Today Eugene Robinson wrote an article titled, "The Tea Party Poison". In it he, like many liberal writers, continues to attempt to make the connection between this grass roots organization and a charge of racism. I don't see it. The Tea Party movement is about freedom. It's stated purpose is as follows; "We are dedicated to uphold the Constitution and our rights as citizens of these United States of America. It is in our best interests to join in the "Tea Party Movement" to speak out and voice our thoughts on what we need to do in the United States to ensure our children have the ability to sustain this wonderful country. We are committed to keeping government from excessive spending and becoming so overpowering that we would lose our individual rights." Taken from http://www.jointheteaparty.us/aboutus.html. Can someone point out where anything about race is mentioned? A commitment to freedom and stand against oppression is what I see, read and hear. Are you kidding me? This should be a shared commitment honored by all thinking human beings regardless of color, class, race creed, sexual orientation and religion.
He asserts as proof of his allegation that , "On Saturday, the National Tea Party Federation announced it had expelled one of the movement's most prominent figures -- a California blowhard named Mark Williams -- because of the outrageously racist things he had said about the NAACP."
Now, let me get this straight. Mr. Robinson considers the organization racist (or having racist elements) because it kicks out someone who is a moron and expresses himself in a racially insensitive way that would suggest a racist intent????
Hmm. Let's compare this to the recent decision by Attorney General Eric Holder to the Black Panther incident in which our federal government decided to drop the case against members of Black Panther party who were engaged in voter intimidation. Oh, wait a minute, perhaps you think I am making this up. Well, here are two videos that show the incident. I leave it up to you to decide whether this is racism or voter intimidation (a federal offense, I believe).
Now, here is my question for Mr. Robinson, "If you are committed as you say you are to balanced reporting and a society free of bigotry, where is your outrage not only for this incident, but more problematically, towards Attorney General Eric Holder dropping this investigation and prosecution of what appears to be not only racist rhetoric, but voter intimidation?"
I see no evidence, on any official tea party website or documentation that is officially connected to the tea party movement is there any discussion about race. This movement is about freedom. Limiting the size and role of the federal government and empowering private enterprise hearkens back to our founding fathers goals. They intentionally designed a government system in order to reduce the likelihood that our country would ever drift back to tyranny as exemplified by the grievances listed against King George of England in our Declaration of Independence. Despots can take many forms and a precursor to tyrants be they 18th century kings or modern day despots is the concentration of power.
Recently, we have seen an unprecedented concentration of power into the hands of relatively fewer and fewer men, mostly associated with our federal government. This path is fraught with danger because as Nobel laureate, Milton Freedman said, ""Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it."
That is the mission of the tea party. That is what drives these patriots to committed action. This is something that men and women of all races, creeds, sexual orientation, or religion should be supportive of. For it is ours and their freedom we are standing up for.
This attempt to discredit the tea party movement by tarring it with the brush of racism is disrespectful at best and dishonest at worst. Mr. Robinson, I ask you to 1) Bring balance to your commentary, if you are going to point out racism, point it out without regard to race. (Racist behavior is not limited to Mark Williams or King Samir Shabaz, but both need to be called out) 2) Just as King Samir does not speak for all African Americans, or the NAACP, Mark Williams does not speak for White Americans or the Tea Party Movement. So any attempts to make those connections dishonors the work and intentions of many noble patriots.
Let Freedom Ring!
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