Two Tea Parties...one GREAT DAY in Tennessee

Posted Wednesday, April 15, 2009, at 10:52 PM

Nashville Tea Party

Today I had the privilege...correction, the RIGHT...to attend two of today's Tax Day Tea Parties in Tennessee. First we went to Nashville to attend the one at Legislative Plaza. This one had an estimated 10,000 people attending. This was the first "protest" that I had attended...as a protester. When I was in the military I had been at several as the target of protests overseas. Anyway, the people there were out in droves and they were OUTRAGED (If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention) at the amount of government spending. It's not the Democrats (who are running Congress and the White House), it's not the Republicans (who ran Congress and the White house for the preceding eight years aside from 2001-2003), it is ALL OF THEM.

Every single member of Congress that voted for the bailout of the financial industry, the bailout of the automobile industry, for the "stimulus" packages (Bush's "stimulus" package as well), for the "Omnibus spending bill", and EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF CONGRESS THAT VOTED FOR THE 3.55 TRILLION DOLLAR BUDGET for this fiscal year.

There were people at both of these Tea Parties protesting everything from the bloated federal government, the Federal Reserve, government spending, Congress, President Obama, socialist health care, government involvement in the private sector, the bailouts, and a host of other issues.

The second was the Murfreesboro Tea Party. This was quite a bit smaller (as was expected) but the people were just as fed up with the way this country is being run into the ground.

These were both organized very well and everyone that I saw was very well behaved (no "right-wing radicals" except for me, but that's a different blog entry). All in all, I think that this was a great way to show Congress that we are fed up. When you can get that many people in one area and those people are as well behaved, I would certainly say these two, at least, were successful.

Comments
Showing comments in chronological order
[Show most recent comments first]

I agree . . . the focus should be that all of government as a whole is responsible for this mess and not just one individual or party and Americans should be upset that they are spending billions on pork projects and passing spending bills that will leave us with a deficit that we will never come back from.

Good post!

-- Posted by jaxspike on Thu, Apr 16, 2009, at 6:26 AM

I'm amazed at the reporting of this event ( especially the 'neutral' AP )that has turned this into a radical right-wing protest.

Wasn't the tea party supposed to be bi-partisan?

-- Posted by espoontoon on Thu, Apr 16, 2009, at 7:05 AM

This is how I feel:

I'll keep my GOD, my GUNS and my CASH and you can have the " CHANGE"

-- Posted by bellbuckletn on Thu, Apr 16, 2009, at 8:45 AM

To send a real message - block the construction of the new bypass around Shelbyville; it is funded by the stimulus package.

-- Posted by Grit on Thu, Apr 16, 2009, at 9:13 PM

Grit - That's a great idea, but I would be willing to bet (just a figure of speech, officer) that there is no way that anyone would be able to convince the local government to give up a single dime of the "free" money...regardless of the strings attached to it.

-- Posted by Thom on Thu, Apr 16, 2009, at 9:23 PM

Thom - Thats correct, we do not need roads. I got chains and locks to lock the protestors to the bulldozers.

-- Posted by Grit on Thu, Apr 16, 2009, at 10:07 PM

Grit - Unfortunately at that point it's already too late. They would have already spent the money for the construction of the road. But you've got to do what you feel is right. I'm not saying to chain yourself to a bulldozer because, personally, I think the dozer would win that fight.

-- Posted by Thom on Thu, Apr 16, 2009, at 10:36 PM

The recent Tea Parties that were held in Shelbyville and all across America are a great start-but now what? To protest only day day per year is not effective and limits its success. I hope people will see this as the day that rose awareness and will send continued messages to our government officials regarding the overspending. Remember the phrase: You can never borrow your way out of debt. This applies to people, business and most of all--government. Hopefully, the organizers and attendes of the Tea Parties will continue their efforts. Bravo! America-it's about time.

-- Posted by catladyoftn on Fri, Apr 17, 2009, at 10:56 AM

Here is the link to the consolidated federal funds reports. You will have to go through and sort by state and county to get to Bedford County. These are the funds expended by the federal government by county. The data is for 2007.

http://harvester.census.gov/cffr/asp/Rep...

Looks like most expenditures are for social security, medicare and medicaid.

-- Posted by Grit on Fri, Apr 17, 2009, at 12:31 PM

"Looks like most expenditures are for social security, medicare and medicaid."

from what i saw, that would be the primary source of income for most of the protestors in shelbyville.

i am just guessing, but i doubt they want to see a cut in that particular government spending.

-- Posted by lazarus on Fri, Apr 17, 2009, at 12:58 PM

Lazarus:

And that is the problem; people want social security, medicare, medicaid, new roads, rural electricity, rural phone service etc. etc.; but don't want to pay for it.

-- Posted by Grit on Fri, Apr 17, 2009, at 2:55 PM

people want social security, Medicare, Medicaid, new roads, rural electricity, rural phone service etc. etc.; but don't want to pay for it.

-- Posted by Grit on Fri, Apr 17, 2009, at 2:55 PM

Those should be the responsibility of the state and local governments and private industry. We, as Americans, are entirely too beholden to the federal government on issues that should have nothing whatsoever to do with them. The federal government has overstepped their bounds for WAY too many years now and it's time that we put a stop to it. Zero-base budget...it's as simple as that. They should have to wipe the slate clean and justify every single cent at least once a decade. If the federal government were to do that, we would be much better off.

-- Posted by Thom on Fri, Apr 17, 2009, at 3:20 PM

Thom:

Do you honestly belive that the millions that are expended locally (Bedford County) from these programs (Social Security, medicare, medicaid, farm programs, veterans benefits etc.) could be made up solely by people in Bedford County? If so, what do you do about the people in those counties in Tennessee (i.e. Grundy) where, lets say over 30% of the personal income is from transfer payments (social security, medicare, medicaid, veterans benefits)?

-- Posted by Grit on Sat, Apr 18, 2009, at 2:07 PM

This is really a hilarious attempt of protesting. The same folks who sat quietly for 8 years and cared not once about record budget deficits are suddenly so concerned... your protests shouldn't begin with a leader who is trying to invest that in this country, it should have started with the guy who rewarded overseas expansion and cared more about the rebuilding of war-torn countries rather than the U.S.A.

-- Posted by nascarfanatic on Thu, Jun 11, 2009, at 8:39 AM

fanatic - A little behind on your trolling, aren't you? The last comment was left almost two months ago.

-- Posted by Thom on Thu, Jun 11, 2009, at 2:53 PM

Thom Williamson

- Recent posts
- Archives
- Blog RSS feed

- Comments RSS feed

- Login

Hot topics

Prepping
(131 ~ 1:19 PM, May 30)

Religion
(196 ~ 12:57 PM, May 6)

Surely, you jest
(15 ~ 10:35 AM, Feb 27)

Gun AND Speech Control -- Double nuttiness from the Democrats
(35 ~ 11:20 PM, Jan 23)

Assigning blame
(14 ~ 1:14 AM, Jan 21)

Home