RALEIGH — Like you, I get all kinds of e-mail and comment from friends of all political persuasions about the tea party movement. The press almost universally has disparaged the movement. As one who feels philosophically aligned with it, please allow me to try to explain what, in my view, the “tea party” is really all about.
First of all, and for the most part, there’s no “formal” organization. Most of us haven’t signed up anywhere. We’re just citizens who have decided, many for the first time, to get active. We are just tired of seeing politicians of both parties spending money they don’t have with utter disregard for prudence and logic.
And our “members” want to change our government in Washington, mostly for the smaller and for the better. And we are Republicans, Democrats, and independents.
We are about shrinking the size and ubiquitousness of government, managing once again the federal debt, opposing things like the government takeover of giant corporations including GM, Chrysler, and the large banks, and forcing one type of health care on all our citizens.
We are about ending things like TARP, the “stimulus,” earmarks, and buying votes in the Senate. We are for energy independence — which should certainly include all manner of “green” opportunities — but must also provide shorter term solutions like natural gas, nuclear, and clean coal. And we are about trying to keep more of our own money. Most of us think we can make our spending decisions better than the government can.
Most of us are immigrants or children of immigrants and we believe deeply in legal immigration. Most of us also understand that frequently we need additional folks from other countries as “guest workers” and support those kinds of programs. But we firmly believe that we should do everything we can to prevent people from breaking our laws by sneaking across our borders.
I know that some who align themselves with us occasionally say things that everyone doesn’t agree with. You probably don’t agree with all of this article either. But that’s fine, too.
Mostly, we want the United States of America to once again be recognized as an exceptional nation, one that has given the lives of many of its young men and women and much of its treasure to keep the world free.
Whichever political party you belong to, aren’t these (or most of these) issue positions that you agree with? Aren’t you a Tea Party member too?
Tom Roberg is the executive chairman and former chief executive officer of LaamScience Inc. and a board member of the John Locke Foundation.