Integrity

From Feb. 6, 2009




Sen.Mike Enzi from Wyoming, at a precursor to the Tea Party protests talked about how good it was that Americans For Prosperity had collected 60 thousand petitions and that many people had called their congressmen and senators. This was an outdoor ceremony with the capital building in the background. Remember, this was a full 2 months before the uprising on April 15th. Those protests and their numbers were just a glimmer in the organizers eyes at that point.

Sen. Enzi went on to say that a lot of his colleagues weren’t listening or reading their correspondence and the Senator suggested more things like the event pictured in the link above needed to happen. As I watched the video and looked at the preprinted signs and how the people there were grouped together to make it look like there were more than actually there was; I was reminded of so many other similar types of things in the past. He seemed to suggest that we needed some more visible demonstrations to get the point across to his colleagues.

Well ----- We did. From sea to shining sea we did.

On April 15th Citizen Protestors by the hundreds of thousands showed up, Michelle Malkin thinks we hit a million, in up to 2,000 cities. We the people have figuratively put up a barrier, labeled with our homemade signs, to the insane onrush of spending. We literally held up those signs all across this country in villages and cities of all sizes. Those signs said basically one thing; ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. NO MORE. These were not preprinted signs, handed out to people shipped in getting off the bus. They were homemade and heartfelt, held by people in the place where they lived, their homes. They were people who were getting fed up with being taken for granted.

I just missed one at Rives Junction, an intersection of two streets. This is the type of place in-between two more important places. In fact that is why I missed it, as I was going from the State capital to another protest in another bigger city later in the day. A couple that lived there decided to have a protest right there on their front lawn. They thought they were important enough to do it. So did about 50 others of their neighbors and friends. They knew the media wouldn’t be there, no celebrities would show. They just wanted to speak their minds. I learned of Rives Junction later as I talked with some of them that attended the later one I attended.

Just an assumption, but I’ll bet some of Sen. Enzi’s colleagues are busy now trying to make it look like they were listening and reading their emails all along. That is a good thing I guess; but the thing that goes along with being taken for granted is that those taking you for granted tend to start thinking you are incapable of deciding things for yourself. Politicians who attended the 15th rallies and tried to educate us were roundly booed. Those not so condescending were put up with. Those that watched our backs in the media will be rewarded at least with my thanks, and my vote.

For those of you who think the Tea Parties were just a silly thing accomplishing nothing, you haven’t been paying attention to the news lately. This uprising has given those who were against at least some of the Budget, Stimulus and the huge deficits, a chance to voice their dissention. We the little stupid people have given the big shots some political cover. Now they are taking some pot shots and ducking back under our covering fire.

The cracks have been there; the facts prove the un-sustainability of the budget and stimulus. John Boehner has led that charge, now some key Democrats are balking at the cost. Pelosi and Reid are bickering and Obama is flip flopping.

What was that about waking a sleeping giant? Well I sense a stirring within the body politic, the politicians do too. That is a good thing. From this so far I have been reminded of what I hold so dear. One vote does matter, because one person still matters. One person willing to stand up for what they believe anywhere regardless of profit, still means something. It means most to their neighbors, it goes to integrity.

Rives Junction proved that as far as I’m concerned.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative