photo by Jean Leonard
Ordinary people. That's how the Tea Party protest in Albany was billed. Not left or right, republican or democrat, “right-wing extremists” or a “militia movement," but a protest by and for we the people – and, young and old alike, we the people showed up.
Local talk-show host Al Roney, who's been promoting the event, was the master of ceremonies which was broadcast live by WGY 810 am radio, but his is the only name anyone would recognize. From a local pastor to a small business owner to a guitar player, the rest of the speakers were, indeed, ordinary people.
Two copies of a petition were available at the entrance, and most people that I saw signed. It stated:
We the people recognize the two party system has failed to serve the average, hardworking American. We understand that the current financial crisis this nation faces is the result of irresponsible acts and policies. We know it will not be fixed through further reckless spending and borrowing. We see our leaders in Washington taking us further and further away from the constitutional republic our founders created through careful and wise planning. We believe we are part of a silent majority which has found it's voice. We believe today's tax day tea party protest is only the beginning of a movement that will take America back to being the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Although I looked, the only police presence I saw were a couple local cops on horseback. If the feds were monitoring the rally, they were well disguised.
I had planned to ask people why they attended, but that was unnecessary. As you'll see in the slideshow, their flags and signs and clothing speak loud and clear. The only question left is whether Washington will listen.
Comments
Nice job!
So... under Bush we had the Patriot Act, Warrant-less Wire Tapping, Total Information Awareness and Data Mining partnerships between government and business to catalogue every aspect of your life and social relations. We had DNA collection, cameras on every street corner, beat cops in future soldier outfits carrying machine guns on the streets of NYC, consenting to be searched as a condition of riding the trains in New York City and "Free Speech Zones". We had a complicit, cowardly media that asked no questions and and conditioned people for eight years to accept every government action by presenting it coated with the word terrorism. We had politicians who refused to respond to subpoenas, and the Military Commisisons Act of 2006. We had pork laden, bloated budgets based on borrowing that as long as had a dollar in there for military spending were rushed through because not voting for them was "cutting funding for the troops."
But- no Tea Parties.
Now, the Black Socialist guy is in there with his Angry Black Wife (who touched the Queen of England), hanging up pictures of Malcolm X in the Lincoln bedroom and - tea parties!
To all you progressives getting caught up in this phony "grassroots" movement, the Republicans behind this are not grassroots people, the mocked Obama for being a community organizer during the campaign because that's stupid to them and contrast this to the size and media coverage of the WORLDWIDE protests against attacking Iraq.
If you don't wake up and make the real changes we need to make in this society (starting at home with stopping overconsumption, living sustainably, developing local food sources and local communities) and instead get caught up in this MEDIA fueled, hype mark my words : Palin/Guiliani in '12.
Obviously by your comments, beautifulthings, you weren't there. Otherwise you would've known that we were there because it's finally hit a breaking point. We spoke out against both Bush and Obama's policies because they are the same no matter which form they take. You should've heard it: There were more and louder cheers against the republicans than there were against the Dems. Search for videos from the tea party on CBS 6 and channel 9, You'll see what it was about. We aren't partisan: we hate both sides equally.
I find it amazing that in your comment you tried to make it racist. Do you think we'd accept these policies from a white person? Do NOT twist our message.
And hey, if you want your children to be born with over $100,000 in debt per child, by all means, vote for ANY incumbent from any party, of any race.
Ben:
When I hear people are coming out to protest the "loss" of their country and the "destruction of the American Way of Life" and then in the same breath that Obama is just a continuation of Bush's policies, I have to wonder what the difference is and why there wasn't even an undercurrent of it when Bush was in there.
Obama has been in office about three months. Is that long enough to break up the entrenched bureaucracy and undo eight years of absolute incompetence? Give him a chance.
You might not be a racist, but I FIRMLY believe alot of the Anti-Obama sentiment is rooted in deep seated prejudices and mistrust of Blacks.
Jean,
Thank you for getting "it". To those still caught in the R versus D, L vs C paradigm, I can only hope they wake up before it's too late.
This is a fight for all Americans, Conservative, Liberal, whatever. Too bad so many are being "fooled".
Isn't that what helped get us here in the first place?
Again, thanks.
Good Article.
As an 'Independent Thinker' I can assure everyone that our Albany NY Tea party was about government over taxing us and taking away from us our basic rights as outlined in the 'Bill of Rights'. Please stop with the Obama/Bush thing; you all sound like a bunch of Politicians. . . . . . . . . Now what do we do ???????
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