| Conservatives are working hard to build right-wing frustrations into an actual political movement through their "Tax Day Tea Parties", portraying themselves as patriots rising up in opposition to the federal government. Nevermind, that they're opposing the democratically-elected government for which our country's true revolutionaries once fought.
But, you know what, there's a lot of unhappiness out there about the spending we're seeing by the federal government. I personally think that the fragile state of the American economy made the stimulus plan necessary and that it's long past due our country finally adopt the priorities reflected in President Barack Obama's budget. Many Nebraskans disagree, and I'm glad they have the opportunity to express their dissent in a peaceful fashion.
There are several events planned in Nebraska communities on April 15th. However, organizers are also hoping to bring together frustrated conservatives from all across the state this Saturday at the State Capitol in Lincoln.
To those who attend, I just want to share the following from Hunter at DailyKos:
We've had a president who decided that he could revoke the citizenship of Americans based on his own say-so -- and no conservatives were worried about their loss of rights. We've had a government assert that it could spy on any communications, without warrant or cause -- and no conservatives took to the streets, alarmed at the threat to their Constitutional protections.
We found out we went to war over a weapons program that didn't exist -- oops. We found out that we subjected innocent, though brown, people to imprisonment without recourse, and others to torture so cruel that it rendered them mentally incompetent. We buried the nation in a mountain of debt -- well, them's the breaks. We forked over billions of dollars in giveaways to oil companies that were already making larger profits than any other companies in the history of the world -- hell, gotta keep John Galt in caviar.
None of it raised a peep from any of you, you were all fine with it. The government could do no wrong -- except not going far enough.
But if returning to the tax policies that existed before Bush is the thing that's got a bee in your bonnet, claiming the end of the republic is at hand -- go for it. If you've suddenly decided that preventing government efforts to stave off a second Great Depression is the thing you're going to hang your collective hats on, or that saving one of the prime manufacturing sectors still left in the country is a bridge too far, by all means protest.
Yes, by all means, protest. If I find the time on Saturday, I might even join you. My signs will read:
"No" Is Not An Economic Policy!
45,000 Uninsured Nebraska Children: What Are You Going To Do About It?
6 Years In Iraq, $650 Billion, 4,265 Americans Killed - No Questions Asked
I Don't Want My Weekly $10 Stimulus Tax Cut
Tea Party Patriots = Proud Stooges For Big Business & The Insurance Lobby
If you have any other signs you'd like to see at Saturday's "Tea Party", feel free to share them below. Maybe I'll even see you there? |
