When you hear the words “Tea Party” do you immediately think about politics? Do you think the Tea Party is politically tied to any political party? One day a few weeks ago, I went to our downtown businesses on Main Street and I asked the owners or managers if they would allow me to put a flyer in their window. The flyer was announcing that our Mayor and a State Representative would be the guest speakers at our next meeting.
Happily, many of the businesses stated they would be glad to place the flyer in their window and announce it on our local radio station. They were calm, polite and very easy to talk with. However, some immediately became tense and defiantly told me that they would not post anything that was political in their window. One went so far as to say they didn’t want to upset their regular customers. Now, first of all I appreciate the time each merchant gave me. And I do understand and respect how someone might feel, but to not want to let there customers know of an opportunity to listen and talk to their Mayor and State Representative, that I can’t understand.
After this experience I can’t help become concerned that so many people have what I believe is the wrong concept of what the Tea Party really stands for. There are many organizations that call themselves a “Tea Party”. Did you know there are only four, large, well “organized” Tea Parties? The most important distinction between the Tea Parties is how they are organized and what their leaders believe in and practice. The one group that our Tea Party is affiliated with is the Tea Party Patriots, a national group, a grass root organization, led from the bottom up, not top down, that has two co-creators.
There are over 200 Tea Party Patriots groups in Georgia and more than 3,200 groups nationally.
The Tea Party Patriots is not a political party. I do admit that the Tea Party Patriots are more closely associated philosophically with the Republican Party conservative views in our political opinions. But we do not support or identify with only Republicans.
So who are the Senoia Tea Party Patriots? They are American citizens that believe that our Federal government has taken our country in the wrong direction. They want a government that is responsible to the People. They want a constitutionally-limited government, not a big government. They want a government that is fiscally responsible not one that put us into 14 trillion dollars of debt. They want free markets, not markets that are overly burdened with regulations. The Tea Party Patriots is a non-partisan group and does not endorse any political candidates.
So, you can appreciate that I have difficulty understanding how or why anyone would think the Tea Party Patriots are political. If you want to consider us to be political, then think of us as the watchdog of our political system and have the concerns of all Americans, regardless of your political party and/or non-party affiliation.
I am a veteran and the Coordinator of the Senoia Tea Party Patriots. May God Bless America and May God Bless all American Patriots.
Joe Canin
Senoia
