Posted on 04/17/2009 12:02:27 AM PDT by A Navy Vet
Okay, you guys did good. I'm surprised about the turnout. I had my doubts and I was proven wrong. I applaud all of you for standing tall.
So now where do we from here? Do you/we continue to be out-raged and hold more TEA Partys without direction? Should we build upon the movement with lots of signs and demonstrations that the Obama, Reid, Pelosi triad ignores, or do we look at ways to effort real change?
Its simple math...you don’t get a majority when you divide by 3. 3rd party = Bill Clinton via Ross Perot
I agree with several on here — we need to stick to no more than three solid agreeable ideas, easily translatable to everyone in this country and keep hitting them over and over and over.
Now that conservatives have proven that they can get out of work/office/home and get out and be amongst each other, we need to keep it up.
I don’t like the idea of getting out in public and expressing my views and I think a lot of conservatives feel that way — I prefer that everyone play by the same “F’n” rules as everyone else and leave me alone — but all that has gotten us is “zero as present” and now that we are awake and know that we know it is okay to come together in public we need to keep it up.
Memorial day (coming up) is another great day to rally. 4th of July is another good day. Veterans Day is another good day. Labor Day is another good day. VJ day is another good day.
With enough advance notice we will get a crowd — We found out Sarah was going to be in Richmond only one week in advance — we made arrangements to get there — there were easily 30K people in attendance — all very fired up, all very motivated.
In the words of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto after his attack on Pearl Harbor, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”
November 4th, 2008 — “a date which will live in infamy,” the date the conservatives in the US had a rude awakening.
America Rally’s!
Yawn...no one will control the people on this. It doesn’t need formal organizing, let it be what it is for each individual. A congruence of dissatisfaction with an oppressive government.
These protests are the largest grass roots movement since the sixties and were done without much organization. Let’s keep it that way for now.
Different time but the principle’s the same. The next Reagan may be a sunken-chested dweeb with a whiney voice but if the message resonates it will stop a show like Susan Boyle.
That may come later but right now we have found a formula that works for the people we have. How many families can afford to take a few days off to travel to a coastal city?
With due respect, I don't think you are getting it.
The Nation is dying due to the encroaching socialism that Clinton, Bush started and Obami is accelerating. The time is long gone for petitions to the Obami,Reid,Pelosi triad. THEY DON'T CARE! They are in power, as one of them said. They are hellbent on installing their COLLECTIVISM!.
Our last opportunities are through the courts against un-Constitutional legislation; States' rights support; massive grassroots efforts for Term Limits (most importantly); reduced Congressional sessions; sunset all non-essential legislation; and especially promoting and educating the populace about the importance of our history and it's Constitutional beginnings, and how it has made a better World.
Sorry to yell, but the politicians are not listening. The TEA Party grassroots movement should take this opportunity to focus on at least one of the above.
As far as tactics go, I think we should escalate to massive civil disobedience. Take over a government building, for instance, do a 60s-style sit-in or something. They can ignore the peaceful, orderly, law-abiding stuff all day long, but they can’t ignore a shutdown of one (or a hundred) of their offices.
Muti-party systems are harder to get any thing done. This is why Europe is socialist for longer then us. If we don’t restore our system it is over.
We can take back the GOP but the force you saw in the streets will have to be applied to the local and state level GOP. That means someone from the family has to attend party meetings.
You are right. I'd call the movement "Not On My Watch!"
Okay, you do that. And feel so good about your protests as I used to do with mine. Carry your sign and yell out and then walk away.
Don't bother to come up with real answers as our Republic quickly slips away. But you will feel good that you made an effort. Been there...done that, probably before you even thought about it.
Here's a question for you. WTF good does anything do if you can't effort change and have a solid plan to do so?
I sincerely don't mean to be disrespectful, but you started this. Just so you know I was on the streets back in 1998. If you were at the same time, good for you. If you weren't, don't lecture me about activism.
