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Silent majority cries out at ‘tea parties’: Are politicians listening?


Wednesday, April 22, 2009 7:08 AM PDT

Comments (23 comment(s))

Last week hundreds of thousands of Americans gathered, including a few hundred in Lodi, to send a very loud message from a typically silent majority.

We’re tired of insane spending, we’re worried about the future of our country, but more than anything, we’re sick and tired of politicians whom we put in place to represent us doing everything but their jobs.

I saw Democrats, Independents and Republicans at these rallies, so this wasn’t just a right-wing thing. Here in Southern California, the tea parties were huge. Silent majority no more, they showed up in force because they see where America is headed and want to see the dream continue rather than sold.

What surprised me more than anything was the number of young people at these rallies. They were as concerned as the baby boomers. The nationwide event was a classic example of the best of this country coming together over the cause of saving the freedom and liberty we enjoy.

Some anti-tea protesters gathered to question: Why the rallies now? Why not when Bush Jr. was in office?

The answer was clear. In a six-month time frame both presidents spent us out of more money than we knew existed. Partially because a lot of the money being spent doesn’t exist. I think six months to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people from coast to coast is a fairly quick response. It just so happens to have been done under President Obama.

From CNN to local news stations, tea parties got a sound bite here and there, but these broadcasts made it seem as if a few people with a sign were standing and yelling for no reason. The editorial comments made after these stories would run were unlike anything I had ever seen before. From disgusting jokes to rude insults of political parties, unbiased journalists showed their true colors.

About two days before the parties, the Department of Homeland Security issued an alert to local and state law enforcement warning of “right-wing radicalism” being dangerous. Obviously the White House was worried that hardworking, honest Americans had finally had enough and wanted to be prepared.

Prepared for a violent attack? That never happened. All parties were peaceful and were so for a reason: to send a message that we aren’t the enemy, we aren’t here to hurt anyone. We’re here to bring back the traditional American values that were set by our founding fathers that seem to have been lost over the years of pork-barrel spending and kickbacks.

The tea parties showed more than anything that Americans want America to return to a state of high moral values, ethical actions and trustworthy leadership.

Even here in California, we have such a monumental deficit and all our state leaders do is ask for more to pay for their spending.

I contacted Assemblywoman Alyson Huber last week, just before the tea parties, to ask why California continues to plead for money when spending is the problem. Her district includes Lodi.

She explained that because so many things have been written into and passed for the state’s constitution and budget over the years that when a new budget comes along, there is only a single-digit percentage worth of wriggle room.

Huber is one of few in the state capitol who realize there is a huge problem that needs to be fixed. Huber feels there should be a state Constitutional convention to evaluate and change things that continue to bog down any recovery.

I asked how that was going, and she said that it had been proposed but it was still making its way through the cycle of approval.

“You can’t even talk about fixing (the budget) without upsetting someone,” she said in a phone interview.

So I begged the question, “When does the alarm sound? When does too much spending and too much chaos finally bring lawmakers together to evaluate the ultimate root of the problem?”

She said something that scared me: “I’m asking the same question.”

Anyone who attended a tea party, whether locally or across this free land, should be commended for their patriotic accomplishments. The fight obviously isn’t over. We have a long road to recovery. But we the people can do it. Elected officials represent us, and we need to hold them to that.

It’s time for “government by the people” to take on a new meaning.

Wade Heath of Lodi is a college student in Southern California. He can be reached at: reachwade@lycos.com. Or visit his online blog at: wadewire.blogspot.com.

Reader Feedback

Gator wrote on Apr 27, 2009 7:04 PM:

" Cogito, Read the book, I didn’t say it’s the gospel on the incident, it’s a theory. I said 2 white Trash Red Necks weren’t smart enough to do the
bomb that did the damage it did. The discovery channel said the truck was
placed just right to do maximum damage. The accelerant used was Nitro
methane, a hundred times more volatile than the Diesel Normally used to
set off the Ammonium Nitrate. Now we know who has perfected Mobile IED’s As for Timmy setting off practice bombs, big deal I have used many
a charge of the nitrate. But a charge of that magnitude that’s another story…
but if it looks like a duck, Quacks like a duck odds are it is!!! "

