Many television commentators and politiicans have been questioning the motives of Tea Party participants, including labels of partisanship, racism, and stupidity. Nancy Pelosi declared us "astroturf" apparently contrasting the "grassroots" designation given by supporters. Pelosi claimed our demonstrations were funded by Republican organizations.
I'll tell my own story as a participant and a minor inside organizer.
I've always been annoyed by excess government spending. Starting in September (with TARP) my annoyance moved to painful frustration. TARP started a snowball that has since been rolling rapidly downhill. Washington politicians feel that they have a mandate to "stimulate" and "save" us meanwhile putting us in unbelievable debt and taking more control of our lives.
After a lot of googling, I found a website for an Indianapolis Tea Party. I debated whether I could leave my small business for a few hours on April 15. The decision point for me was meeting the organizers of the Indianapolis event: a local plumber and his wife. I also saw the budget they had personally committed to, including permit fees, security, and insurance policy. I decided if THEY could donate such a large amount of their time and money, the least I could do was contribute a little of each.
My business became a sponsor of the group, and I took some time to hand out flyers, put signs on my vehicle, and notify friends. I hired someone to cover my business on April 15. The kids and I made posters at home.
The Tea Party was peaceful, inspiring, and stayed on the message of "cut government spending and taxation."
Since Tea Party day, I joined a "small group" in my area. We are working to establish concrete goals to affect change.
Grassroots or Astroturf? You decide.
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