I just got back from the Tea Party at Voice of America Park in West Chester. Like a ding dong, I forgot my digital cameras so I bought a disposable. As a result, I did discover that one hour photo means we'll get around to it when someone shows up for their shift. I'll be posting the photos as soon as I get them back from the one hour photo.
Some notes...
I would put attendance somewhere around 10,000 people in and out during the festivities.
I found it disgusting that not one local news crew could be found on the grounds. You could have 40 people advocating abortion rights in a library and you'd find 10 TV cameras in the room.
The organization that it took to put the program on was impressive. Especially when you have no idea how many people will actually show up for the event. All the volunteers it took to put that together are truly selfless.
I still believe that people still have a misconception about the people who go to these tea parties. For every person at this rally was 10,000 people who couldn't be there because they are the kind of people you won't see on a reality show. They're the people who have to attend a JV football games. They're the people who had to go into the office to finish a project. They're the kind of people who keep informed and vote but don't have time for political rallies. They're the people who pay their taxes, fund their 401k's, don't commit crimes, try to be kind to their neighbor and are sick and tired of being blamed for what's wrong with America.
But maybe, even more than that, there's absolutely no one in the government to defend them.
Barack Obama?
John McCain?
Hilary Clinton?
Bob Taft?
Ted Strickland?
George Voinovich?
Sherrod Brown?
George Bush?
Can you name one politician who actually defends and/or represents the people who carry the load in this country?
I can't.
None the less, the tea parties are an eruption of people who have finally decided to be seen and heard.
I would advise the politicians to watch and listen.
4 comments:
I think someone announced the Sherrif's estimate at 18,000 people. That did seem high to me, but I don't have experience in estimating crowd size.
It was a good time. And you are right about the people that carry the load in this country.
One other misconception about the Tea Party crowd. The media believes that this is a bunch of well-off selfish republicans bitter that they will be losing wealth to those in need.
NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER. First off, most of these people no longer identify themselves strongly as republicans.
Secondly, it's not protest of simple wealth transfer. It's protest of the most productive, efficient, wealth producing economy in the world being systematically consumed by bureaucratic imperialists, pooped out, then flushed down the Government Toilet of Good Intentions by our Dear Leaders in Washington.
Ever since the Great Society, the horrible stewardship of our national finances, deficit spending, and lack of banking oversite has snowballed. This is what pulled us to the edge of the abyss last September and continues to be where we stand today. The tea party people have laid this at the feet of BOTH parties. So what has the government done to repair the damage??? Doubled, maybe tripled the level of bad behavior during the Obama reign.
This is what the Tea Party crowd protests. It not just Obama or Pelosi. They are just the faces on the problem. It's the general ratcheting up of atrocious fiscal behavior.
We've seen loss of jobs and wealth; but mostly for the group that would be considered the Obama base. What will happen if the Tea Party people are not listened to? Probabaly even more loss of jobs and more loss of more prosperity for the same Obama base.
The Tea Party people are most likley to retain their standard of living through whatever happens. It's an entirely different segment of the population that will be the hurt by all these mistakes of government. That's what seems so crazy about how the Tea Party crowd is portrayed. The Tea Party people are the freedom fighters here. The government should be the ones who should be exposed as the failures.
Thanks for going.
Looking forward to the pictures.
I enjoyed your post. My husband and I are going to a tea party next weekend, and we don't know what to expect. Thank you for posting and you have echoed some of our own frustrations!
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