Public Comment

The Tea Party Crowd: Little More Than Thugs

By Ron Lowe
Thursday April 01, 2010 - 05:03:00 PM

I find it humorous to read about the so-called Tea Party movement and their cry to return to core conservative values. Why the outcry now as they work to place more fiscally irresponsible Republicans back in office? 

Where was the Tea Party crowd the past eight years when conservative Republicans and Georgr Bush, who I'm sure they voted into office, were exploding the size of our federal government and spending money like drunken sailors? Why the outcry only now? 

A photo of Tea Party protesters caught my attention: I noticed a large "No Socialized Medicine" sign and a "Hands Off My Health Care" sign held by a senior citizen. I assume she along with many in the Tea Party have Medicare as their primary health insurance. If they dislike government-run programs so much, let them opt out of Medicare. 

We're all so tired of listening to Tea Party hypocrisy. 

I've been trying to get a clear picture of who these people are. 

How can a mob of essentially "whites only", angry, anti-everything conservatives, represent a diversified and multi-cultural America? Who are these activists who call themselves the Tea Party? 77% of them claim to be Republicans. 

One wonders how 46% of Americans, in a very recent poll, claim to have a favorable view of the Tea Party movement. Either Americans have not done their homework, have bought into TV soundbites about this group or have been brainwashed by Tea Party spokespersons Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and GlenBeck. 

The recent actions of the Tea Party show that they are little more than thugs hiding under the banner of patriotism. The Tea Party is peopled by factions from anti-abortion, anti-immigration, anti-tax and anti-gay movements. This motley crew has found a comfortable home, have the blessings of, and are the future foot soldiers of the Republican Party. 

Wake up America. The Tea Party is not a chapter of the local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.