Who Are The Greene Tea Patriots?

    According to many media accounts, the people supporting the Tea Party movement are radical right-wing racists or ultra-religious ideologues, but being a natural skeptic and conservative, I decided to see for myself. Imagine my surprise when I showed up at a local farm house for my first meeting with the Greene Tea Patriots and found something completely different!
    Who are these Greene Tea Patriots? They seem to be normal people you would meet in the course of an average day. They all have normal jobs. They are machinists, engineers, housewives, factory workers, contractors, printers, farmers, and entrepreneurs. They drive Chevrolets, Dodges, Fords, and Toyotas. They range in age from their early twenties to their eighties, from Masters Degrees to High School Diplomas. Most are parents and grandparents. Some are from other parts of the country, settling here in Greene County to make a better life for their families. Others were born here. A few are from neighboring counties or other parts of the state.
    I really wasn’t sure what I should be expecting at this meeting, but I was surprised by what I found. Nobody spoke of being part of any famous protests back in the sixties or otherwise. None spoke of ever holding political office. They certainly are not the dumb, illiterate racists, or religious fanatics portrayed in the media (although a prayer of thanks was said at the beginning). They really seem to be normal people living normal lives, struggling to pay their taxes, raise their kids, and make a better life for their families and those around them.
    Although all were conservatives, the meeting was not a vitriolic Obama hate-fest as some might expect. As a matter of fact, I got the sense that most believed the problems facing our nation have been born through decades of mismanagement and complacency, not caused by just one administration or even one political party. The current administration’s policies have simply motivated a long-silent majority to take action.
    Everyone seemed to have their primary hot button topics, but all seemed to agree that over-taxation, massive government spending, and increasing regulation of our lives has gone too far. They believe the Federal government is shifting away from the Constitution and basic founding principles that has made this country great for over two centuries.
    By definition, conservatives are rarely activists. However, the people of the Greene Tea Patriots believe that the time has come where everyday conservatives need to stand up and be heard. They believe it is crucial that changes in our government need to be made soon or the nation could be fundamentally changed forever. They are doing this for themselves, their families, and their nation, not for a political party or candidate.
    Why then, are these people portrayed as something so different, so evil? I think the reason is two fold. The first stems from normal everyday conservatives having been quiet for so long. The media has never seen a grass-roots conservative activist movement before. Secondly, the press is overwhelmingly liberal. Many do not think of themselves that way, but numerous polls have shown it to be true. As such, they are more than happy to report the negative or, in some cases, blatantly misrepresent views or events to further an agenda.
    The people of the Greene Tea Patriots are good people, with good ideas and honorable intentions. They embody a common sense approach to government and citizenship that most of us believe in and want for future generations. That is why I have joined in their efforts!

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