Pictures from Salisbury’s Tea Party

Yep, I made it – a little later than I would have liked but I managed to roll in while they were still reciting the Bill of Rights. As usual, the captions of the photos help tell the story.

This pretty much summed up the mood of the participants:

Who knew that a phrase from a movie about television, part of the mass media derided by some speakers, would sum up the feelings of those who were present?
Who knew that a phrase from a movie about television, part of the mass media derided by some speakers, would sum up the feelings of those who were present?

And talk about a nasty day weatherwise. I think the event happened to take place on the coldest day we’ll see in April, and certainly one of the wettest.

I took this shot when I arrived about 5 p.m. Some were estimating about 500 people present at the event's peak, I'd say that guess was only a little optimistic.
I took this shot when I arrived about 5 p.m. Some were estimating about 500 people present at the event’s peak, I’d say that guess was only a little optimistic.

But despite the need for umbrellas the crowd was in good spirits.

Here's another shot of the crowd taken from about stage left looking toward Division Street.
Here’s another shot of the crowd taken from about stage left looking toward Division Street.

There were even some who were smart enough to work to the downtown traffic. Many speakers had their words punctuated by the horns of passing motorists on Division Street.

Some of the protestors lined up along Division Street for passing motorists' reactions.
Some of the protestors lined up along Division Street for passing motorists’ reactions.

Since some people are going to assume that this Tea Party was a radical right-wing nut idea, may as well toss them a little red meat.

The picture's a touch blurry but still legible. I didn't look for the car missing the rear license plate.
The picture’s a touch blurry but still legible. I didn’t look for the car missing the rear license plate.

Still, there were a number of sharply worded and humorous signs there. It was half the fun of taking pictures.

To be honest I think the answer to this question is 'no'.
To be honest I think the answer to this question is ‘no’.
Two sets of sentiments I share for the price of one.
Two sets of sentiments I share for the price of one.
Nothing wrong with borrowing a little bit of Ronald Reagan every now and then.
Nothing wrong with borrowing a little bit of Ronald Reagan every now and then.
This may have been the best usage of an Obama phrase in the whole bunch. He sure is on his way to doing so.
This may have been the best usage of an Obama phrase in the whole bunch. He sure is on his way to doing so.

There were numerous speakers during the event, most taking two to three minutes. Aside from the Pledge of Allegiance and reading of the Bill of Rights there was no set list of speakers.

One of many speakers who made his feelings known during the Tea Party.
One of many speakers who made his feelings known during the Tea Party.

In case you’re wondering, the event organizer was Chris Lewis and he’s in the black and yellow jacket to the left of the speaker in the photo.

This gentleman was a particularly inspiring speaker.
This gentleman was a particularly inspiring speaker.

I actually got video of him with my phone…guess I’ll have to figure out how to get it on here.

There was only one overtly political speaker I saw. You might know this guy.

State Senator and Congressional hopeful Andy Harris was on his third Tea Party of the day, having gone to Annapolis and Bel Air as well.
State Senator and Congressional hopeful Andy Harris was on his third Tea Party of the day, having gone to Annapolis and Bel Air as well.

This was another interesting display. I honestly hope they didn’t actually USE all of this but simply brought the boxes to make the point!

Is this an argument for the FairTax or what?
Is this an argument for the FairTax or what?

While I think I saw a Daily Times reporter there as well, I was quite disappointed that just one TV station bothered to be live at the event – especially since Channel 47 is just around the corner!

Channel 16 (WBOC) was the only TV station doing live shots from the event.
Channel 16 (WBOC) was the only TV station doing live shots from the event.

As one of those who jumped in line to speak, let me tell you I thought it was a very moving experience.

I chose to speak on a subject I’ve touched on peripherally and that is the war on prosperity. A couple posts back I expressed the sentiment in the “Going Galt” movement but in this case it was simply noting that President Obama’s “soak-the-rich” tax scheme was an attack on the American Dream and prosperity in general. As I asked (I’m paraphrasing since I didn’t write the remarks beforehand), “why bother working hard and putting your nose to the grindstone for the tax man to take it away?”

