Tea Party movement gets far more credit than deserved

 

COMMENTARY 

 

By Juanita Bratcher 

 

I don’t know about you, but I’m very much aware that the media is giving the Tea Party movement far more credit than it deserves.

There is a barrage of coverage focused on the Tea Party movement, and this, for a few thousand people protesting? A small percentage of America’s population, that for the most part, spews out hatred and incendiary remarks under the pretense of being in opposition to the Obama Administration’s politics and policies.

 And it’s obvious that the Tea Party movement is nothing more than an arm of conservative Republicans…that their joints are connected. Pure and simple! Nothing more, nothing less!

The Tea Partiers are a small group of loud “attention grabbers…rabble-rousers.” At many of the fired-up rallies there were pistol toting thugs with guns strapped to the side of their pants in stark protest of health care reform.

But with all their fanfare at healthcare rallies in opposition to health care reform… chanting, “Kill the bill,” the legislation was passed and signed into law. Results are the key to success.

There is nothing wrong with protest. That’s the American way. But there should be some civility involved in the way one protests

There were reports that at one of the rallies when Georgia U.S. Congressman John Lewis was passing through by demonstrators, he was called a “Nigger”; Missouri U.S. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver was spit on; and Congressman Barney Frank was called a name I won’t repeat.

And if you’ve watched many of the Tea Partiers’ rallies, you’ve certain to have heard or seen their outlandish and hateful rhetoric, their uncivilized behavior, disturbing posters, insulting remarks and espousing misinformation. What about dealing with facts?

In many instances they have a line of key supporters and motivators, whether speaking at rallies or on-air personalities: Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity. They have, at times, accused President Barack Obama of “Destroying our country.” Others see them as being the destroyers with their incendiary rhetoric…dividing the country. They just don’t get it! Or they don’t want to get it!

Certainly, those attending these rallies – more likely than not – are people who didn’t vote for President Barack Obama in the first place.

Some years ago, we heard a lot of talk about the “Silent Majority”, people that didn’t say what they were thinking, but made a difference when letting their voices be heard at the polls on Election Day. If a voter doesn’t like the policies or politics of an administration or the politician/elected official that represent them in their district, they should go to the polls with tenacity and vote them out 

It’s also amazing to me when I hear predictions that those who voted for health care legislation “will pay.” It could be that those who voted against it will pay. Many times predictions are made due to “wishful thinking”, how one wishes things to be…based on hope rather than reality.

I don’t know about you, but I’m waiting to hear that Silent Majority’s voice on Election Day. That will be the telling story…factual rhetoric, because then the “real” results will be in.