I can't tell you how wrong you are about this wonderful opportunity to FOCUS (organize) against at least one of the issues I mentioned above. You want everyone to fly by the seat of their pants and just show up with signs with no direction, well, okay. Enjoy. I respect you for making that effort. Really do. Best.
I really do appreciate the lesson on Article V. I didn’t ignore that part of your reply without reason. I just don’t know that 2/3 of the states will do what is within their power before it’s too late. Maybe things will reach critical mass soon, and they will act. But the pace at which things are moving, critical mass could happen overnight. I’ll hold out hope that it doesn’t get that bad and the states act anyway. That would be a great way to put the brakes on what’s happening here. But I don’t have that much faith in 2/3 of the states. Thanks again for your help.
Our founding fathers would have just stopped filling out their tax returns. They would have stopped paying taxes. Of course they lived miles and miles away from the homeland in a new land that England didn’t have the resources or technology to control. We don’t have that luxuary.
“Okay, you do that. And feel so good about your protests as I used to do with mine. Carry your sign and yell out and then walk away.”
This isn’t a protest like yours...it is a movement. You and no one else is going to control it right now so get off your high horse and enjoy it. Trying to condense it to what you or even a few people think it should be will fractionalize it because this movement is against oppressive government which has different meanings to different people. Read up on your American history if you think a simple pinpoint message is needed. Your “Republic” is gone, went when the fascists took over private industry. We have to fight to get it back, but make no mistake, it is gone at this point in time. The rule of law does not apply to this government.
Oh, and I do feel good about protesting, why don’t you join the movement instead of trying to chop it up.
hmmm, don’t lecture you about activism? Sounds to me like you have an ego problem swabbie. I was active in the sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties and since...so blow it out of your ass. No disrespect meant...
Do you realize how many more issues there are going to be protests about? Second amendment rights, pro life, taxation, regulation, speech, government spending, defense, terrorism, religion freedom, etc. etc. etc. So, don’t go trying to create your own little minded faction. This is an American movement...let it happen.
I'm a law-abiding Veteran and wouldn't do such unlawful activities, especially since the DHS has designated me as a potential domestic terrorist recruit of late. Being a Navy veteran of 11 years, I'm sure I'm on their watch list. Plus, I post on this conservative forum, so I am in double-trouble.
Guess what? I don't give one shit. Come and get me, Holder. You're a socialist prick!!! Read this and eat poop and live!!!
I said I appreciate the efforts. However, it does need focus. Go to the Home Page of Free Republic and you will see the "With Love and Affection" slide show I developed way back in March 2003 to support our Troops going into Iraq.
You don't know what you talk about. I have been there and done that and have finally figured out that "street activism" needs a central point. It worked for VetsCoR's now it needs similar focus.
Why must you give me this shit? I'm on your side and even thanked all for their efforts. I'm only saying that the time is ripe for leadership to come forward and find a central cause while the iron is hot.
Congress is made up of professional politicians , their only purpose is to get re-elected so they can stay on the gravy train.
Our first move is to vote for no incumbents, and no more lawyers.. Send them a message.
The leadership that comes forward now will probably not be the leadership that is later. You do not understand this kind of political movement. It is and will continue to be a congruence of interests, as I outlined in my previous post.
Organize events for now, don’t try to focus the movement...you can’t anyway and you will simply be disappointed. Do something positive that you can do and succeed at...help organize events and especially promote the idea of the huge protest fourth of July in DC!!!
But, don’t try to package it into a single issue or that we have to be this or that, it is an American movement...let it happen.
I'd take it a step further than not voting for incumbents. Don't vote for the existing parties at all anymore. If there are any decent guys in the GOP, they will switch to the new party. That's the kind of guts we need in our leaders. I doubt there are many that have anything but their own hides as their primary interest. And that's unfortunate because their greed and quest for power will be the downfall of the USA unless we take drastic action NOW!
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