Tea Bags and Patriots

I attended a meeting of the Worcester Teaparty Planning Team last week and I have joined this patriotic effort. The meeting was well attended and started promptly. The agenda was quite large covering everything one could imagine from making signs, to parking and cleanup. All of those present were happily volunteering to; put up signs, build a podium, make posters, speak to the media, canvass towns for volunteers, and much, much more. These good people came from all over central Massachusetts. Some knew each other but many were new to this movement. That most of these people followed the same radio and TV talking heads is to be expected but, what may surprise you is how different these people are. They come from different towns and different churches. Some are successful and some where just laid off. Some are new immigrants; some trace their families back to the 1600’s. The man leading this effort introduced himself and with quite humility said, “I started doing this because no one else was doing it and it needed to be done.”

All through history people have banded together to deal with thing they saw as problems. At the founding of our nation a small group formed and came to be known as the Sons of Liberty. It formed in opposition to a tax. The members came from the common people. The parallels are obvious and encouraged by the leadership and members of today’s Teaparty movement.

Today we are saddled with a government which invades every aspect of our daily lives. It has grown ever larger and more disrespectful of those that it governs. Government at every level has swelled its bureaucracies and written more and more onerous rules, regulations, and taxes. I live in a city that has a ban on “silly string.” Boston has illegalized trans fats. All around us, there are signs of decay in our communities but our legislatures argue which should be the official muffin of Massachusetts. We the people have lost faith in all whom once were held in irreproachable respect. Teachers, Doctors, Lawyers, Businessmen Politicians, Journalists and Religious leaders of every strip, have not lived up to the responsibilities of their offices. President Obama was elected in part because he was seen as outside of the usual group of leaders that have failed us in so many ways.

What I saw at that meeting and what I have read about on the internet is the first sprouting of something reborn in our country. People are coming together to fix those things that they see as not working for them. Everyday people are learning how to get their voices heard. We can see that there is change coming and those that think they can manipulate it for their personal gain will find that we are beyond the point where we can be bought off with a few of campaign promises or an empty slogan. What is coming will change this nation no less than the up hevals of the “Sixties” did. What I leave you with is the question that every person must answer in their own heart, “What are you going to do about It?”