fellow patriots singing, “God Bless America”. I don’t usually sing and guys from my generation don’t usually cry.
This was a local event, not one of the colossal affairs in New York, Chicago or Atlanta but I think very typical of the genuine grass roots movement that is so clearly confounding backers of the taxes and tyranny coming out of Washington. Masquerading as news media, the government’s public relations arm took first place gold in the “Rude and Crude” category and a silver in “I don’t get it”. Just watch this moronic, medal-winning performance by a member of the Communist News Network (CNN).
A few things are abundantly clear from these gatherings:
- People are both frightened and angry — a powerful combination. It seems more people understand what’s really going on than I thought
- The numbers of attendees at these Tea Parties are being underestimated and the events are being under-reported
- While promoted as anti-tax/anti-spending events, the losses of freedom and incursions of big government into our lives are of, at least, equal concern
- If ‘Bama-Socialist supporters don’t get it and provide a rapid change of direction in D.C., they’re on a fast track to a rapid exit of the current Congress in 2010, just for openers
- These were gatherings of ALL perspectives, Left, Right, Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Independent — pick a label. The common thread was the overwhelming desire to keep America uniquely American and prosperous — and the feeling that we’re being driven down the wrong road
As one of the immigrant speakers astutely observed, “Communism or Socialism, it’s the same thing — because when you have one, the other always follows”. Taking into account drastic changes to our economy, destruction of the free market system, gigantic government growth and creation of elements like a militant National Security Force, the handwriting is on the wall for transition into a Totalitarian, Socialist State. Sorry ‘Bama, it’s not the change people wanted but you are unifying many of us, as you promised.
This is not Cuba, France, Russia or Germany. Americans will not sit idly by and watch our nation turned into a banana republic or see our rights disintegrate before our very eyes. How ever these Tea Parties are perceived, how ever they are reported, the importance of what actually happened yesterday can be found in the huge number of citizens rising up to stand against oppression; the silent majority is awakening to the call of freedom! You had to be there!
R.S.F.
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