I know that many of you are somewhat confused and perhaps concerned that the ongoing “progressive” protest activities are being likened to Our Tea Party movement. Nothing could be further from the truth and any comparison between what the progressives are doing and what Tea Party is all about is from their delirium over election loss.
TEA PARTY was created here in Seattle, Thank you Kelly, as a direct protest to federal plans to expand the cost of government on the backs of American taxpayers. The movement was focused and very specifically targeted to either convince current elected officials to start representing taxpayers or face the potential of replacement by a TEA PARTY backed candidate. Tea Party activities were grass roots, self-sustaining, and civil in nature. Tea Party events were normally marked with good spirits, well behaved crowds, and courtesy to each other and guest speakers. In short, Tea Party members understood the true meaning of citizen participation and were honest in their application of the First Amendment protection to “peaceably assemble”.
Unfortunately, as in most other endeavors undertaken by the “progressive” left, compliance with the concepts of civil discourse and peaceful protest are not basic considerations in their activities. The current protest efforts are NOT grass root but are established, funded (at least in part), and directed at the national level. The activity has a name (Indivisible), and a written guide book that comes more from Sol Alinsky and the Black Panthers than any source supporting peaceful protest. The guidance is simple: make as much noise as possible, shout down any opposition, lie as often and as much as need be, make character assignation a common factor in all you do, and never let up. The results are obvious as activities billed as “town halls” are little more than shouting castigations of the elected official with no intent to find resolution to problems. Destruction of private property is a mainstay of any activity that can find TV or press time. Facts never were important to progressives and now they are absolutely shunned. While they are busy trying to link conservatives (or anyone who does not toe the progressive line) as a Nazi, Fascist, or “Brown Shirt Thug”, they are instead providing the most definite example of those characteristics. They try hard to link the KKK to the conservative movement by burning the American flag, running speakers off campus, and tearing down the American institution of Law and Order. No the progressive and their Indivisible movement are not anything like the Tea Party and could not be further from mainstream America.
The question is how to cope with and counter this reprehensible activity. How about we go back to our Tea Party Roots? First and foremost we will remain civil and defend civil discourse in public arenas. We will laugh at the antics of the Indivisibles at every turn and compare them to spoiled children. At public activities, we will show up first and in force with our own signs. Perhaps “SCREAM LOUDER – THE FOUNDING FATHER’S CAN’T HEAR YOU”, or “I MISSED YOUR POINT – WHAT IS IT YOU WANT”, “IF YOU HAVE TO BURN SOMETHING – MAKE IT YOUR CAR” or even “THIS IS A DEBATE – NOT A HOG CALLING CONTEST”. It is time to write those polite letters to our elected representatives offering our support. Perhaps we can have our representatives come to our gatherings where we can control the attendance to some degree, so that can present their message and engage in reasonable debate. Don’t bother with the phone calls or emails because the representative offices are already overloaded with the multiple messages from the repeat calls and emails from a limited number of indivisibles. Setting up an appointment to visit a representative when they are in town or when you are in the capitol (national or state) is a great way to show support. While it may be true that elected officials are interested in getting reelected, remember that they are really more interested in the people who vote for them than against them. Finally, in areas of great significance, it is appropriate to build some pressure on an elected but don’t try to back them into a corner. You can remind them that we fix our real differences at the ballot box.
As active and engaged Tea Party Patriots our task is to make the progressive Indivisibles become PROGRESSIVE INVISIBLES.
Puget Sound Patriots 