I have written both here and elsewhere about what my opinion on exactly what the Tea Party is about and what I believe it stands for. I have also written how I feel the “Tea Party” name has been co-opted by others to forward their own agendas. Those of us who truly believe in what the tea party movement stands for, might be considered by some as eccentric or nut cases, we like to consider ourselves as passionate. We believe in the principles that this country was founded on and we believe the country has strayed from these principles.
Even though we are constantly called names and bombarded with negative press, mostly by people who have no idea what we are about, we continue to go on.
Our opponents don’t understand us, they can’t figure us out and hence try to discredit us any way they can. These people can’t understand how we can function without any designated leaders or party platform, since that is what they are used to and they know of no other way. This is exactly what makes our movement strong. They try to draw us into places we don’t belong nor where we want to go, mostly social issues, where they want us to take sides, forgetting that we are about individual freedom, a concept foreign to them.
So what is the point of this long winded diatribe you ask? Basically it is that, the true believers in the tea party movement, like me, believe that everyone is free to do what they wish. So as I stated in the first paragraph, if someone wants to use the tea party name for their own benefit, while we may not like it, they have the right to do so. The problem is when a person or group of people, use the tea party name with the intention of doing harm to legitimate tea party groups. For example, this group is called the Sturbridge Tea Party and we represent the towns of Sturbridge, Southbridge, Charlton, Brimfield, Holland and Wales. Now if another group comes along and calls itself, say, the Southbridge Tea Party, that is all well and good and we would actually welcome them. But if this group were to go against the tea party principles and what we stand for, there would be a problem, especially when they do exactly what they accuse us of.
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And what would that be you ask? Let’s say this group developed a website, using the tea party name and a semblance of the Gadsen Flag and then called others “Haters”. Those of us who believe in what the tea party movement stands for don’t call others names; that is a tactic of the left. We don’t resort to what I call “Alinsky Tactics”, things like threatening boycotts of businesses to get our way or trying to infiltrate the opposition to destroy them from within. Instead we welcome everyone and try to make them understand what we are shooting for, what we think and believe and if we are lucky, convert them. We do this through honesty and integrity, not by following “Rules For Radicals
”.
”. It’s too bad our opposition doesn’t share the same sense of ethics as we do. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all sit down and talk rationally, without one side attacking the other? Some just can’t seem to understand that you’ll get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.
Babe, I cannot even begin to tell you the degree to which we are playing for the same team.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I did buy that book you recommended, but I haven't had the chance to read it yet.
-AP
BTW, maybe we're not playing for the same team? (I'm a libertarian, not a neocon.)
ReplyDeleteAnd sheesh, dude. You've totally met me and I hope you keep meeting me again and again until one of us keels over.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, really? Me? Vinegar? I'll change the word "hater" if you really feel that strongly about it. The word choice was not something I had strongly considered, or am all that committed to.
I think it's really telling that I haven't even put any content for the website yet and you're already finding something to complain about. I kind of like that about you, however. You complain about really interesting things.
I have another book to give you that I think will help you understand me. I'm going to order you your own copy first, however, because mine is signed by the author and I don't want it to leave my hot little hands.
As has been discussed in various conversations, people who really believe in the movement don't use a phrase such as "Why should Haters Greater Boston get to have all the fun?" - http://www.southbridgeteaparty.org
ReplyDeleteRemember perception is reality. You are free to post anything you would like, that is exactly what the tea party movement believes in, however we don't believe in name calling.
You as well as anyone else are welcome to attend our meetings and be part of our group, we continue to be open to all.
As far as being on the same side, that remains to be seen, but I am willing to be convinced we are.
I dunno about you, but I am totally 100% down with the idea of the two of us being on Team Willing To Be Convinced. Local politics is a crazy, crazy business and it's hard to make sense of much of anything without other smart and open-minded people to have Real Actual Conversations with.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the continued extension of your invitation. If I were no longer welcome I would feel you were no better than that notorious man of the cloth we discussed privately.
ReplyDeleteI will try harder to be more polite about the things I am passionate about in the future. Despite rumors to the contrary, I do make it a point to try to respect my elders. ;)
ReplyDeleteWe need to talk about this part:
ReplyDelete"Our opponents don’t understand us, they can’t figure us out and hence try to discredit us any way they can. These people can’t understand how we can function without any designated leaders or party platform, since that is what they are used to and they know of no other way."
So, if that billboard I freaked out about over on Hook street was a Totally Grassroots Tea Party effort, then why did some lady with crazy eyes from the Republican State Committee come up to me in Target and start giving me crap for talking with a couple of friends about how much I hated the billboard while I was in public shopping for Easter things?
Everybody involved with the Tea Party has their own agenda, because EVERYBODY ON THE PLANET has an agenda. That lady who put up the billboard I didn't like also works as an Organizer for the Massachusetts branch of Focus on the Family. (When she's not out selling AstroTurf, I mean.) Why do you think she's using her email list to talk about an anti-discrimination bill for Transgender people? Does it have to do with economic policy? Because if it does, I would totally love to debate that shit to the sky and back again.
Yes, everyone does have their on agenda, but the important thing is some people for the most part have the same base agendas. For example the four basic principles we in the tea party follow, fiscal responsibility, smaller government, strict constitutionalism and lower taxes.
ReplyDeleteFrom there, each group may have some other agendas. We here in Sturbridge, pretty much stick to these four although we certainly are open to discussions on other subjects. This is why we don't endorse candidates, although we will let people know which follow our core values. The secret for any tea party member is to be able to differentiate what is personal and what is group.
Our opponents don't think like we do in this regard. To them everyone has to be placed into a little hole, like the old mailboxes which used to be behind the desk at the Hotel Columbia on Main Street in Southbridge. You go here, I go there. If you are in the Tea Party hole, you must be a hater or a racist, because that is your hole. That's the problem, people are all individuals and they all don't fit in holes. For example, because I don't believe abortion is right, I am still pro choice. But because I am in the Tea party hole, I can't be this.
And because of this theory of the holes (maybe I should patent that) some, you for instance, make assumptions. I am referring to the billboard. You as well as many others have assumed the billboard was put there by the tea party, as I have written before, it was not. People can actually belong to more than one group. How many groups do you belong to? Do members of the tea party think showing an id to vote is good, absolutely, but that doesn't mean we paid for the billboard. But again, we are in the hole which says we must have put up the sign.
This is where the problem lies.