Opinion by Gladius Veritas

Opinion

Opinion submitted by Gladius Veritas:Dear Community,

There is an article that was published on Fetch Your News that I would like to comment on. The entirety of the article centered around the TEA Party. The title of that article stimulated a question within me, one that many on the right seem too timid to address or answer. Since 2009, many have asked, “Is the TEA Party dangerous?” today, I will answer that question, with a very blunt, and very concrete YES. Now, taken at face value, this yes may seem to be a liberal to moderate answer, a scheme to lure in a fight, but I assure you, is not. What I will assure you of is the nefarious nature of the TEA Party Patriots, TEA Party Express, and other affiliated groups.

When the TEA Party began in 2009, it was all about ideals, about what government was supposed to do, and the TEA Party was made up of Republicans and Democrats, American liberals, and conservatives, but since that time, we have seen them drift further and further to the right. I have witnessed this personally, and have interacted and worked with TEA Party groups, served on their boards, organized their events, but I can no longer remain silent in this. The TEA Party of Gilmer County is the archetype of how the TEA Party is viewed nationwide. Firstly, let us look at the demographics. All members of our local TEA Party, that attend meetings out of their own free will and are active in the organization are over age 50, these individuals are all Caucasian, and they are almost all Baptist, Pentecostal, or non-denominational in some form. If you think that there is some sort of reading between the lines to be conducted here, think again and take my previous statement at face value. What you have, throughout the TEA Party, almost nationwide with few exceptions, is a very narrow, controlling world view that seeks to create enmity between political groups. You find that these retirees have made their money, and retired fairly well off, and have become bored with their retirement and themselves. What else do retired, financially stable and “morally superior” individuals have to do when they get bored? Get involved in politics. They do so under the guise of “making the world a better place for their grandchildren, of ensuring that the family is held to the highest levels, but at the end of the day, it is all about hatred and control.

Many of the TEA Party advocate for a libertarian style philosophy to government, but at the same time, ask for more government control. They say government needs to be out of our lives, yet oppose the blatant violation of the 14th Amendment to our Constitution, which are statewide bans on same-sex marriage. They ask for educational reform, and more parental choice in education, yet, they lobby and push for mandatory student prayer and bible readings in a publically funded school system. They scream for less government, then when asked how to fix an issue with society, they in essence say ”pass a law” “that should be illegal” or “that needs to be regulated”. The farce of the TEA Party and its members is enough to write a political melodrama off of, and entertain the masses of the world with their blatant two-faced stupidity. The TEA Party of Gilmer County has even gone so far as to purposely ruffle feathers, and pull bullies from the muck of the earth to run for office. The TEA Party of Gilmer County has managed to insert themselves into almost every elected office in Gilmer County they can, because no one called them a threat. I hope that the next election that comes around will wake people up to what a true danger these people are. They have even infiltrated the entire executive board of the local GOP, and plan to move the GOP so far to the right, that it will become unrecognizable as Republican. The socialistic tendencies of the TEA Party tend to go unnoticed because they disguise them under different terms, such as “protecting the family”, “fighting terrorism”, and “combating illegal immigration” You don’t notice the glacial pace of government intrusion until you already have a mountain of ice sitting on top of you, and you’re already so limited that you can’t move. They accuse the left of socialism, but cannot recognize their own.

Another danger is the slimy, and downright deceptive tactics that are used in many of the primary battles. For the TEA Party, this is not out of the norm, to slander, to lie, and to even conjure rumors to battle someone. As with many of the primary battles that have included TEA Party candidates, you will find that the difference in ideology is almost non-existent, you will find the major difference though is in power and control. It all has to do with the fact that someone else is in power, and they are not, some other politician recognizes their threat to society, and will not play ball. They use terms like “establishment” RINO, and “moderate” to make a negative connotation. They value ideological purity over moving towards a goal, they put their own beliefs, their own agenda ahead of what may be best for the people. This lust for power is not sated by new information. A true TEA Party member will never change their mind when they encounter information to the contrary of their opinion. Their beliefs are absolute, and when challenged by a scientific or mathematical process, they will attempt to discredit it through mysticism and general “NA UH” statements that hold no logical parameters to a discussion.

Lastly, the TEA Party will not discuss, they will not budge, they will not debate, nor allow debate. Their opinion is absolute, the only possible right answer, and everyone against them is a terrorist, a dirty liberal, or a RINO. Many of the philosophies that the TEA Party claims to embrace are excellent, and I support them, but when these retired control freaks with no real sense of how the world works outside of their own little southern town take control, that, is when their rhetorical philosophy, and their actual philosophy diverge and show who they truly are. These people are so hell bent on their “limited government” philosophy, they want to audit the federal reserve, but you will see the majority of them checking their bank account, or their mailbox once, if not several times a month, looking to ensure their deposit from the US treasury is there, for Social Security, Medicare, VA Benefits, whatever. The hypocrisy of the TEA Party, even locally knows no bounds. It is the philosophy of “destroy these programs, but don’t touch my piece of the pie” They will complain about the lack of education for people, then try to undercut, and remove projects specifically created to educate our children. They do this all for their grandchildren, but at the end of the day, they are well off enough already through their business ventures, Social Security, and other government programs that their children and grandchildren will not worry as long as they are alive. The time of the TEA Party is over. What started as an excellent movement for fiscal responsibility, has degenerated into a group of less than sane individuals looking out for their specific interests. We, as the common citizens, that are too busy to take time out of our schedules because of our work and our children, need to stand up to these bullies. We no longer give them credence, we no longer give them political power, we no longer allow them to speak on our behalf, when they are determined to plunge us into discord. We as citizens must let the TEA Party fade into oblivion, and implode upon themselves, what people want is Conservative, Classically Liberal values, not this hybrid of liberalism, socialism, and rhetoric. The values work, The TEA Party Does not. Deny them at the ballot box, deny them in the media, refuse to report on their controversy, refuse to talk about them. Let them fade away as a flower does in the winter.

Sincerely,
Gladius Veritas

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