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Cogito wrote on Apr 27, 2009 9:02 AM:

" Gator, geez, another conspiracy theory? It's a fact that little Timmy had been setting off practice explosions at his place for months. The type of bomb used doesn't take a munitions expert to develop. You're starting to sound like Jesse Ventura. "

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Gator wrote on Apr 25, 2009 4:47 PM:

" For those who think a couple of Red-Necks were smart enough to know exactly where to place the truck, and to use an accelerant far more powerful
than the normal diesel to set off the ammonium nitrate let alone the amount
to do the job I suggest a book by Jayna Davis, called the Third Terrorist. He
was the one witnesses saw but the FBI could never find…The book points
a finger at a gentleman by the name of Hussain Hashem Al-Hussaini.I was
In Flagstaff that morning… We were watching GMA when they broke in and said a bomb was set off in a truck parked by the building, my first thought was Middle eastern Arabs, racist, no not really, it looked like a duck and quacked like a duck, you no the drill…The official report has a very bad smell and it isn’t fish…. "

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Cogito wrote on Apr 25, 2009 10:40 AM:

" Tjeff, that would be any poll that asks someone's "opinion" of what direction they think the country is headed into. I'm sorry, but the average person in this country is criminally misinformed in such matters, their opinion is usually based on ignorance. "

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t jefferson wrote on Apr 25, 2009 6:52 AM:

" and what poll what that? Get the right population and I can get a majority of people who agree that the earth is flat and the moon is made of green cheese (probably educated in blue state school). Be carefull what poll you are looking at and don't confuse correlation with causation. The stock market has gone up for 7 weeks and full court press by the MSM on how great everything is has been going since march. Check back in the middle of May when cracks in the economy bust through again and unemployment shoots up to +10%... "

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Cogito wrote on Apr 24, 2009 9:58 PM:

" Lodian, or anyone else, did you happen to catch Lou Dobbs tonight? He was on fire! If you did, the people who he is appointing to significant positions in this country, and their significant ignorance of qualifications to be there, speaks volumes about this particular presidents incompetence to lead. He is in WAAAAAAAY in over his head! he is NOT leading us in a positive direction at all! "

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Cogito wrote on Apr 24, 2009 1:59 PM:

" What high numbers are you referring to Lodian? Unemployment? Bankruptcies? Government spending? Foreclosures? Or the delusional poll results by the general public? "

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Lodian wrote on Apr 24, 2009 1:37 PM:

" *country "

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Lodian wrote on Apr 24, 2009 1:35 PM:

" More people now think this county is going in the right direction. The numbers haven't been this high in years. Finally, an upswing in this country. Thank God. "

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Cogito wrote on Apr 24, 2009 9:29 AM:

" CNBC did a story this morning on "business friendly states". They talked to the owner of a plant that makes industrial engine parts for companies like Caterpillar. The company is moving out of California, and laying off hundreds of employees. The reason? California ranks 49th in business friendliness, 50th in business taxes. Other reasons were business regulations due to things like air quality standards, and power costs. (thanks gov. Davis) Nevada, right next door, is 2nd in business friendliness. California, due to greed and incompetence in Sacramento, is chasing off the revenue created by business by being hostile towards it. Farming and Hollywood will not be able to support us. "

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t jefferson wrote on Apr 24, 2009 7:35 AM:

" ah L - you're true love, patriotism and belief in the 1st amendment shows through with flying colors, you hypocrite. I weep for what you cowards have done to my country and what you continue to try to do. I fear for what this administration will do for the future and hope that people who wish this country ill are still afraid of retribution. I doubt that is the case and I expect we will be on the receiving end very soon. "

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Cogito wrote on Apr 23, 2009 9:12 PM:

" Leonard, Timmy blew up the Oklahoma building in retaliation to Bill Clinton and Janet Reno's ordered slaughter of the Branch-Davidians. You know that! "

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willy wrote on Apr 23, 2009 8:53 PM:

" I am a vietnam era veteran and proud of it. My grandfather,dad,and myself all served in the Navy. My son in the Army. And my daughter is currently serving in the Navy. I understand what words like honor,respect,duty, and sacrifice mean. I am everyday reminded and aware of the cost of freedom. The veterans plaza in lodi is a place to go where you can remember and honor those who gave and continue to give so very much. I do not consider it an appropriate place to have a political protest. And I feel it is very wrong indeed to toss teabags or anything else into that fountain. It is my feeling that to do that is to dishonor these people who have sacrificed so much in order to exercise our rights and freedoms. There may be another tea party scheduled for Flag day in June however there will be no tossing of tea bags into the fountain if I have anything to say about it. See you there. "

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Brian wrote on Apr 23, 2009 8:11 AM:

" Mybe this is what it's going to take. Perhaps we should start a campaign to get Radical Islamists to register with the Republican party.