While there were a number of folks in the crowd who were familiar to me (including at least one elected official besides State Senator Harris), the majority were just everyday folks who weren’t necessarily political until today and may not be political next week – they’re just frustrated with the direction our nation is going.

But people like me who have been in the fight for awhile would like to see them stay engaged because this is what America is truly all about – a government for the people and by the people, not dictated to the people.

For those among the 400 to 500 people who braved the cold and rain with their signs, I have a suggestion. Don’t toss out your sign, just stick it in the front window of your home or business. (So what if it got a little wet and runny, as long as it’s still legible.) Let others know which side you’re on and that you still feel you have the right to speak out and present your own petition for a redress of grievances.

We can yet take back our nation, the trick is to keep this fire burning for 18 to 42 months. The job can be completed by November of 2012 if we work hard at it.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.

14 thoughts on “Pictures from Salisbury’s Tea Party”

  1. Michael, I am getting the distinct impression from liberal media articles that the Tax Day Tea Party protest was based on an “anti-tax” platform when that was not the case.

    http://taxdayteaparty.com/about/

    The protest was more about concerned citizens being outraged about the “bankrupt liberal agenda of the White House Administration and Congress. Specifically, the flawed “Stimulus Bill” and pork filled budget [and] out of control government spending” than people who want to cease paying their taxes.

    Already the liberal media is twisting the common sense frugal values voiced by millions across the country into Ruby Ridge type people who refuse to pay any government taxes, thereby taking the spotlight off of the first black president who is new on the job and Congress who is just doing the best they can to help him.

    What gives, Michael?

  2. How exactly was this non-partisan? You’ve got an elected Republican official, you’ve got a pile of signs going after Obama (any going after Sarah Palin, whose state is in the top 3 receivers of pork barrel projects this year?), and many of the speeches that I heard were definitely partisan! Why don’t you all call this what it is: a movement to try to get conservative Republicans elected during the next cycle? There’s nothing wrong with that, so why pretend that it is something else? I don’t get it.

  3. Michael,

    I want to thank you for speaking. The Salisbury Tea party was “organized” if you want to call it that by 7 or 9 core people that used their friends, families and contacts to locally get the word out entirely for free using the internet and several local radio personalities. Did we allow the national “Tea Party” movement to popularize this idea, yes. Do we agree with how a few neocons have grabbed onto this popular sentiment. Of course not.

    Speaking as one of the 7 of 9 guys that was there, and a Ron Paul republican, I am asking you to please put the Wicomico County / Salisbury neo-Republicans on notice. We are bypassing you. You have failed us by not speaking out loud enough against the Republican neo-con movement that got us to where we are today. By doing so you have enabled this same movement to continue to run the Republican Party. That party has given us, torture as a good idea, out of control budget growth, which is being accelerated logarithmically by the current pretender to the Presidency, a foreign policy of personal retribution that continues to bankrupt us, albeit currently in a slightly different geographic location, and an overall abandonment of Constitutional Principles such as states right, habeas Corpus, and sound money.

    These people have abandoned OUR core beliefs, they have abandoned Constitutional mandates, and they are on their way out. Do I want to thank Andy Harris and Debbie Campbell for being there? Yes, of course. But may I humbly ask them if I might send a gentle caution flag their way.

    OUR votes are no longer for free. Continue to disenfranchise us and you, like many Republicans, will be sent back home.

  4. OR: You expected otherwise from the mainstream media? But it also answers the talking points that the left put up when they called into some of the radio shows I was listening to yesterday (I had an enrollment in Wilmington, which was why I arrived a little late.)

