I was part of a carload of citizens who drove 40 miles Thursday morning to the Olympia Tea Party. We represented exactly the kind of people who attend the Tea Parties. One of us was a conservative Republican, one was a Libertarian, one was an independent conservative, and one was a Liberal Democrat. All of us were concerned about the direction our country has been taking. We are all opposed to the increased level of taxation not only on the federal level but within our state as well. The liberal was alarmed about the corporate welfare, the two conservatives were distressed at the level of unfunded entitlements and the libertarian was mostly worried about the loss of our rights. All four friends were interested in knowing how we could reduce taxes, still provide for the underclass, reduce the deficit, and regain our Constitutional rights. It was a tall order to be sure, but we wanted to get into the spirit of the Tea Party and see what we could do to help bring that about.We arrived about an hour before the scheduled start and had plenty of time for visiting with other Tea Partiers. All races, ages and walks of life were represented including pre-schoolers, school-age children, working folks, stay-at-home parents, the employed, and retired folks. A squad of uniformed students from the Washington Youth Academy attended as well.
This year's Tea Party was much smaller than last year's gathering. Perhaps that was due in part to the expanded number of Tea Parties within Western Washington. Fewer people were forced to travel long distances to attend a party. This year's Tea Party had a longer program to accommodate latecomers. People felt free to drift in at almost any point in the proceedings to listen to the speaker or the music.
Tea Party Charlie was the host and he introduced many speakers, including a constitutional lawyer, several radio hosts, a businessman, a biker, and a number of independent conservative activists. Their speeches were inspiring and made us consider our grave situation from their perspective. We sang the National Anthem, enjoyed bagpiper Robert McPherson and saluted the armed forces. It was a peaceful gathering, except for the LaRouchies spewing their peculiar ideology an hour before the speeches began. They were asked politely to move their counter demonstration across the square and they did. Case closed.
We left early to beat the traffic and make our afternoon appointments. As we drove home, we discussed the day's events and agreed it was an experience unlike any other.
For more information: Evergreen Freedom Foundation, Tea Party Patriots, Washington Patriot Hub, Revere America
Last year's Tea Party in Olympia: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
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