Oh the things we have to do to get liberals
to pay attention to the real threats. "

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Brian wrote on Apr 23, 2009 8:05 AM:

" What's so hipocrical about the left now is their insinuations that anyone on the right is a potential threat yet they demand that there be no profiling of Muslims at all even if they are Republican. "

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Brian wrote on Apr 23, 2009 8:00 AM:

" Leonard wrote:
The rabble, some of whom showed up in full Klan regalia.

Leonard,
Do you have evidence that KKK members tend to be Republican? You are insinuating this. I'm sure Senator Bird would take you to task demanding an explanation to why you feel he would be putting his hood on with a Republican majority in the KKK. "

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Brian wrote on Apr 23, 2009 7:54 AM:

" King Obama has carefully orchestrated this distraction because the stimulus package is not working. And I wonder what kind of a kickback he's going to get from the author of the book that Chavez gave him for being part of the campaign to help the sales of this Anti-American book? Shooting up to #2 from #56,000. Business is business, Obama would say. "

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Brian wrote on Apr 23, 2009 7:47 AM:

" Leonard,

Are you also going to blame Radical Islamic Terror on the right wing? It sure seems to me your heading that way. Napalatano should be the one held accountable for stirring all this this up. And you're falling for it. How about those soldiers coming home from Iraq that are more of a threat to this country, in her eyes, than the Radical Islamists? I hope you don't actually think our men in uniform are a threat.
Or do you think they are only a threat
If they have an R by their name? How many of your friends in the military are Iraq vets with an R by their name? Are you going to keep a warry eye on them because Napalatano
told you to? I'm glad she's not Gov. of AZ anymore. She's a disgrace. "

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Leonard wrote on Apr 22, 2009 6:58 PM:

" I can only hope that, when the first truck full of fertilizer goes up in front of a government day care center, Perry, Limbaugh and all the other scumbags who are egging on the right wing terrorists are held fully accountable for their actions. "

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Leonard wrote on Apr 22, 2009 6:56 PM:

" Silent majority???

Here in Austin, the noisy collection of wingnuts, bunker owners and Timothy McVeigh style militia nuts were shouting secession which is just another word for treason.

The rabble, some of whom showed up in full Klan regalia, were led on by non other than Rick "the Hairjob" Perry, a man who has made a career out of making people wish they could have old W back in the Governor's office. "

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oooph wrote on Apr 22, 2009 11:02 AM:

" Wade, obviously college isn't very tough for you as you must be spending your time watching FOX and listening to Rush.... This whole "tea bagging movement" was little more than a publicity stunt for FOX and was the creation of Dick Army and FreedomWorks. The people at these "grass root" events were protesting a tax hike of 3% for the 5% of people making more than 250K per year. I think everyone in America making 250K a year plus must have attended. Seriously Wade, these events were filled with people who hate “the government” in general and especially hate Obama. Interviews I saw with protestors were disturbing. An alarming amount of people thought Obama was born in Kenya and were convince he’s going to repeal the second amendment. (Not exactly the sharpest knives in drawer Wade.) Hopefully, college will eventually expand your views and teach you to get your news from several sources so you can broaden you can join the 95% of us working for a living after you graduate. (Or you can catch a job at FOX after graduation. They are always looking for new employees to drink the cool aid and shine Sean Hanity’s shoes.) "

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Cogito wrote on Apr 22, 2009 8:11 AM:

" Yeahyou, in the 70s about the same amount of people believed "plants have feelings". Don't worry, that number will go down. "

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yeah you wrote on Apr 22, 2009 7:17 AM:

" Obama approval rating 63% says Gallup Poll. "

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