re: #354 Summer

With all due respect to everyone on this blog, I do not think the tea parties are dominated by, or run by racists, kooks or Ronpaulistas. I have observed that this accusation is the current liberal mantra— an accusation by people that were drooling incontinently at Obama rallies a few months ago. I will say that from the sixites on I have viewed demonistrations with scorn and derision, seeing them as the recreation of people who enjoy waving placards and shouting in parking lots.

However, I don’t take well to either physical or intellectual bullying. I see in the tenor of this anti-tea party upcry an attempt to intimidate into silence anyone who refuses to be the sort of genteel, supine, ineffectual Rightist who is terrified of being called an extremist and will grovel and apologize to anyone who doesn’t agree with them.

Thus, as an probable extremist, I took myself off to the Tea Party being held in our little town. Sorry to disappoint, but this was organized by a local county administrator, our Congresscritter, and by a local superstar who once worked for the George H.W. Bush administration and now works locally with Catholic charities. No one associated with Luap Nor or any similar pest was involved. Solid conservative Republicans all. The most extreme placard I saw was “IMPEACH EVERYONE IN WASHINGTON”. The one I thought was funniest was “NOW LET’S TAKE CARE OF THE PIRATES IN WASHINGTON.”

The attendees were about one third retirees (this is Florida, after all) and two thirds working people, solidly middle class. I did not hear one racist remark, nor any cries of “Ron Paul.” The high point was congressman Posey’s description and denunciation of the way the Stimulus Package was railroaded through, with a description of some of the features of the infamous Package itself. The rally began at noon and ended precisely at 1:00 PM in order to accommodate the working people.