Claire and I are headed down to Omaha's Douglas County Courthouse (16th and Farnam) today at noon for our city's participation in the Tea Party, a nationwide protest of President Obama's and the Democrat Congress' shameful actions of the last month. At least 50 such parties are planned in cities all across the United States today.In particular, the Tea Party protests the irrational economic policies of the Democrats whose "stimulus" legislation and national budget are both filled with waste, lobbyist-led pork projects, payment for bad behavior (by individuals and government), and socialist-inspired programs that will create irreversible damage to our nation.
Now the attendance for Omaha's event may be a bit sparse -- we're just getting the front edge of what we're told is a big snowstorm here -- but the issues are important enough for us all to pledge ourselves to ongoing action. For instance, I print below a brief essay put together by the folks at Smart Girl Politics which you can use as inspiration for your letters to politicians, editors, etc.
Here it is:
This great country, which I hold so dear, is in trouble. The principles on which our nation was founded seem to be deteriorating daily. Our government, comprised of elected officials sworn to represent us, has abandoned its sovereign duty to the people. Our voices, already muffled by the roar of a liberal media, are falling on the deaf ears of an uncompromising Congress. In an economic crisis created in large part by irresponsible government interference, it seems our government's answer is more of the same. If big government was the cause, how can bigger government be the solution?
In the 1760's the British Government began to use taxation as a tool to suppress prosperity and limit the liberties of its people. Much like our own, the British government abused its power and submitted, not to the citizens, but to the special interests and political gain. On December 16, 1773, American colonists decided, as have we, that enough is enough. In a bold act of protest, the Sons of Liberty filled the Boston Harbor with more than 45 tons of East India Company tea.
The Boston Tea Party put into motion the events that would ultimately lead to the American Revolution and on July 4, 1776, our founding fathers would adopt The Declaration of Independence. This document not only announced our independence from Britain, but it asserted our unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In addition to these, the Declaration of Independence ensures our right to protect ourselves from a government that becomes destructive and to alter, abolish, or recreate a government that has ceased to fulfill the duties for which it was created.
In the shadow of failed bailouts that have been squandered away by greedy CEO's and uncooperative labor unions, our government has passed legislation that will prove to be the largest and most costly expansion of government in history. With trillions of dollars gone and wasted, we have stood and watched the America we love slip away; the America that has flourished in a system of free market capitalism and thrived in a democracy centered around states' rights, it is our duty to act. We will stand by and watch no more.
This Friday, all across this nation, "we the people" will be invoking the spirit of our forefathers and joining our voices in an effort to drown out the chatter of mediocrity. We will have a Tea Party of our own. In fact, we will have many. We will speak out against the infliction of a debt that will cripple future generations. We will protest the use of fear by our leaders to impose upon us their liberal agendas. We will respond to the threat of socialism that intensifies as wealth is seized and redistributed. We will reclaim our exceptionalism that sets up apart and provides every man, woman and child with the opportunity to achieve the American Dream . We will reject the class warfare and victim mentality that eats away at peace and prosperity. And once again, we will empower the people...and the people will prevail.
The President has said that he gets it. Let's make sure that he does. Join us...
As a reminder of what started this whole thing, zip on over to these previous Vital Signs blog post: Rick Santelli's "Chicago Tea Party" and Gasp! A Reporter Injects Opinion Into CNBC News -- And It's Not a Liberal Opinion!
