Racist, Bigoted, Stupid…?

Previously I had posted my early experiences with the Tea Parties. Since then the media has accelerated their negative campaign against the movement and against all “dissenters” of the direction of the government. What follows is my look back over the past year and a half of  Tea Parties and my personal awaking.

My experience with being called names began in 2003. That year I learned that admitting to being a conservative was a dangerous activity. I began to censor myself and to hide in my computer when my coworkers were denigrating all my beliefs. I often asked myself why I did not have the courage to stand up for my conservative values but I truly feared the response of those around me.

In 2008 I welcomed the 912 and Tea Party movements with open arms. For me, and many others, they were a support group. My first tea party I cried tears of joy when I discovered I was not alone. Many attendees had been like me, in hiding and denying conservative leanings, and many of us were counting heads just to assure ourselves we were not abnormal. As the weeks/months passed we moved from relief to a sense of purpose. After all if so many of us were afraid to come forward how many of our friends and neighbors were afraid? I came out of the conservative closet and began to talk. I found people excited to find they were not alone and my liberal friends and I were able to agree to disagree (often we were not so far apart on our beliefs).

My next step was to take a personal inventory. I have great friends that are black, Hispanic, gay and of many political and religious stripes. What made me ever believe that I was racist or bigoted? As for the charge of being stupid I always discounted that charge. Stupid is in the eye of the beholder and is not a word or concept we even allow to be brandished in our home. I have a college degree and am not far from having a second degree and I’m successful at my chosen career and no one that knows me has ever called me stupid – quite the reverse. Interestingly enough the same is true for the charges of racist and bigoted but it took a tea party for me to have the courage to stand against those allegations. Today I have arrived at the conclusion that am not wrong to hold my beliefs, after all I was  “endowed by my maker” with the right to believe what I believe be it religious or fiscal.

This is true hate ~    This is true horror ~     This is true bigotry ~     This is NOTis

BTW: this is an example of dangerous protesters

It truly distresses me that everyone is spending so much time calling each other names and not paying attention to the true issues that plague our nation.

Here is a great video about racism and the tea party.

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The words are ours

I want to share these words from a Vietnam Vet after he heard of the 912 march on DC on 9/12/09.

The words cry out in the day or NIGHT.
The words cry out of our peace or FRIGHT.
Words cry out if we want peace or to FIGHT.
OUR words cry out about people and our PLIGHT.
Maybe OUR cry needs be FIX ourselves?

We got their tired, poor and hungry.
Our ancestors were tired, poor and hungry.
NOW we are the tired, poor and hungry.
Maybe for awhile we have to stop taking the tired, poor and hungry.
Maybe we NEED to FIX ourselves?

Many are Children of the Sixties.
Some raised by survivors of the Depression.
Most lived through the Eighties and Nineties.
We have survived Y2K and remember 9-11.
Will we FIX this or will it be what History later talks about?
Is anyone going to listen to our cries and shouts?

It is NOT a Democrat thing.
It is NOT a Republican thing.
It is NOT a White thing.
It is NOT a Black thing.
It is NOT a Man thing.
It is NOT a Woman thing.
It IS a MONEY thing.
It IS a THING that needs FIXED.
Will we FIX ourselves?

Will we check our own hearts?
Will we listen to the words?
Will we hear the cries?
Will we hear “We THE People”?
WE want CHOICE, not things given.
Not given to the Mega Bankers.
Not given to the Mega Powers.
Not given to the Mega Givers.
Not given to the Buddy System.
BUT given to “We the PEOPLE”.
It is OUR money and we need fixed.

Beware of those who call it HATE.
Beware of those who push for HATE.
Beware we don’t get bitter.
BUT beware of those who want to shut up the cries.
Beware of those who want to give it all away.
Fix US first.

Today they peacefully walked down Pennsylvania Avenue.
It made many scream .. What they gonna DO?
Many wanted to call it a Hate MOB.
Many wanted to use it to cause division.
Most did not see the cry was “Enough is ENOUGH”.
Many did not understand We are BROKE.
All should understand We are broken.
Listen to the words “We need to FIX OURSELVES”.
We better FIX our country.

We the people..
Don’t let it become:
Brother against Brother.
Sister against Sister.
Parents and Children against each other.
Don’t let it be Neighbors fighting in the streets.
Don’t let it get broken further.
Listen to our words and Cries..
Lets fix ourselves.

Today they marched at the White House.
Today they said Enough is Enough.
Today we heard the words.
Today was a wake up cry.
Today some did not listen.’

Today some spouted their dictates.
Today some said the WAY it was going to be.
Today some did NOT listen to the peaceful say:
Enough is ENOUGH.
What we gonna do?
Will we fix ourselves?

Do YOU want Division and Strife?
Do YOU want it fixed or do YOU want to fight?
Do YOU want it still to be “We the PEOPLE”?
Will we listen to the words and cries?
Will we THINK instead of being TOLD?
The choice is OURS this very day.
Will WE fix ourselves?

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