The Real Meaning of the Tea Party Movement

Certain events cause you to think about what is going on in the world today and where you came from. Well over a year ago, Jake and I created this blog as a response to the New Jersey Governor and legislature's implementation of their massive sales tax increase. Early commenters treated us with a "grow up" kind of disdain. I am sure that their reasoning said that New Jersey citizens have always been apathetic to taxes and this would never change. We always believed that if people only knew the facts, they would respond and rise up against a culture of corrupt government that only serves itself and the politically connected. And never serves the taxpayer.

Fast forward almost two years. On April 15, we are likely to see a demonstration that none of us has ever experienced. You see, the tax tea party movement is not a pack of liberal professional protestors. It also is not a bunch of hippies looking to revisit the glory days of the 60's. The movement is made up of regular people who have not responded as expected to the anti-wealth rhetoric of the current administration and their liberal colleagues in the states.

I have been getting a steady stream of emails since our first posting of the tea party locations. While the comments section shows a lot of anonymous posters, these folks send us mails looking for help, offerring to volunteer and are generally disgusted by our state and the state of the federal government.

The media is trying to paint the tea party movement as a bunch of conservative kooks. It is clear to me that there is nothing kooky about what is going on. This movement is made up of honest, hard working, normal people who don't appreaciate the "changes" that we are supposed to believe in.

I think that the issue is that Americans at heart aspire to do better than their parents and even themselves. We are always striving to work hard and make sacrifices for our families. We don't resent the guy or lady in the fancy car that drives by, we strive to be that person. And we do not appreciate a president or governor that assumes that we want someone to take care of us. Thanks Barack and John, we will take care of ourselves thank you.

We all knew who brought us to this point and many of the same people who caused the current crisis are bathing in earmarks right now as a byproduct of the president's policies. Sure, Bush played a part. However, he has left the stage. What about those who would blame Bush but carry far more of the blame than he ever did? They are still on the stage, profiting from the crisis. Dodd. Frank. Schumer. Why don't they leave the stage?

And in the end, who is left holding the bag? Us. Hence the tea party movement.

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