Take me to the harbor, drop me in the water... Options

[Lancaster Online]

[newsjunkie]

I share your disdain for these disingenuous Tea Partys. Here is a link to another take on the original Boston Tea Party..far from the rational we all learn in elementary school, and I think far more accurate...and telling... http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/04/15-10

[Pericles]

Post your thoughts and comments about this blog post.

Because I’ve had enough of the tea parties.

One day of tea parties was too much for Chip.

The nerve of those citizens demonstrating their displeasure about the government.

Can't we all just get with the program and act according to the will of the government, and stop rocking the boat? After all, it's free money for the taking.

So please shut up and stop exercising your rights as citizens. If not, Chip, Gil, et. al. will play the hypocrisy card over, and over, and over.....................

I share your disdain for these disingenuous Tea Partys. Here is a link to another take on the original Boston Tea Party..far from the rational we all learn in elementary school, and I think far more accurate...and telling... http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/04/15-10

Citizens exercising their Constitutional rights to speech. Yep, you nailed it - unAmerican.

[BigKahuna]

The issue is more a symptom of how people deal with losing. Democrats feel it when they lose and Republicans feel it when they lose. Our current tumbling economy is not something I would wish on any President or party in power, but that being said, the Democrats won and they have every right to try and fix things their way as the Republicans would have if they were in the majority.

What I think the Republicans lack is a present day view of the realities of our now existing super global economy. Reagan has been gone a long long time and idea of "trickle down" was a superb failure. Greed for the almighty dollar will always supercede the better nature of human beings. The pickle we're in right now should be a sign to all that greed will win until it destroys that which helps to fund it. Namely the middle class.

Frankly, I think the "tea parties" are a brilliant way for these type of people to vent their anger without exposing the real reason behind it. Not only have they lost big elections in the last two cycles, but we got a black president to boot. Now you can berate me all you want, but if people were really being honest, they would realize that there is a large element of our Glorious Red White and Blue United States of America who will never accept President Obama as our president; not because they disagree with Democratic policy, but because he is not white.

I support their right to exercise their rights as citizens and demonstrate, but I just don't buy what they say they're demonstrating about.

I saw Sean Hannity gushing over the tea parties being held and how great it was that people were exercising their right to protest. Then I saw a clip of Sean Hannity after the election back in 2000 when people were protesting the court decision about the votes in Florida. He was badmouthing the protestors and demeaning their protest. He's a hypocritical twit, yet there are people that allow themselves to be spoonfed by Fox. I tune in just to get a feel for how much fear-mongering they are heaping upon their hollow-eyed followers. And don't get me started on Beck. That man is a psycho.

The citizenry of our country are more terrifying to me than any guy who can be president for a maximum of eight years. So don't worry Pericles, maybe in eight years a republican will get back in the "WHITE" house and you all can breath a sigh of relief. And maybe things will be better when they take over. Better than it was for President Obama.

[csmedley]

newsjunkie, thanks for the link. You might find a book titled "Lies My Teacher Told Me" interesting. It's a non-partisan look at how both the left and the right have appropriated certain events/trends in American history and revised the facts and "analysis" to fit their own agendas.

Pericles, where to begin. I would first appreciate not being lumped in with the "Gil, et al crowd" for a number of reasons. First, that "et al" is quite the blank check. Are we talking Michelle Malkin et al or Maureen Dowd et al here? Michael Barone or Clarence Page? Second, you don't know me or my politics. (Then again, come to think of it, maybe you do. One of the intriguing glories of the internet is that it allows people to hurl salvos at others from the relatively safe haven of a pseudonym. so maybe we have met.) I'd appreciate your not taking liberties with/misconstruing my philosophies. Further, to infer there is some sort of conspiracy here gives us way too much credit. It implies we are somehow organized enough to execute our apparently nefarious plans. Aside from the fact that I do most of my work outside the office and rarely talk with "Gil et al" (except about music), this would be beyond my abilities. I often get a kick out of how some people, regardless of whether they lean left or right, reach this conclusion: "There are some people who don't agree with me. They must, therefore, be conspiring against me."

The "one day of tea parties" is another rush to judgment. I've been verbally ranting about these things for weeks, much to the chagrin of people who've had to endure me.

I would also never say "shut up" as you imply. I find that phrase more offensive than most of the profanities people find disgusting. Nor did I ever use the term "unAmerican." Come on, now, you're just making this stuff up.

And finally, you missed the point. I never said don't criticize. What I said is, essentially, get off your butt and do something. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe everyone who attends these tea parties is also knocking on their Congressman's office door. Maybe they're volunteering their time on a political campaign or for an organization that is working to promote their agenda. Maybe they're making the lifestyle and decision-making-process changes I suggest that ultimately will make a difference. Maybe they're actually doing something to remedy the problem rather than just standing around moaning about it. That's the ultimate responsibility of a citizen -- to act, to participate. If they are, good for them. But really, talk's cheap.

I'm old enough to have taken part in public protests in my early years for a variety of causes. (And don't generalize about what protests I was involved in -- you might be surprised.) At first they were invigorating. We'd rally, then repair back to our apartments or pubs to revel in our "success" and that would be it. Until the next rally. After awhile I realized we weren't really "doing" anything. In fact, I found out half the people who were involved in these things weren't even registered to vote, for cryin' out loud. I concluded we were essentially sticking our hand in a bucket of water. While it was in there it created some ripples, but when it was removed, everything went back the way it was. That's when I realized what true activism is. So you want to criticize the government, fine. Just back it up with some action.

By the way, I also never used the term "hypocrisy" either. Though I do find it strange that someone posting a defense of individuals' rights to voice their opinions has no trouble criticizing me when I exercise the right to voice mine.

Big Kahuna, I'm with you on many things, but want to focus on your accurate observation about losing. And the fact that it's a problem with both parties. One of the important aspects of democracy that people often overlook is the concept that you wage a political campaign and if you lose, you then accept -- and abide by -- the will of the people and work with the "ins" to collectively reach an agreement on how to accomplish what's best for the country. Until the next election, when you wage the philosophical battle again. That concept is pretty much dead, and has been for awhile. Politics, once the art of consensus and compromise, is now dominated by the "Hey, look at me!" sound bite where bombast and inflammatory remarks rule the day. So you get a dialogue of the deaf where a lot of noise is generated, but very little actually gets done because what most of those involved in the process really want is the public's attention. And too much of the public eats it all up. I used to work with a guy who had one of those "If the people lead, the leaders will follow" bumper stickers on his car. I still can't decide for sure whether that's cute and pithy or just plain scary.

[justplainjoe]

well those terrorists who destroyed private property by throwing into boston harbor should never be allowed to speak at millersville university.

[newsjunkie]

Citizens exercising their Constitutional rights to speech. Yep, you nailed it - unAmerican.

Putting words in my mouth ? I said ill-informed and disingenuous

[Artie See]

Why, you might ask, am I butchering Al Green?

Al Green? What about the Talking Heads?

[csmedley]

Al Green? What about the Talking Heads?

Artie, you never cease to amaze. (Which reminds me -- enjoyed your use of The Who in your own blog.) Anyway, you might appreciate this: The first time I heard "Take me to the River" was as a youth and naturally (me being a rapidly aging poop) it was Al Green. I even bought the 45 record, which dates me. However, I saw The Talking Heads in the Stop Making Sense tour at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia in the early 80's where they of course played their great version of the song. An incredible show all around.