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PrintJuly 22, 2010
Goading the tea parties
As the coordinator of the San Francisco Tea Party, I have considerable experience dealing with the conservative grassroots (yes, there are really conservatives in the Bay Area) and with a perpetually angry and emotionally driven leftwing.
What the White House and its minions have done by wagging the racist finger at the tea parties is simply deplorable. To be maliciously mischaracterized like that, causes me considerable emotional distress. In fact, this is the kind of injustice that makes me clench my jaws at night. It immediately puts good people on the defensive and makes them want to scream from the rooftops "How can you say that of me? If you only really knew me -- who I was, what I thought, how I've conducted myself -- you would never say that. Could...never say that."
But we know we cannot respond that way because that is exactly how they want us to react. They want to antagonize and goad us, weaken our resolve and neutralize our impact. This isn't about racism. It's about power and control.
We have to resist the temptation to combat every one of their accusations. They are mere distractions from the real issues. In fact, the NAACP resolution and the Sherrod incident grabbed the limelight away from other more pressing issues, such as the Kagan nomination, immigration, the new financial disaster bill, the DOJ whistleblower incident, jobs and the economy.
We tea partiers know who we are and know that the people, with whom we march arm-in-arm in defending this country and Constitution, are of all colors, religions, backgrounds and genders. Our events and personal histories will be testaments to that truth.
And, it should be enough that we know that. I am not saying we should simply give the opposition a wholesale turning of the cheek -- because there will be times when we must defend ourselves and will do so by delivering the truth backed by incontrovertible evidence -- but in this particular battle at this particular time, we need to take the high road and continue with the mission of the tea parties.
While on that high road, we must, however, proceed with caution.
I say this on the heels of new information about the Sherrod incident. It is not clear to me what happened with Breitbart and the video. I am hoping we hear something soon. I have read, however, that he received the video edited as is. Assuming that is true, and giving Breitbart the benefit of the doubt, the lesson here is that all of us must keep our reactions in check.
Let the emotions continue to fly high on the left side of the aisle. When the left resorts to adolescent behavior and playground bullying, remember, it is because they are losing America. They know that average Americans are disgusted with the repeated rape of our liberties and a government that is pathologically compelled to intrude into every aspect of American life and commerce. When you want to lash back, remember this bit of encouraging news: their hysteria radiates from plummeting approval ratings in the face of upcoming elections and an electorate that is beginning to comprehend the transformational change this President has in mind.
As for conservative and independent journalists, I think we can all agree that we want them to act with the utmost integrity. We certainly don't want them to descend into the murky and seedy "Underworld of Lousy, Incompetent and Downright False and Misleading Journalism" inhabited by their leftwing counterparts. And, should they begin to teeter into that world, it is our duty to hold them accountable--unlike our liberal counterparts have done.
As we continue on this unanticipated trek to restore the great principles on which this country was crafted, let's proceed with patience, reason and control. Let's think before we act, click and react. And most of all, let's leave the rush to judgments and hysterical reactions to the Administration, its henchmen in Congress and minions in the press.
