Are Tea Parties Good or Bad for America?

When we hear of tea parties we automatically think of the Boston Tea Party of 1773 when the colonists in Massachusetts protested against Parliament's tea tax. The reasoning behind this momentous event was that the colonists were being levied taxes without representation. There was no representative from the New England states representing them in Parliament. Today's tea parties are something totally different. We do have representation in Congress from a technical standpoint, but our lawmakers are not looking out for the interests of the American people. We the people do elect our House and Senate members, but their loyalty isn't to their constituents. Their loyalty is toward those interest groups that donate to their campaign. Those that do get elected to Congress donate their time gearing up for their next election as well as pay off favors toward their donors. The United States is becoming an oligarchy. It's the rule of the elite. Take a look at the troubled mortgage industry that Congress bailed out in 2008. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG, etc. contribute to the political coffers of our politicians. Wall Street owns our politicians. Our politicians are at the bidding of the wealthy elites who contribute to their campaigns. It's a travesty!

This morning I was listening to a local radio program while heading to work. The host was mentioning about tea parties and he was posing the question are tea parties good or bad for America? That's the focus of this blog. The recent tea party movement began in February 2009 due to the disgust at the TARP bailouts by Washington, D.C. Then Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson created a TARP fund to bail out those mortgage firms that were in trouble. Billions of dollars were squandered through that process. Some of those firms that received the bailout money paid their CEO's high bonuses. There was a lot of fraud and corruption taking place when Congress eagerly used taxpayer dollars to bail out these troubled firms. The tea party also protested against the stimulus bill that President Obama signed last February. The tea party starting holding rallies across the nation last year. They held rallies on April 15, July 14, and September 12, to name a few. This past year in February former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin addressed the Tea Party Convention. The tea party has gained considerable momentum since President Obama took office. The tea party is comprised of a group of Americans who are disgusted with the lack of accountability Washington has toward the American people. Many tea party members are former Republicans or disgruntled Republicans. The origins of this tea party movement isn't because Barack Obama was elected president in 2008. The tea party formed due to many concerned citizens' disgust on how Washington was running the nation the last 10 years. It doesn't make any difference whether it's Democrat or Republican, Bush or Obama. The government the last several years has continually grown in size. The deficit is outrageous.

Many tea party members showed their disgust towards Congress passing the recent healthcare bill in March. Some members of Congress have received threats such as Rep. Bart Stupak and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They quickly want to point the blame at the tea party members. Last year Speaker Pelosi made some derogatory comments about the party. The tea party is a threat to both the Democrats and Republicans. However, under the First Amendment, the tea partiers have the right to assemble, protest, and petition for a redress of grievances to Congress. The tea party has the First Amendment right to free speech, which is what they're exercising. There's an effort being made by some Republicans such as former House Majority Leader Dick Army to amalgamate the tea party members into the Republican party. The mainline Republicans want to amalgamate the tea party members in order to render the movement ineffective. They are considered a threat to the Establishment in Washington that's why you hear many liberals calling them racist, ignorant, Nazis, and the list continues. The liberal media and liberal politicians are doing everything in their power to marginalize this movement. However, the best thing that's happened to America politically in the last two years is the conception and growing momentum of the tea party movement.

World Net Daily Founder Joseph Farah said that one of the best things that's happened as a result of the election of Barack Obama is that Americans are being awakened and conservatives are being energized once again. He said that's something that wouldn't have happened had John McCain won the presidency. Farah is right on the money. Some conservatives would've been further lulled to sleep if McCain had won. Also, McCain would have further hurt the conservative cause because he like Bush, isn't a conservative on a number of fronts. Republican politicians know the key issue that most of their base is concerned about: abortion. Some voters won't think anything about their candidate's voting record as long as they vote pro-life. That's been the problem. Bush sneaked a lot of things through because he knew what he had to do to appease his base. The Republican party takes their base for granted and they know what they have to do to win support of their base. Conservative voters need to wake up and recognize there are more issues than abortion alone. Abortion is the most fundamental issue there is when it comes to life. However, I am tired of Republicans giving lip service to abortion and then dragging our country down in other ways. If a Republican claims to be a conservative, his record and actions need to be consistent. In everything he does, he should be pro-American in all his policies. Everything should be about the best interests of the United States--not Wall Street, not Mexico, not Saudi Arabia, or the petroleum industry. Nothing should take precedence over God, the Constitution and country. When those that are elected have those three things in the right perspective, then they will be a positive force in America. Most of our politicians today will sell out our country in a heartbeat.

It's been said that movements are only temporary. They don't last for long. Is the tea party movement just a current fad or is it here to stay? The tea party movement needs to be independent of both political parties. The movement needs to consist of an assortment of mainstream America. The movement should represent the interests of average Americans as a whole. It should represent the best interests of the nation as a whole. As of right now, they are on the right path. Our politicians are fearing them because they are forcing accountability on them which they don't desire. That's the way it needs to be. If the tea party ever becomes absorbed by the Republicans, then the movement will eventually fade away. The tea party will become useless if they allow the Republican establishment to gain control of the movement. The Republicans don't want to be challenged. They desire the status quo. The Republicans are in it together with the Democrats in propping up the New World Order. The tea party movement is a threat to the growth of big government, deficit spending, and many other issues as well. That's why it's crucial they remain above the fray. They need to challenge our politicians in Washington either they abide by the principles they campaigned on or they will be voted out of office very quickly.

I like the tea party because they are about restoring the government to the vision that our Founding Fathers idealized. They believe in small and limited government. The tea party also supports fiscal restraint as well. For the last 70+ years our government has increasingly grown in size and power with new entitlement programs being added such as social security, Medicare, many Great Society programs, and the list continues. President Obama along with today's Democrats are transforming America into a socialist country. They've already succeeded with taking over General Motors, Chrysler, and 1/6 of the nation's healthcare system. The tea partiers will be heard loud and clear this year. We have an upcoming election in November. It's crucial that most of the incumbents in Washington be voted out this year. If our nation is to have an inkling of a chance, we must vote out the incumbent. We need to vote for candidates that support God, the Constitution, and our country.

Is the tea party good or bad for America? It's been a very positive thing for America. However, the tea party must remain indepedent if they are to be effective in waking up America. Many establishment Republicans don't want the tea partiers to be a third party movement. If the Republican Party under George W. Bush and the Republicans in charge of Congress didn't betray the voter's trust in them, then there wouldn't be a tea party movement. The tea partiers are disgusted with both Democrats and Republicans. Both parties have failed America. There's not much substantive difference between the two parties. That's why the tea party was formed. They are needed to bring accountability back to the Republicans and force them to abide by the principles they campaigned on. The day of no accountability must be over with. It's the Republicans' fault as well as the Democrats for the mess this nation is in. We can't trust either party. They're both working together to destroy the sovereignty of our country. Neither party cares about its constituents. That's why the tea party movement is growing.

If the tea party members ever become amalgamated into the Republican party, then they'll die out. They need to hold the Republicans' feet to the fire. I'm thankful for them and I hope they can further persuade the public to apply more pressure on the government as we draw closer to the November election. Those voters that are registered Republican need to vote in the primary as well. The primary is just as important as the general election. Many Americans have been awakened to the fact since Obama's election how serious the crisis is in America. America can no longer afford to sleep. The tea party movement is not some third party movement. They're a group of people who are concerned citizens and want to restore the nation back to the vision the Founding Fathers had for us.