Sites and sounds from the SM Tea Party 4.15.09

TEA PARTY - Santa Monica 4.15.09

My wife, her mother-in-law and I attended the TEA Party rally yesterday at the Santa Monica pier. The crowd was very cordial and it was very spirited. As at any protest there were an occasional time when some person (generally not a protester) made outlandish statements. Of course there were anti-Obama statements made by a very small few. This was to be expected.

But, overwhelmingly, most in the crowd were there as the advertisement promise...to protest what many feel is quickly becoming over-taxation, class warfare and burdening our children with too much debt just so we can quickly fix our problems of today. Several people, both men and women spoke to the crowd near the cannon that looks out over the pier. Here were a couple that spoke and what they had to say.

One man spoke eloquently about his being a veteran of the previous Iraq war and served in the military for 9 years. He passionately described how his country has changed so much from when he entered the service and returned home. 'I see a country who doesn't care about my children's future but only cares about the here and now' was one of his pointed statements at the leaders of our country. He is also a small business owner, feeling the pinch given our fragile economy, especially in the state of California. To hammer his point home that this was about America...he started off his speech with 'I am a registered Democrat.'

The last person to talk spoke intelligently of what he sees as America's strong shift toward socialism. He talked about how so many in this country no longer pay taxes but still want the same benefits that all those who pay taxes (some way higher than others) receive despite not paying for them. The best point he had was about the health care system in a socialist society and how America has, despite what many might try to contradict, the best medical system in the world and that getting treated here is easier and the medicine is better than in his home country. Which country does he hail from? The United Kingdom, our strongest ally. He has been in the states for 9 years and should be getting his green card this year he said. This is a man who knows what we are about to become as he lived it and got out because as he said, 'I work hard to support my family and didn't want government telling me that someone who didn't work should have the same things that I do despite paying less for it.'

Amen to both of these men! One a military hero, small business owner, democrat and father, who cares about his children's future much more than his own. The other, a dreamer who came to America to escape creeping socialism and was there to speak out to warn Americans of what we have in store if we don't quickly change the path of our country.

So for anyone who watched the CNN or MsNBC coverage don't be fooled to think that these protests were far right wingers that were funded by republican groups. Do your research and understand that people from all walks of life attended these events, every one of them were Americans first and party affiliation second. Make your voice heard as an American. You as an individual can make a difference.