Occupy Wall Street has vindicated the Tea Party

The Washington Examiner ^ | November 26, 2011 | Brandon Loran Maxwell

[2ndDivisionVet]

Regardless of one's feelings toward the Tea Party or policies it advocates, Tea Partiers have at least, during their short existence, conducted themselves relatively peacefully and responsibly.

Of course, this isn't to suggest critics won't still cry foul whenever a Tea Partier shows up to a public event concealing a firearm, or a Tea Partier displays signs at a rally capable of being interpreted as derogatory.

But at least the right to bear arms and freedom of speech, unlike rape, vandalism, and drug usage -- all seen at Occupy Wall Street protests -- are protected under the U.S. Constitution.

As local and national news stations have now reported, rapes and sexual assaults have been regular occurrences at Occupy Wall Street protests across the country, from Seattle to New York.

Protests in Portland, Ore., alone have resulted in more than $19,000 in property damages, as well as a Molotov cocktail attack, and in Vancouver, multiple people have died of drug overdoses.

By contrast, one is hard-pressed to find a single incident in which a woman has ever been raped or sexually assaulted at a Tea Party rally. One is hard-pressed to find a single incident where a Tea Partier has ever died of a drug overdose at a Tea Party rally. And one is hard-pressed to find a single Tea Party rally where thousands of dollars in property damage was maliciously committed.

The Occupy Wall Street movement in its infancy had the correct sentiment: End corporatism, end the Fed. This sentiment, however, has since been diluted by progressive populism.

Occupy Wall Street's dialogue is no longer about whether government should engage in favoritism, interfere with markets and provide bailouts; or whether the Federal Reserve has too little accountability.

But rather, whether someone makes too much money. It is no longer ground zero for the advancement of liberty, but ground zero for complaints about income disparity and calls for the redistribution of wealth.

Paying back a school loan has no relation to corporatism. And nothing in the Constitution promises somebody a career after they graduate from school.

Protesting greed is also misguided; for greed is a relative and subjective term. Consequently, any call for government to define and/or regulate subjectivity sets a very dangerous precedent.

It's irrelevant if the rapes, vandalism, overdoses, or murders have been perpetrated by illegitimate anarchists unaffiliated with the official Occupy Wall Street movement. The fact is that the movement's leaders have been overridden. And sincere protesters only discredit themselves by continuing to remain associated with it.

If there is any silver lining to the Occupy Wall Street protests, though, it's this: They have vindicated the Tea Party protests. The Occupy Wall Street movement has created perspective and demonstrated just how difficult it is to gather thousands of people from various backgrounds, with different philosophical views and goals, while maintaining order and civility.

That is something the Tea Party, for the most part, has managed to do effectively and consistently -- a respectable feat in hindsight. And something the Tea Party should be commended for.

[Bernard]

Your comment brings back an old joke I remember:

A group of Tea Party people are in a bus going to a rally, and the bus goes off a cliff. When the Tea Partiers show up at the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter says, "Sorry, but we don't have any room right now. So, we are going to have to send you to Hell for a few weeks until the remodeling is done."

Being law-abiding, the Tea Partiers just go to hell. A few weeks later, Saint Peter gets a call from Satan.

"Pete, you have to finish that remodeling right away! Those people you sent here are driving me nuts. They keep fixing this, adjusting that, and if their fund-raiser this afternoon is successful, they are going to air-condition the place!"

[samtheman]

save for the SEIU union thugs who beat a tea partier

Exactly.

Whatever violence that has occurred at Tea Party events was brought there by leftist agitators trying to disrupt the event.

[Alas Babylon!]

The Occupy Wall Street movement in its infancy had the correct sentiment: End corporatism, end the Fed.

Bull! The OWS was and is an astroturfed event started by the American Communist Party, ACORN, and ANSWER.

We had several threads here on Free Repulbic warning us from at least August about what these three groups intended on Sept 17th.

This was not a spontaneous movement like the TEA parties. It was planned and led by certain America-hating, far Left-wing groups from the very beginning.

[randita]

Someone at a Tea Party rally carried a sign depicting Obama as a monkey. To liberals, that one act trumps all the rapes, murders, drug deals, and vandalism which occurred at all the OWS encampments.

[JudgemAll]

It was brought by government favoritism of fleabaggers wgich brought the terrorists’ cover.

Another Obama Fast and Furious scandal style it is, as Gulliani pointdly blamed ?xzero for the damage

[TheOldLady]

Yes, but they always have to get those leftist digs in there.

"The TEA party is just like the OWS crowd, except for a few minor details about OWS, like rape, robbery, mayhem, death, vandalism, and other inconsequential little details not worth mentioning."

"Move along. Nothing to see here."

[TheOldLady]

Ditto. Your words exactly.

[JudgemAll]

... indeed, and let us not forget the ANC style reverse Apartheid favoritist government bringing huge cover for turning these parks into something akin to preatoria ghettos where infants get raped as an AIDS cure. What was that movie? District 9.

[stylin19a]

Of course, this isn't to suggest critics won't still cry foul whenever a Tea Partier shows up to a public event concealing a firearm, or a Tea Partier displays signs at a rally capable of being interpreted as derogatory.

weren't these debunked ?

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, no bias there — “those murders, rapes, other violent crimes, drug deals, those were not done by the OWS, but the leftist astroturf thugs which tried to masquerade as part of the Tea Party, they were part and parcel of the Tea Party movement.”

[ExCTCitizen]

191.Burlington, VT: 11/10/2011 — Veteran Shoots Self at Encampment

I think I'd shoot myself if I was at a OWS event...

235.Dallas, TX: 11/14/2011 — 9-Month-Old Baby Removed From Camp Due to Health Concerns, Neglect

Hey moron, you needed to 'Occupy medical office' for your child. Remember 'Its for the CHILDREN!!'

247.Wash DC: 11/11/2011 — Occupy’ Mom ‘Won’t Stop’ Putting Protest Above Her Kids’ Safety

Never saw any moms who would put the 'Tea Party' over her kids' safety!!

267.Los Angeles, CA: 11/15/2011 — Occupier Charged With Masturbating In Front of Children

Yes I've seen that at a Tea Party event -- NOT!!

339.Seattle, WA: 11/23/2011 — Police: ‘Pregnant’ Occupy Protestor Tried to Lure Children

Crazy lady on the loose...another wonderful OWS person.

Recently, President Obama said that the Occupiers are just like the Tea Party.

Hey, DIC (Dummy in Chief) OWS is the exact OPPOSITE of the Tea Party!! Heck, I think you should compare Fidel's takeover of Cuba to the OWS protesters.