At the Sacramento Tea Party

George Rebane

 

The scene that greeted us on the west lawn of the Sacramento Capitol was a little spooky.  We got off the bus with our signs and camping chairs, and the first thing we saw was a phalanx of mounted police in the shade of some trees.  It kinda reminded me of the scene from ‘Doctor Zhivago’ when the czar’s mounted police quietly prepared to charge the peacefully marching communists coming down a cold winter street.  Nearby and through out the park-like setting were groups of two or three armed law enforcement officers making themselves very visible to the arriving people.  It sure appeared that they got the Department of Homeland Security message about all of us right-wing extremists fixin’ to foment right there on the steps of the Capitol.

Fortunately the folks pouring in from all directions pretty much ignored the fuzz, and we all crowded closer to the stage set up on the steps.  Those of us with canvas chairs set them up and unlimbered our signs.  Everybody brought signs that they had obviously spent some significant time and effort noodling up and then making with their marking pens.  The content of the signs was remarkable in their depth of understanding the issues of the day.  These people didn’t just copy one of seven baseless slogans like those evident at most demonstrations you see on TV.  Some of them even had a paragraph of history or of recent events that made you ask them to keep the sign still so you could read the whole thing.

Jo Ann and I along with two neighbors boarded the two busses on the Broad Street bridge at 10AM.  The hour and a half ride was comfortable, and from the talk heard up and down the aisle, it was obvious that this group of extremists were first timers.  We felt right at home.  There was some apprehensive mention of what Acorn was rumored to have up their sleeve for this rally, but no one was worried too much.  It turned out that some Acorn members did show up, but everyone behaved themselves.  From the looks of the general disorganization of the Tea Party, the Acorn people must have had a few giggles at the amateurs who conducted this political demonstration.

Things started cracking about 12:30 with speeches from Representative Tom McClintock, Michael Reagan, and (for me) a new comer AlfonZo Rachel who gave one hell of a speech and got the crowd worked up.  Mr. Rachel has an interesting website and here’s an example of his copy which obviously does not make him the darling of the black (or pick another color) entitlement crowd.  We all cheered and clapped and hollered at the right times whether we heard the finer points of the speakers’ arguments or not – it was a mood festive enough that after a while it was clear that the cops had taken their horsies back to the barn. 

Everyone shared the common ground of believing that our government was too big and getting bigger, we were headed toward socialism, our high taxes were about to get much higher, and that Washington was well on the road to spending the country into the poorhouse.

We spent part of the time taking more pictures with our iPhones and sending them to Russ Steele who was putting them up on NC Media.  That was a piece of work which we will try to get down better when we again alert the apprehensive attentions of the DHS people.  I can hardly wait to see what kind of report or bulletin gets issued then.  Isn’t it strange that the DHS had to send out a warning to the nation’s law enforcement people and the White House claimed to know nothing of it?

Jo Ann pointed out the demographics that surrounded us – over three quarters of the people were young and in their productive years, there were a lot of teen-agers who knew exactly what kind of future was being fashioned for them.  It was heartening to see that the people there were anything but the “fat cats” which the socialists have labeled as anyone who thinks they can spend their own money to better benefit than the feds.  Being tucked away in Nevada County, many of us have come to fear that we may be alone.  Seeing all those other folks with similar leanings was truly uplifting.  The joy was tempered by recalling that over half the people in the country don’t pay federal income tax.  And now the polls are confirming that about 47% of our citizens believe that government is not too big and could be even bigger.  That statistic ties well with the overall Peter/Paul fraction.

About 3pm it was time to pack up and start heading back to our bus.  I had climbed to the third floor of the Capitol to get a better look at the crowd, and I estimate that there were at least 5,000 people there.  When all started saying good-bye and heading out, it was good to see that people were picking up trash, no one there wanted to leave behind the scene on the Washington Mall after Obama’s inauguration.  All in all, it had been a beautiful day in Sacramento; everyone could wave their signs and feel that there are still some freedoms left in our over-regulated society.  We saw in the young that our beliefs still had legs into the future.  And on the way back on the bus we talked about the need to maintain the momentum that was started today.

Meanwhile the MSM either totally ignored these nationwide tea parties or disparaged them as a radical right-wing flash in the pan.  And the President’s office claimed not to know anything about the over 800 of these events across the country.  Apparently they have not checked their mail lately, because there they will discover that never again will they ever have to buy another teabag.

 

 

Comments

[Russ Steele]

George,

Great recap. According the Fox News there were 2,300 Tea Parties and Pajama TV estimates there were 208,058 participants in the Tea Parties across the nation. The mountain grows larger, but want is the next step?

