Tea Parties and Town Halls

All we heard about during the campaign of 2008 is how change will come. Unless you've been under a rock somewhere, you recognize that change has come, some of it not exactly what I think many were hoping for.

Before becoming president, Barack Obama noted, "Change will not come if we wait for another person or some other time." (Feb 2008) It is one of the few things that he's said or done that I agree with. He has certainly done his share of changing things, or attempting to, inside the beltway since January. It is those changes, or attempts, that have many people up in arms and ready to stand up and speak out. And that's a change that I bet Obama wishes hadn't come.

I remember reading a political analyst's blog earlier this year that compared the political tea party movement to Obama's campaign -- both brought many people out to engage in politcs, many of them for the first time ever. Nothing wrong with that. What I do have a problem with, though, is now that the tables are turned and people are expressing opposition to his ideas rather than drinking the Koolaid, those people are being labeled as radical extremists. I suppose he doesn't recall his comments in February of this year, "The strongest democracies flourish from frequent and lively debate."

To this I raise my glass and say, "Make my tea sweet and and let's visit at the picnic table."

Additionally, kudos to those folks who have taken the time to show up at town hall meetings to express themselves and remind the elected officials that they were elected by us, work for us and can be voted out of office by us, the screaming mobs, as we've been called. It reminds me of a playground squabble where the bully pushes the scrawny kid around until the scrawny kid realizes he might not be able to out-muscle the bully, but he can outsmart him. Then the bully runs crying to the teacher. Come on, you're in the big house now, not the schoolyard; run it like a man, dude.

Stop trying to scare folks into sitting down and shutting up lest they be investigated. The encouraging of citizens by the White House to send to the White House 'fishy' emails or claims regarding health care reform is nothing more that intimidation and borders on a violation of free speech and right to privacy. Doesn't quite line up with his remarks at the 2004 Democratic National Convention: "The true genius of America...that we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door. That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution."

To this I raise my fist and say, "Right on and write on!"

All you tea partiers and town hallers out there, keep the words of JFK in mind as you press on: "One person can make a difference and every person should try." Hear, hear!