Static_Martyr
04-17-2010, 09:12 PM
I've been doing some mild research (for personal reasons) into the Tea Party movement in North America, and from what I can tell they get mostly bad publicity. I have read several cases of people who are against Obama's policies (or even supportive of the Tea Party movement as a political ideology), and yet have come out against some of the more extreme actions the movement has taken recently....but it's very rarely from someone with any real power or authority, such as a political representative. Most of the time it has come from obscure religious leaders, or local officials, such as in this case (from an article titled, "Bridging the Hate Gap in DC: A rabbi and attorney speak out"):
http://www.niot.org/blog/bridging-hate-gap-dc-rabbi-and-attorney-speak-out?page=1
The Republicans’ recalcitrance in confronting this violence is presumably driven by the same political gamesmanship that makes their Democratic counterparts quick to connect the ideological cause to the violent activity. These violent rogues are as much a political threat to the causes and people that they associate with as they are a political opportunity for those who stand in opposition to them.
...
In the case of Republican leaders who dismiss the violence as “isolated” or “not indicative of the group as a whole,” there’s much more they can do. And though it may require courage and sacrifice on their part, it is not nearly the kind of courage or sacrifice that these same leaders ask their fellow Americans to make. At the very least, a united front in forceful opposition to the rogue elements would be helpful.
There is nothing that is stopping Republican Members of Congress from staunchly fighting to alter the Democratic Party's version of health care reform while also throwing the most extreme Tea Party actors under the proverbial bus. And the onus is on Republicans, because they are the leaders and intended beneficiaries of the causes that the rogue individuals are putatively supporting with their assaults, vandalism, epithets, threats and spittle.
The failure of Congressional Republicans to engage in meaningful efforts to oppose violent intimidation is a lesson. Instead of pointing fingers at broad movements and causes, we should first commit ourselves to service as sentinels on the lookout for wrongs committed by our own purported “allies,” as their actions – not our adversaries’ actions – are the ones that will reflect on our own character. By being most vigilant about correcting the wrongdoers we are aligned with – politically, socially, culturally, etc. – we can be our most effective at thwarting violence and hate.
Even worse, I've been able to compile a fair amount of video and photographic evidence of some particularly despicable acts performed at Tea Party protests:
http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq276/polemicvol_2008/niggar-sign-tea-party.jpg
To be fair, though, the above protester was eventually booted from the gathering because of his sign. But there are still other cases, such as a man with Parkinson's disease who was openly mocked by Tea Party protesters:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/18/tea-party-protesters-bera_n_504183.html
And Rachel Maddow had a report about several other incidents, one concerning a man who had left violent answering machines on a congresswoman's answering machine after she had voted to pass the health care bill; another concerning a message left on the answering machine of a black congressman calling him a "worthless damn nigger," among other things:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WZYNFZ_knw
But all this is beside the point....I've mentioned these things in a couple of internet debates and I've been told the same thing on every count: "The Tea Party protesters are really peaceful, those are outcasts who don't represent the movement as a whole." So what I want to know is:
A) Is there anyone here who supports or believes in the Tea Party movement?
B) If so, and if you believe that the above stories do not accurately portray the Tea Party movement....then where would you recommend that I look for information on the Tea Party movement that is "more accurate?" All I can seem to find at this point are individual blogs, or blogs written by people who openly refer to liberals as "evil," blacks as "niggers," or America as a "Christian nation." I am specifically trying to find information from a source that is more centrist in nature, or at least mostly devoid of the conspiracy-theory mindset.
I am trying to find all the information I can about this movement. Anything you can tell me or recommend to me for reading would be a big help. Comments/questions are (of course) also welcome. Thanks in advance, BBS!
http://www.niot.org/blog/bridging-hate-gap-dc-rabbi-and-attorney-speak-out?page=1
The Republicans’ recalcitrance in confronting this violence is presumably driven by the same political gamesmanship that makes their Democratic counterparts quick to connect the ideological cause to the violent activity. These violent rogues are as much a political threat to the causes and people that they associate with as they are a political opportunity for those who stand in opposition to them.
...
In the case of Republican leaders who dismiss the violence as “isolated” or “not indicative of the group as a whole,” there’s much more they can do. And though it may require courage and sacrifice on their part, it is not nearly the kind of courage or sacrifice that these same leaders ask their fellow Americans to make. At the very least, a united front in forceful opposition to the rogue elements would be helpful.
There is nothing that is stopping Republican Members of Congress from staunchly fighting to alter the Democratic Party's version of health care reform while also throwing the most extreme Tea Party actors under the proverbial bus. And the onus is on Republicans, because they are the leaders and intended beneficiaries of the causes that the rogue individuals are putatively supporting with their assaults, vandalism, epithets, threats and spittle.
The failure of Congressional Republicans to engage in meaningful efforts to oppose violent intimidation is a lesson. Instead of pointing fingers at broad movements and causes, we should first commit ourselves to service as sentinels on the lookout for wrongs committed by our own purported “allies,” as their actions – not our adversaries’ actions – are the ones that will reflect on our own character. By being most vigilant about correcting the wrongdoers we are aligned with – politically, socially, culturally, etc. – we can be our most effective at thwarting violence and hate.
Even worse, I've been able to compile a fair amount of video and photographic evidence of some particularly despicable acts performed at Tea Party protests:
http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq276/polemicvol_2008/niggar-sign-tea-party.jpg
To be fair, though, the above protester was eventually booted from the gathering because of his sign. But there are still other cases, such as a man with Parkinson's disease who was openly mocked by Tea Party protesters:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/18/tea-party-protesters-bera_n_504183.html
And Rachel Maddow had a report about several other incidents, one concerning a man who had left violent answering machines on a congresswoman's answering machine after she had voted to pass the health care bill; another concerning a message left on the answering machine of a black congressman calling him a "worthless damn nigger," among other things:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WZYNFZ_knw
But all this is beside the point....I've mentioned these things in a couple of internet debates and I've been told the same thing on every count: "The Tea Party protesters are really peaceful, those are outcasts who don't represent the movement as a whole." So what I want to know is:
A) Is there anyone here who supports or believes in the Tea Party movement?
B) If so, and if you believe that the above stories do not accurately portray the Tea Party movement....then where would you recommend that I look for information on the Tea Party movement that is "more accurate?" All I can seem to find at this point are individual blogs, or blogs written by people who openly refer to liberals as "evil," blacks as "niggers," or America as a "Christian nation." I am specifically trying to find information from a source that is more centrist in nature, or at least mostly devoid of the conspiracy-theory mindset.
I am trying to find all the information I can about this movement. Anything you can tell me or recommend to me for reading would be a big help. Comments/questions are (of course) also welcome. Thanks in advance, BBS!