Posted on 03/22/2009 7:03:45 AM PDT by RightAgain
RIDGEFIELD -- They carried signs, chanted slogans, urged motorists to honk horns -- there was even a folk singer urging the audience to "take back" the country.
Sounds like your average protest, right?
The difference here -- many of the protesters were political conservatives who had never felt it necessary to take to the streets before.
And yet there they were, about 300 strong, lining both sides of Main Street in front of Ballard Park on Saturday for a "Tea Party" protest against President Barack Obama's $3.5 trillion budget and the government's effort to "stimulate" the sagging U.S. economy through spending.
"The primary focus is a concern over the direction the policies of the current administration are taking us," said Andrew "Skip" March, a Ridgefield resident who helped organize the protest, news of which spread like wildfire on the Web.
"We were pleased and a little surprised by the number. We thought we'd have 100, maybe a little more," March said.
The protests, which have been popping up all over the country, were born from reporter Rick Santelli's now famous CNBC rant in February, during which he complained the government was "promoting bad behavior" by subsidizing "the losers' mortgages."
During his monologue, Santelli, who was on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, suggested having a "tea party" on Lake Michigan, a reference to the 1773 Boston Tea Party, when colonists dumped tea in Boston Harbor to protest English rule.
The protesters Saturday didn't dump anything, but they urged the country to embrace the conservative principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility.
"The stimulus package, the spending bills, they have not been handled well. There is too much pork," said Brian Blackman, 50, a tech support trainer from Ridgefield taking part in his first-ever protest.
Blackman said Barack Obama has proved himself to be just another politician who will say anything to get elected.
"He was supposed to bring positive change and he most certainly did not," Blackman said. "If anything, he is making things worse and my kids are in serious trouble right now. The economy was in trouble before, but now we're in serious trouble. I don't see a bright spot and I'm worried about the future."
Jim Troyer, a 53-year-old financial adviser from Bridgeport, had also never attended a political protest. Unchecked government spending got him off the couch and into the movement.
"It is obvious that something has to be done on the grass-root level because they are just throwing money away. We can't afford to do that in these times," said Troyer, a member of the "2012 Draft Sarah (Palin) Committee."
Retiree David Francis lived in Wilton for 25 years before moving to Guilford five years ago.
He attended the state's first "tea party protest" in Hartford on Feb. 27. Francis, carrying a sign that read "Obama = socialism," said only about 100 people showed up at the state Capitol. Saturday's protest more than doubled that number.
"The more we talk to people the more we feel this upswell or resentment over what's happening," Francis said. "The average person who is conservative, not just Republican, but conservative -- they're not flag-waivers or placard-carriers -- they've just started to realized that if they don't do things they've never done before, the country is going to be taken away from them."
This is great. But the MSM never shows em. But the MSM covers the ACORN communist protest of 20 Obamabus riders with 200 reporters. Go figger???
Welcome to FR!
I’m wondering if obamma lamma ding dong and his minions are filming these protests and the protesters?
Are they making lists of us who are dissatisfied?
And welcome RightAgain
Read the comments of original article.
Yeah, I could only do the first 20-30, but pretty disgusting. That's much more of a reflection of the populace in CT and NY -- and that's why this country is in such trouble. Scary times.
3/21 Ridgefield Tea Party after-action report, with lotsa pics and links in the FR thread
First local news report on 3/21 Ridgefield Tea Party, with lotsa links and pics in the FR thread
Good 8.5 minute Youtube summary video of the 3/21 Ridgefield Tea Party
Regarding Tea Parties:
“Ironically, the Tea Act had nothing to do with the American colonies but everything to do with rescuing the East India Company from bankruptcy: the result of the legislation was the loss of the American colonies.”
Marjie Bloy Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, National University of Singapore
That's not true. It wasn't Rick Santelli's idea.
Technically the first tea parties this year on February 27th was introduced by Rick Santelli. The one's that follow are the idea and passion of the people to rally.:)
~RightAgain~, welcome to FR
What do you expect...no sign-up topix message comment board - they are wackos over there....
“The difference here — many of the protesters were political conservatives who had never felt it necessary to take to the streets before”.
The times they are a’changin....
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