A college student asked me a question: Why join the Tea Party?
He was wondering why anyone would want to associate with people who behaved reprehensibly at two earlier Republican debates.
Here’s how I replied:
Johnny,
Sorry that I’m just getting to this. I get a lot of email, and sometimes I miss things.
I organized the tea party in St. Louis in 2009. I did so because I’ve seen that governments accumulate power until they crush liberty and freedom. Governments use every means to increase their power over the people. Most recently, it’s been debt.
Did you know that you owe about $50,000 in federal debt–in addition to all other debts and taxes? You. If you get married, you’ll have a combined $100,000.
You’ll pay that debt in one of three ways: taxes, inflation, or reduced income. Either way, you have no chance of out-earning me if you follow my exact career path and work just as hard.
But that’s just money. What about life and liberty?
No weak government ever committed a holocaust. But powerful governments do it all the time. The Nazis. The Soviets. Pol Pot. Ho Chi Minh. Mao. Castro.
Talk to someone who fled one of those regimes. Learn what happens when all the power, all the police forces, all the taxing and permits and borrowing and judging accumulate to a small group of people.
Hell is what happens.
Show me what happens when good people, people of character, are free to live their own lives.
Prosperity.
Were there idiots at those debates? Sure. Then again, look at the idiots at OWS encampments, defecating on police cars and raping women. Put 100 people in a room and 5 will lack the ability to form human bonds.
Do we need police and anti-trust laws and other regulations? Of course. But we also need a constant and vigorous defense of our liberty.
That’s why I called for a Tea Party in February 2009, and that’s why I hope you’ll join our little band in St. Louis. We stand on guard for your liberty. And that’s one of hell of an important job.
Here’s some other people’s views on Why I Tea Party
Cordially,
Bill Hennessy
Why do you tea party?