The Facts and Fictions of Tea Partying

Do a search. How many times must I say I am a proponent of health care reform? I want a cost effective, comprehensive plan -- not just "a" plan. I don't believe you have read the Baucus bill yet nor even the House passed bill. Both have language that frightens most normal tax paying individuals.

As for weapons, I don't approve of anybody bringing any kind of weapon to any kind of meeting. Again, if you research my posts, you will find that I am opposed to the sale or possession of any type of handgun and/or automatic weapon. This includes collectors (sorry Roxran).

 

Time out. The Longhorns game starts soon.

 

I'm going to address the easy questions first and then the larger issue, which actually has had and should have exclusive threads.

First, Joe Wilson. Wilson violated Congressional protocol. He should have apologized and he did twice. The President accepted his apology. That should have been the end of that story. As far as his history, I no nothing about him so I can neither pillory nor praise him outside of that incident.

The Boston Tea Party was the mother of all protests as far as American history is concerned. For better or worse, people tend to ally themselves (wrapping themselves in the flag) to popular events or causes. Opponents do the same to stigmatize their opposition (how many "gates" over the years have there been?).

The Guatemalan unrest of which you speak was somewhat analogous because, rather than tax issues, they were protesting the oppression of a private company that dominated the country, politically and economically. The Tea Parties are more pre-emptive in nature -- hollering before the hurt.

Wow, that's going to bring a huge response, so let me explain the validity of doing so. Once an onerous law or tax is passed, it is very difficult to discard the yoke imposed. A second mission of the tea parties, which developed after the original protests, is to put brakes onto a government freight train headed headlong to the left. It's the fire fueled by Glenn Beck.

Now, let's explore why I, an Hispanic, am opposed to extending health care illegal immigrants. It's because I hold great sympathy for these people.

Our national shame centers around illegal immigrants. Democrats use the lure of free health care and better education to "buy" the votes of a growing segment of the population. Republicans give lip service to the flood tide of illegals, but secretly covet the cheap laborers they can abuse -- very much like the United Fruit Company (and predecessors) did in the "Banana Republics" like Guatemala.

Not only do the illegals work for less in substandard working conditions -- they are "contract" workers so they are not covered by the company provides to other employees. Illegals are truly the new serfs, and it is high time to end this practice.

Rather than extending "magnets" to draw even more people in from Mexico and Central America, we need to punish businesses who employ illegals with $10,000 per person fines. Remember, the immigrants are illegal and the businesses employing them are commiting illegal acts.

At age 9 my father became the principal breadwinner for his mother and three younger brothers when his father died. The only work he could get as a child was the grunt labor in small businesses or shops. Not only did he feel unfairly treated for the work he did, but he had to practically beg for his pay. It left him embittered against business people for the remainder of his 88 years.

Soon he learned to gamble and live by his wits. He discovered that learning and speaking English was an enormous advantage. Thus began his gambling career (anecdote alert: I had no clue about his past until I was 24. I was trying to teach him how to play cards -- and how not to get cheated -- amid the giggling of my mom and aunt. When I asked what was so funny, my mom said "Tell him." I looked at my 60-year-old father and he was shuffling a deck of cards with one hand. Up to that point, I had never seen him drink, smoke, gamble, swear or do unseemly things.)

I give you this glimpse into my father's background because he was a major influence in my life. He spanked my older sister and I if we picked up a word of Spanish here or there, insisting that English was the American language and no other should be allowed.

Many of the illegals who come to America can't speak English and therefore can't be assimilated as easily. Instead, there are a growing number of communiites speak Spanish only -- a third world nation unto themselves. It's not good for the nation as a whole. If Congress comes up with a plan to make them citizens with all the protections of the nation, I'm fine with that. However, where does this end? Where do we draw the line and say "no mas?"

 

It was a violation of protocol and tradition, not law.

 

We're in the same boat. I haven't read all of the separate bills either, just synopses from attorneys and commentary. However, the bills are so long and complex, "facts" are difficult to distinguish from "fiction" or "wishful thinking."

 

Then let the people of his South Carolina district punish him by not voting for him. Considering only your information and nothing else, I wouldn't vote for him. However, I am not in his district. BTW, Robert Byrd, D-VA, is a former grand wizard or something with the KKK. People can change. Right?

 

Thanks for breaking down your arguments so they can be answered in a more manageable fashion. Incidentally, the truth is comprised of all the facts. When only some of the facts are addressed, one tends to arrive at conclusions that are half-truths. One of the first principles I learned as a journalist was that you can be factual all day long without being fair, but, even if your are fair (and balanced ) without all the facts, the story is worthless.

1) There are no "controls" on those who attend tea parties. It is my experience that nuttiness sells (gets noticed by the press) but doesn't necessarily represent the majority of rational protesters. Batman would tell you that I am delusional, but I like to think of myself as reasonable and rational. Also, I can assure you that no such silliness comes under discussion in my group.

2) I stand by my statements. Why would I name Fox News when they lend a sympathic ear to the tea party movement? We feel the distortions come from the left, not the right. In other words, the tea party ox is not gored by Fox News. You may feel they are too cozy, and that is also true.

3) That special on health care in other countries was on CBS-News. They had similar horror stories from France, Germany, England and Canada and asked some serious questions at the end that we should be asking ourselves. When I get time after supper and before the Cowboys game, I will try to find that CBS special to see if it is youtubed or urled or whatever it is that one does to post it on the internet.

Lastly, as to your allegation that I have "aligned yourself with and started a thread defending the biggest source of vitriol in the country right now." I have never alligned myself with the Daily Kos or Huffington Post or New York Times. However, if you are referring to Glenn Beck, I sometimes do agree with him -- and sometimes I don't. However, he is asking important, legitimate questions that other media have not. Sometimes these are questions that some people in the media and administration would rather not address.

 

Those rules are not law. They are protocol borne out of tradition.