[John S]

What an event!
I attended and I peg the crowd at several thousand, it was much more than a casual group of protestors.
I found the crowd very respectful of each other, mad as hell about the government, but it was a very safe place to be.
Kudos to Mark Meckler for putting this whole thing together. When a small group from our little community can do this you know there has got to be a huge number out there that are mad as hell.
It's not just taxes as they are right now, it's what is happening all around us and what we see for our near future. Our legislators are out of control. They need to stop. We need to clean house and get them the hell out of there before they really damage our State and Federal government.
Lots of interesting signs. Like, "Wake up America and smell the Socialism"
Right now I don't think our legislators are even thinking about if it is Socialism or anything, they are just thinking that there are things they have wanted to do for many years and they have got to do them now before anyone has the time to figure it out.
If there was ever a time to wake up, it is right now.

[George Rebane]

Agreed. Well said John.

[Account Deleted]

Sorry I missed the fun. I was stuck in a classroom in Rancho Cordova trying to get my slow grey cells to come to grips with REXX programming. Caroline and I did watch Neil Cavuto's show as well as some of the action from the Alamo on Glen Beck's show. I'm sure the extra security was put in place in case there was a counter-mob. As much as I am with you and your concerns for our nation, I'm afraid it was the demonstrators who are missing the point. According to the results of a recent poll, echoed by my own observations of my fellow workers as well as casual trolling of letters to the editors and such, it seems that most Americans now believe that socialism would be a good thing. "Warning them" of something that they want is pretty pointless. As I've written in this space before, the Left has done it's job well as to the brain-washing of several generations of folks who now have no knowledge of the principles of our nation's founding as well as any clue as to the workings of free-market capitalism. Add to that the sloth that comes with our style of life in the age of machines,computers and high-tech gizmos, and you have a populace ready for the "easy" way of an oppressive government. "Please do our thinking for us!" they cry. Life has indeed become complex. The various arenas of science, politics, current events and technology to name just a few, have become overwhelming to a nation of of folks that can barely come to grips with the change over to digital TV. As a Christian, I could add even more to the list of reasons that we are a declining civilization. We still have the freedom to speak out and warn as we can, but I think it best to try to change the way we educate our children and young adults. By the time it comes to national politics, the war is lost. The "right" to "free" medical care, housing and so forth, is a given to most folks and anyone who dissents is viewed as an un-caring ogre. As a nation, we have already embraced solidly socialistic programs for so long, that the final mopping up is all that is left. This may seem a dismal and beaten attitude, but our house remains a cheerful and positive one. Speak out as you can and show the way with a smile on your face and a willing hand to lend help to those who need it.

[Dixie Redfearn]

George,
I love the way you use pix and graphics on your Web site! Can you teach me?

[George Rebane]

No problem, we'll talk at the Rotary Radio Auction this weekend. (Dixie writes the popular Dixie Fix blog covering Nevada County happenings in her own inimitable way. RR has a permanent link to it on the right.)

[Mikey McD]

Dear IRS,
I am sorry to inform you that I will not be able to pay taxes owed April 15, but all is not lost.

I have paid these taxes: accounts receivable tax, building permit tax, CDL tax, cigarette tax, corporate income tax, dog license tax, federal income tax, unemployment tax, gasoline tax, hunting license tax, fishing license tax, waterfowl stamp tax, inheritance tax, inventory tax, liquor tax, luxury tax, Medicare tax, city, school and county property tax (up 33 percent last 4 years), real estate tax, social security tax, road usage tax, toll road tax, state and city sales tax, recreational vehicle tax, state franchise tax, state unemployment tax, telephone federal excise tax, telephone federal state and local surcharge tax, telephone minimum usage surcharge tax, telephone state and local tax, utility tax, vehicle license registration tax, capitol gains tax, lease severance tax, oil and gas assessment tax, Washington property tax, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Washington and New Mexico sales tax, and many more that I cant recall but I have run out of space and money.

When you do not receive my check April 15, just know that it is an honest mistake. Please treat me the same way you treated Congressmen Charles Rangel, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank and ex-Congressman Tom Daschle and, of course, your boss Timothy Geithner. No penalties and no interest.

P.S. I will make at least a partial payment as soon as I get my stimulus check.

[papertiger]

George,

Thanks for the article. You cover it so well it feels like being there.
I'll make the next one. Especially if it happens to be a Green Tea Party.

[Duckie Narveson]

I love these pics... And you're guts. I don't want to add to my dossier but then what do I really have to lose except the rest of my retirement investment? Big gov't will take care of me... Think another thought Duckie! I think I've joined the 'expendables'.