Hundreds attend Tea Party

Rocky Mount Telegram ^ | 04.10.2010 | Jim Holt

[~Vor~]

Robert Cressionnie told more than 400 people at the nonpartisan Tar River Tea Party’s Tax Day Rally to reach down Saturday and grab a blade of grass. “Because this is the grassroots right here,” he said.

“Most conservatives want to live their lives alone and in peace, but the entitlement crowd is not like that ... they want what we have,” said Cressionnie, the Tea Party’s organizer.

He said 47 percent of the U.S. population doesn’t pay any federal income tax, and that it’s wrong for the other 53 percent to pick up the tab.

From 2 to 4 p.m., Englewood Park was alive with the sound of guitars, chants, claps and microphone-toting supporters advocating “fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets in a constitutional republic.”

At kickoff, hundreds turned towards the U.S. flag in the middle of the crowd to recite the pledge of allegiance, sing the national anthem and then bow their heads for an invocation.

“This (upcoming) election is our opportunity to take back our country,” Cressionnie said. “We might not get a second chance.”

Pocket-sized U.S. Constitutions were distributed in addition to notices of upcoming Tea Party events in surrounding territories like Wilson and Roanoke Rapids.

“We’re not mad, we’re just determined,” Cressionnie said. “This has nothing to do with the party or the man in the White House, it’s the direction in which they’re taking our country.”

Glenn Turner, 54, of Rocky Mount said he believes that the U.S. will be bankrupt in another couple years if it continues down the path it’s currently on.

“I’m also tired of hearing that (the Tea Party) is a racial thing,” he said. “It has nothing to do with race or party.”

Doug Kemerer of Oath Keepers said progressivism has infiltrated the government.

Oath Keepers is a “nonpartisan association of currently serving military, veterans, peace officers, and firefighters who will fulfill the oath we swore to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

Socialism only leads to the establishment of a fascist or communist regime, Kemerer said. “It just can’t help it,” he said.

On the back of the rally’s flier was an action plan, which Cressionnie expounded on. After one makes sure that he or she is registered to vote, they need to get 10 to 25 of their “friends, neighbors and family” registered as well. Then one should increase their own education by reading and pondering the U.S. Constitution. After having done so, that person should “evaluate politicians and candidates by how well they adhere to Constitutional principles and not what they say.”

The fifth and final step is to “secure as many new members for our Tar River Tea Party by sending us their names and e-mail addresses — with their permission, of course.”

Chris Farr spoke to an applauding crowd, saying President Barack Obama doesn’t care about process, and that he’ll find any way he can to pass his agenda.

“We have to knock the legs out from under (Obama). The left leg is the U.S. Senate and the right is the U.S. House,” said Farr, the Americans for Prosperity grassroots coordinator in North Carolina.

Farr ended her speech by starting a chant ... “November is coming, November is coming, November is coming.”

[~Vor~]

Very nice turnout for only being the second gathering of the Tar River Tea Party.

There will also be a Wilson County (NC) Tea Party on April 27th at 5PM on the lawn of the Wilson County Public Library.

[Man50D]

He said 47 percent of the U.S. population doesn’t pay any federal income tax, and that it’s wrong for the other 53 percent to pick up the tab.

That percentage can increase dramatically if people demand their Congress critters pass The Fair Tax Act(HR25/S296) that will replace all federal income taxes with a national sales tax(not a VAT) and abolish the IRS.

[MNnice]

I like the idea of handing out pocket-size Constitutions.

Wouldn’t it be a great subversive activity for someone to go on college campuses all over the country and hand out pocket-size Constitutions to the young and the clueless? They’d probably call security and have you kicked off campus.

[~Vor~]

Here are a couple of pictures that were included with the Telegram's article.

Tar River Tea Party representative Robert Cressionnie speaks Saturday during the Tax Day Rally held by the Tar River Tea Party at Englewood Park.

Tea Party member Joseph Miller of Snow Hill displays his sign Saturday during the Tax Day Rally held by the Tar River Tea Party at Englewood Park.

Tea Party member Julia Manning sits among hundreds of people Saturday during the Tax Day Rally held by the Tar River Tea Party at Englewood Park.

Tea Party members David Lewis, left, and Ivan Price share a laugh Saturday during the Tax Day Rally held by the Tar River Tea Party at Englewood Park.

[LRS]

“Most conservatives want to live their lives alone and in peace, but the entitlement crowd is not like that ... they want what we have,”

Bless you sir!

I may be poor as well, but I have never left a dirty pamper in a parking lot for some one else to pick up. (Shoot; I even take my basket to a cart corral when I'm done with it...)

[relictele]

Note that the bought-and-paid-for-and-told-what-to-say Coffee Parties have fizzled out completely.

Marxists have no staying power without thugs to back them up.

[Prospero]

Rocky Mount is one of four or five mini-cities in the last genuine refuge of the Conservative Democrat. I can just about guarantee that more than half those present were registered Democrats.

Hard to believe, I know, I know. But the Ground there conspires to make it so. For a variety of reasons, not least of them the Voting Rights Act, which easily results in that city being carved up to (easily) create "minority-majority" districts.

This part of NC has been long overdue for the kind of watershed event that separates multi-generational loyalty to the Party of Slavery and Secession (nearly lost in the mists of time) from these voters, many of whom are genuine Conservative descendants of slavery (e.g., unlike Obama).

A majority of voters still go to Church, and after a long, dormant period, are rapidly becoming radicalized. The reason?

They can no longer keep Washington City at arms length. The Tar Heel Democrats, the state franchise holders, are a branch of more than one organized crime family (not ACORN, or SEIU, which are in open revolt, in what is essentially a gang war).

You go, Tea Partiers of ENC! No more being taken for granted by the Established Feather-beders in Raleigh!

[craigster_nc]

“November is coming, November is coming, November is coming.”

[screaminsunshine]

We should start some nightime torch and pitchfork rallies. That would drive the extremist media nuts...

[kempster]

Tea Party rolling through my home town in Michigan this morning. Hope we have a big turnout. Also, supposed to be a lot of agitators there to protest.

[mel]

I really think the tea party will continue to grow

[~Vor~]

Anybody interested in learning more about what Doug Kremerer had to say about Oath Keepers can find them here Oath Keepers

[~Vor~]

We had no agitators yesterday...just a bunch of great folks who are sick and tired of the crap going on in our government. The lady who sat next to me said this was the first time in her life she had done anything political...and I know she was in her 60's...we just have to get everybody engaged (and to the polls) and let them know we are NOT a bunch of radical extremists...IMHO continuing to speak our minds, standing by the rule of law and educating the masses is how we will win...

[gimme1ibertee]

Ummm....I think you probably meant this one:

http://oathkeepers.org

[~Vor~]

You are correct...I should have clicked on my own link to see the website...I just assumed (rut roh) that the extension on the link was .com rather than .org...thank you for the correction!

[pillut48]

Hope you are aware of this Jason Levin character and crashtheteaparty.org? Be safe!

[Constitution Day]

I was there yesterday. Great turnout! I got busy and forgot to respond to your post to me a while back, after the organizational meeting.

[kempster]

I’m told there were a few SEIU disrupters up the road but we never saw them and their numbers were miniscule.

Here is the first paragraph from the news and the link.

Clinton Township — The Tea Party Express pulled into Clinton Township Sunday for its final Michigan stop, drawing thousands tired of the Obama administration and demanding a change in government.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100411/METRO/4110321/Tea-Party-express-draws-thousands-to-Clinton-Township#ixzz0kpVAFsMH