The Real Issue of the Tea Party

In America this day, April 15, 2009, the American people peacefully displayed their displeasure at the government's intervention into the affairs of the people and its handling of the economy. The people voiced their opinions loud and clear for our legislators and President to hear, that we are not pleased with the new agenda for America, that we are not pleased with the bailouts (or buyouts) that are taking place, that we are tired of the federal and state governmenta spending more than it has and plunging America into trillions of dollars of debt, from which we will probably never recover, and that we are infuriated that the government through its tax and spend policies are taking more and more of our earnings from us. But what is the real issue? These things are of great concern but there is something much more important at stake for us. Maybe if we look back in history, to the Boston Tea Party, and examine what was at stake there, we can discover what is the real issue.

On Thursday, December 16, 1773, the Boston Tea Party took place. The colonists had negotiated for more than 20 days that they did not want the tea from the East India Tea Company because of the tax that the British had levied upon it. They had encouraged the tea be returned but with no avail. They exhausted every avenue of not paying a tax on tea that had been put upon them without their consent. But to no avail. Finally, Samuel Adams, the Father of the American Revolution, announced from the pulpit of the Old South Meeting House, a Puritan church building, that "this meeting can do nothing more to save the country". At that time colonists dressed as Indians left the area of the Old South Meeting House and went to Griffins Wharf where they dumped the tea in Boston Harbor. Richard Frothingham in his, "Rise of the American Republic" (1890) records that those who participated in the dumping of the tea "proved quiet and systematic workers. No one interfered with them. No other property was injured; no person was harmed; no tea was allowed to be carried away; and the silence of the crowd on shore was such that the noise of the breaking the chests was distinctly heard among them." John Adams said, "This is the most magnificent movement of all. There is a dignity, a majesty, a sublimity, in this last effort of the patriots, that I greatly adore." Joseph Warren wrote: " We can never enough adore that Almighty Disposer, who has, as it were, by general inspiration awakened a whole continent to a sense of their danger."

Danger from what you might ask. The danger is this: that government would govern and make decisions without the consent of the governed. Our internal property of consent is being violated just as it was back before the days of the Revolutionary War. The purpose of government is to protect and preserve our God-given rights, not dictate to us what they want to do. It is not the purpose of government to provide for us. Government has no right to take from us to fulfill its agenda, but if it takes away our property of consent it can take anything it wants. We do not want a government to make decisions for us concerning who we will or will not buy a car from, or how we will pay for our home, or how much we make. We want a government that will protect our freedom to choose, to make decisions, to voluntarily exchange with those whom we desire, to let us keep, enjoy and use our property as we want, without infringing upon the rights of others. Our consent is a precious property, and, if we allow government to make decisions which affect us without our consent, we will lose the blessings of liberty which we now enjoy.

So express your opinion America - boldly, respectfully, and unashamedly. Let your governing officials know how you feel about the matters at hand in our country and state today. Remind them that they are elected officials and if they fail to responsibly represent you, then you will vote for someone else next election. Why? Because we will not consent to being governed by those who have their own personal agendas and well-being above the people whom they serve. And our consent is a property that is not to be violated!