Tea Party Goodness

“Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.” (emphasis mine)

Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment
Department of Homeland Security

*******

"Opposition to wrong ideas is not radical; it is necessary and required in a republic."

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Constitution of the United States of America, Amendment X

“I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state,” Gov. Perry said. “That is why I am here today to express my unwavering support for efforts all across our country to reaffirm the states’ rights affirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe that returning to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and its essential 10th Amendment will free our state from undue regulations, and ultimately strengthen our Union.”

http://governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/12227/

*******

I have apparently begun the dangerous slip into radical right-wing extremism, along with the Governor of Texas, millions of tax-paying citizens and the authors of the Bill of Rights. I took the radical and dangerous step today of going to a “Tea Party” here in Texas, and I had a wonderful time. Like myself, millions of tax-payers and the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, also went to Tea Parties not just here in the Nation of Texas, but all across these United States to vent their spleens over the egregious over-stepping of federal authority and uncontrolled spending and taxation that have become the modus operandi of this current Regime and Congress in Washington. The authors of the Bill of Rights, however, likely could not attend, but WOULD HAVE if they had had the opportunity.

Part of my inspiration to stand shoulder to shoulder with my fellow citizens was the release of the Department of Homeland Security’s document Rightwing Extremism. It is not a long piece, and it is certainly not difficult to understand, but some of the implications made me see red. The same Administration that proposes to triple our national debt paying for cradle-to-grave socialist programs also defines a right wing extremist as a person that holds state’s rights over federal authority.

As in, say, the Tenth Amendment in the Bill of Rights? Most people, including you, dear reader, likely remember this ancient document fondly known as the Constitution of the United States. I do. I carry a copy with me, and in there are defined the rights of the Federal Government. Nowhere in that document does it say that the Federal Government has the right to place our grandchildren and great-grandchildren under the servitude of a national debt of an unbelievable size. Nowhere in there does it say that a President has the right to dictate salaries to private institutions or to fire CEO’s of private companies. The Constitution does not allow the Government to oppose free speech. The current Administration has made it clear that talk radio that opposes them is “dangerous” and an “obstacle to progress.”

Many of these issues were discussed at the Tea Party today. They were discussed by obviously radical right-wing elements such as grey-haired grandmothers, businessmen in suits, middle-class families with children present, veterans, flag waving teens and people that had tears hearing hundreds of people pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. I did not see any swastikas, KKK hoods, burning effigies or rock-throwing. I did not hear voices raised in anger, but I did hear voices raised in determination. This was not a protest by morons at a G7 meeting, but rather a gathering or people that you would usually meet at the supermarket, or at church, or at work that have had enough of Federal social engineering and domination. They are tired of a Federal Government that makes mandates to the 50 states at the drop of a hat, but cannot balance a budget.

I predict that these meetings today, that took place all over the states and were attended by huge numbers of people, are going to be ridiculed and castigated by the press and Administration. They are going to say that we are all being ‘programmed’ by the right-wing ‘echo-chamber’ and that if we had not had that medium we would never have had these thoughts ourselves. My answer to that is that my ancestors had these ideas before there were even radios to be had, and that we were simply raised correctly when we learned these conservative ideals. Opposition to wrong ideas is not radical; it is necessary and required in a republic.

God bless this Country.



*Note by Kelly: the last two pictures (thanks to a cousin) are from a Tea Party held at the Federal Building in Salt Lake City, Utah. Those in attendance endured the rain, snow and cold to show their support for this cause.