Monday, August 27, 2012

What the Tea Party Means


From the season finale of “The Newsroom” (August 26, 2012)

 

Ideological purity

Belief in scriptural literalism

Deny science

Unmoved by facts

Undeterred by new information

Hostile fear of progress

Demonization of Education

Need to control women’s bodies

Severe Xenophobia

Tribal Mentality

Intolerance of decent

Pathological hatred of the United States Government

These things define those who call themselves the Tea Party, and they may call themselves Conservatives.  They can even call themselves Republicans (though Republicans certainly shouldn’t).

But we should call them what they are:  The American Taliban

Which cannot survive if YOU (insert character’s name) are allowed to vote. 

Disclaimer:  This is not the exact wording of the main character but comes as close as I can get listening to the program several times.  This list, however, is correct as spoken by the character and cannot be any clearer as to the nature of those who call themselves the Tea Party.  And I do believe their correct name should be the American Taliban.  Their fear based platform has disrupted our politics and done nothing to improve the working of our government.  They like to think of themselves as Patriots but patriots to what cause is yet to be specified.  I do not like what I am seeing or hearing from their representatives.  We have a choice this fall and we should use our choice to remove them from any and all offices: local, state or national before they can do any more harm to what we have called democracy.  The most disturbing effect that we have been experiencing in almost every state is their determination to prevent people from voting by changing laws that make it easy for people to vote, by requiring identification that many people cannot afford to get or by physically removing people from the voting rolls without any reason other than their gender or race.  We must not only vote this fall, we must make sure that anyone who needs help to get to the polls, gets the help they need.  Are you with me?

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