Letter to the Editor: Tuscaloosa Tea Party

Last Wednesday, April 15th, 2009, marked an important day in the history and future of our Nation. On that day, 600,000+ Americans nationwide attended ”Tax Day Tea Parties.” Tuscaloosa’s tea party hosted around 1,500 attendees on UA’s main quad and was organized by SquareWON.org, a website dedicated to encouraging and facilitating discourse about conservative principles. Tuscaloosa’s tea party protested the federal government’s advancement toward a social democracy in three key areas: (1) unsustainable expansion of the federal government and entitlement programs, (2) undisciplined spending in Congress, and (3) excessive governmental interference in private enterprise. Put simply, those who supported and attended the rally wanted to emphasize that individuals, not government, are best equipped to make decisions that impact their private businesses, personal expenses, and other financial matters. The tea party reflected a sincere disgust for the lack of fiscal discipline on both sides of the aisle and an unjustifiably intrusive expansion of the federal government.

Belief in aggressive expansion of the federal government and its unmitigated access to the business of the private sector is common among many political journalists and commentators. Typically, these journalists maintain a professional, or at least only slightly disdainful, attitude toward opposing ideologies. However, much of the news coverage and commentary adopted a surprisingly bitter tone toward the tea parties. By delivering such predictable and truth-starved attacks, these individuals demonstrated either a lack of understanding or a willful ignorance of the genuine concerns of many Americans. Even more reprehensibly, these attacks often came in the form of not-so-thinly veiled sexual references typically reserved for a Bob Saget or Katt Williams HBO comedy special, not prime-time coverage on CNN or MSNBC.

While some found it to be an acceptable posture to stand in spiteful and juvenile opposition to a nationwide protest, others found the movement to be an inspiring and true expression of the right to peacefully assemble for a common cause. The tea parties were well attended and drew people of all races, creeds, ages, socio-economic backgrounds, and political identities. The attendees were not “right-wing extremists” to quote a recent Department of Homeland Security assessment; rather, they are regular Americans who believe we must stand against wasteful governmental policies that will generate more debt and less personal freedom.

The tea party supporters understand that paying taxes is an inseparable part of the American experience, but they fundamentally oppose being forced to shoulder an increasing personal share of the national debt while the federal government continues to descend into a debt-filled abyss without any demonstration of fiscal restraint. Those who attended the tea parties remain hopeful that their voices will be heard in the halls of Washington, DC. Otherwise, they will re-emphasize their point at the ballot box on November 2, 2010.