Don't Tread On Me…

…. And, don’t put words in my mouth.

I’ve been receiving emails from readers who want to hear my thoughts on the Tea Party movement. One reader actually queried my interest in writing a post in support of the movement. He went on to say, “I assume you are with the movement. After all, you did advocate a strong third party”. Well, yes I do advocate a strong third party (the reader referred to my posting of The Altered States Manifesto in May of 2009).

However, the Tea Party is not a strong third party. The Tea Party is a branch of the Republican Party. Plain and simple. And… I don’t like the things I’ve seen from the Tea Party movement. I’m sure there will be a few more emails fired off at me after this, but that’s never stopped me before…

The following is a picture that I nabbed from Leo Sigh. I know that one picture of one particular person does not encapsulate all involved in the movement… But, I also know that it certainly doesn’t help their cause either…. Especially when the man behind the sign is the founder of TeaParty.org, Dale Robertson. While Robertson later claimed the picture that surfaced was a digitally manipulated stab at his credibility… I find it hard to believe since the photo first appeared on an official Houston Tea Party website.  Why would an official TP site be bent on damaging the credibility of one of their own?

What's more pathetic than a racist? A raicst who can't spell.

Do you really mean to tell me that a man who has no qualms about carrying a sign that spouts such overtly racist trash is not surrounded by at least a few like-minded people? Please. I truly hope you, and America, are smarter than that.

Now, of course not every single supporter of the Tea Party movement is a racist. I’m not suggesting that. Most of the official literature & appearances they make seem to convey a message that I’m sure a lot of Americans can relate to right now. The government is completely fucked up. Government has gotten too big. Officials need to be held accountable. Somebody, anybody, should answer for the goddamn mess that we, as a country, are in. Yes, somebody.

I’m not naive enough to believe all of the bullshit that the Democrats are peddling around either that GW Bush & his cronies are 100% to blame for the economic state of our country. As with every rough patch, the signs were being ignored for longer than a decade that a terrible storm was coming. I know that the country basked in an unprecedented glow of economic stability during the Clinton years… But… Honestly, that brain dead asshole The Situation (of ‘Jersey Shore’ shame) could have been president during the Technology boom of the early 90s and the economy still would have been great. So, let’s not go there.

BUT… the eight years that Dubya was in office certainly took a toll. Without a doubt. And, I wonder who it was that supported Bush throughout his presidency? Surely it couldn’t have been the Republican castoffs that now make up the Tea Party nominees? Right?

The Obama presidency, so far, has completely dispirited me. Obama the candidate was electric. He had the whole world in the palm of his hand. I can’t remember the last time I actually looked forward to hearing someone deliver a speech, but that’s what Obama did… He was a drawing card. A damn great orator. Obama the president has lost most, if not all, of his oomph. He’s done little to change my view of the presidency as the ultimate figurehead gig in the world. The man (and someday woman) who is president means absolutely nothing because they will do whatever the hell they are told to do. Special interest groups & high society run this goddamn country. Don’t forget it.

So, is the Tea Party movement really supposed to change anything? Just who are these (ahem) teabaggers?

How about Mark Williams? If you don’t know who he is… He is the Conservative Party USA, radio host, and author of It’s Not Right Versus Left, It’s Right Versus Wrong; Exposing the Socialist Agenda and Taking Back America One Tea Party at a Time, (2010).

While in the midst of protest in regards to the proposed mosque that is to be built near Ground Zero in NYC, Williams (the chairman of Tea Party Express) also made the following statement on his blog: “The monument would consist of a Mosque for the worship of the terrorists’ monkey-god“. That’s racist strike number two.

And then there was the Springboro, OH incident in which Springboro Tea Party founder Sonny Thomas tweeted the following: “Illegals everywhere today! So many spics makes me feel like a speck. Grrr. Where’s my gun!?” After the slur made the rounds on Twitter & other social networking outlets, other Tea Party officials declared the comments “classless” & said that his comments did not represent the Tea Party as a whole. I’m sure they don’t, but in my book… That’s still racist strike number three, and you know what that means sports fans… Yer outta here!

So, Marcus W. in Arizona… Just because this ‘movement’ is qualifying in the minds of many right now as a Party… Don’t assume that I am “with the movement” or that I’d like to write something “helpful” for the cause. You know what happens when you assume something…

- JM

Originally posted at The Altered States Of Munley. Check it out and subscribe to the RSS feed.