23 April 2009

I'm An Oddball... Like You?

I admit it, I'm different. I take some pride in that actually.
I don't need you or anyone else to tell me how I should think or feel. I'm pretty good at figuring that out on my own.
I have never been comfortable in large "activist" crowds... the "mob mentality" bothers me.

And for you and me that's a problem.
Because we're not alone. There are lots of folks like us.
We've been called "The Silent Majority". We're the ones that toddle along in life causing few problems, making no waves. We work efficiently and do "a day's work for a day's pay."
And in so doing we pay the taxes that are used to benefit all.

But since we seldom speak out, we are easily ignored. Sometimes others take advantage of us because they know we're uncomfortable with the idea of drawing attention to ourselves...
Unless things get really out of hand we shrug our shoulders and think to ourselves "This too will pass", and it does. But we generally end up paying for our silence in one way or another.

That's why last week's "Tea Parties" are exciting to me. Had I not been working (and therefore paying taxes), I'd have attended one close to me. In the middle of the week, in the middle of the day, (a WORKDAY by the way), over 200,000 (some estimates I have read suggest over 500,000) people assembled peacefully to protest the government's recent huge and wasteful outlays of our tax dollars. Most major media ignored these gatherings. CNN, who I have jokingly called "The Communist News Network" in the past, proved my joke might be true by trying to portray attendees as outliers...
Rednecks, Racists, and "Bible clinging gun crazos".

So we're being marginalized.
Maybe five hundred thousand people attended... how many would have attended if it hadn't been a workday? How many would they be trying to marginalize if these protests had been held on a Saturday?
I think our government and its fawning media are frightened and confused, and I think they're playing with gasoline and matches.


Here's my hope...
I hope you're watching this situation as closely as me.
I hope you are irritated that your complaints are being ignored because you are "stupid".
I hope you are motivated to act.

These Tea Parties are the first step. We now know that there are other "silent majority" types out there who are angry and frustrated with the unsustainable course our government is taking.
We know we can form in numbers that cannot be ignored. We know that "next time" we can increase those numbers.
Next time!

The Tea Parties are the first step. "Change" was such a buzzword in the last election, but we knew for us it wouldn't be change for the better. If we want change that will set this government on a sane, sustainable path, we have to take the next step...

How 'bout the 4th of July, "Independence Day"?
Wouldn't it be nice for those of us that truly are independent to make some noise on the 4th?

(Talk amongst yourselves and then express an independent opinion in comments here.
Then talk to others... We know there are MANY like us. We must be "silent" no more!)

7 comments:

jinksto said...

But GB... MSNBC said there were "tens" of people who showed up and they were all Racist... waiting to hurt someone with VIOLENCE! Hate the black guy in the white house is all that they're preaching. FOX organized the whole thing anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms45EzMR0f8

By the way, there's an actress to add to your list...

Why don't we get protection from hate speech?

cary said...

Because it's not hate speech if it's directed at conservatives.

CJ said...

Jinksto -

She's already on GB's list...

And over at the national Tax Day Tea Party site -

http://taxdayteaparty.com/

they're asking for suggestions as to what to do next. I think an Independence Day Tea Party is perfect.

Grassroots, my friends. We need to make so much noise we cannot be ignored.

cjh

CJ said...

GB -

I forgot to mention last post - I like the red/white/blue color scheme.

cjh

jinksto said...

CJ

Good link. Charlotte is definitely on for July 4th.. the local organizer is already working on it.

The last Charlotte Teaparty ran on my Generator and had tables and chairs loaned by Jinksto.

Things I saw there:
Flags,
Blacks,
Whites,
Hispanics,
More flags,
Business owners,
Bank employees,
Kids,
House wives and quite a few dogs
and a plumber.

Things I didn't see there:
Violence,
Racists,
Leftists,
Rednecks, ok... maybe a few but they were well behaved. :)

Hate speech that I saw blasted:
America the beautiful.
Tons of patriotic music,
and get this... the evil violent
racist rednecks all took their hats off and sang the National Anthem FOUR times in two hours. On the closing anthem the music failed and the 2500 people sang the national anthem a capela... If you haven't seen it before, it'll bring a tear to your eyes... both of'em.

CJ said...

Jinksto -

Your party sounds a lot like the one I went to, in everything but size. Our turnout was great for our area, however.

Fourth of July might be an interesting day this year.

And I'm thinking a million person march on DC Tea Party should be in the works. I know I'd move mountains to get there.

cjh

Unknown said...

Tea Parties are being planned for Independence Day all over the coutnry -- a HUGE one in Dallas - 50k expected.

Also, another one is being planned for Sept 12 in Washington DC -- could be the million American march. From he Capitol Steps to the Lincoln Memorial, it could dwarf MLK's Dream speech crowd.

Saddle up. It's time. Our cause is just.

A.