    In essence, we’re not saying that we necessarily object to paying taxes. But when the people were against the bailouts and excessive spending Congress didn’t listen (well, most of the Republicans did but they’re not a majority currently.) That was more the thrust of our protests, which actually evolved in the tenor of what was said into a commentary on the overreaching federal and state governments – not just into our wallets but onto our properties, into our schools, and those things we own and hold dear.

    FF: I hate to tell you this, but bad economics is generally blamed on the guy at the top. It seems like you on the left bashed Bush for a bad economy in the last couple years, so turnabout is fair play.

    If the speeches were “definitely partisan” does that not force a reexamination of whether your side’s core beliefs include the concepts of limited government, low taxation, personal freedom (not just to abort babies but own firearms, purchase the type of cars one wishes even if it’s a gas-guzzler, build on your property, etc.), and being accountable for one’s actions?

    7of9: In many respects I agreed with Ron Paul’s platform with the exception of the more interventionist foreign policy I favor. It’s not that I would have preferred war in the Middle East but nothing else seemed to be a deterrent to radical Islam. Would you rather we have done nothing to the pirates who hijacked the Maersk Alabama and held the ship’s captain hostage?

    I’m a firm believer in the Reagan doctrine of “peace through strength.” Where we are weakest now though is economically and the rally yesterday was an effort to address this.

    Aside from that I’m right there with you on state’s rights and personal freedom (for example, I thought the PATRIOT Act should have maintained its sunset date. President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus for a time but it was restored after hostilities ended.)

    I don’t want to say the GOP should take your vote for granted but aside from the Libertarians (who rarely score more than low single-digits in a state or national election) there’s no real political home for those beliefs.

    On a personal note, I’d like to thank those who did put the event together. For not really organized it was quite well-run – just wish the weather had been better but as it was pointed out George Washington’s freedom fighters braved cold and snow without shoes or sufficient clothing, so our suffering was miniscule comparatively.

  5. Why doesn’t this horde show up at City and County budget and regular meetings when the pork is being passed out to put a stop to such things as paying $10,000 per acre for farmland that is not worth half that much?

    And why no protest about wasting taxpayers’ money to beautify the obsolete “standpipe” in Salisbury?

    Don’t just talk the talk if you won’t walk the walk!

  6. If you are for personal freedom, you are against Outraged Richard, so look out! Honestly, Michael, I think you really are a Libertarian more than a Republican. The guys who are all fired up and threatening the Republican Party on this make a good liberal Democrat like myself smile. They are behaving like Democrats, eating their own. You might not agree with everything party leadership does, but until you have actually been in the trenches and worked hard for your party (including actually getting involved in local politics), it is easier to tilt at windills than it is to get in and do the hard work of political change. Are they willing to make the personal sacrifices that this would necessitate? We’ll see. Most of them have not bothered to attend a city council meeting, so I don’t have a lot of hope for that.
    My point about the partisanship is that this is allegedly a non-partisan group, yet if you want to go after a massive pork barreler, you should have a sign against Sarah Palin rather than the guy who just cut taxes for pretty much everyone at that rally. Have you seen the video of the guy who pointed this out at one of the rallies? It was pretty funny (it is over on TwoSentz). Andy Harris should not have spoken here (if he wanted to participate as a regular citizen he could have spoken at a local one–he was making this a campaign event), and to make matters worse, I understand he did not wait in line to speak as everyone else did. Not a good move at this type of event.
    Finally, hats off to the organizers and to all of the people who stood out in the rain on Wednesday! I do not agree with your politics, but it was awesome to see people get involved. I sincerely do hope you take some of that energy and see if you can apply it to improving our city. Protesting is important and valuable, but then working contructively to help our community is the next step.

  7. Whoa FF, Andy Harris wasn’t even going to speak! He was there to listen. The “Ron Paul” guy finally took pity on him and invited him to say a few words. He even prefaced Andy speaking with his thoughts on how the TP is non-partisan and how those organizing this particular event show allegiance to no particular party, only the constitution.

  8. Baker,

    If you believe that, you are very naive. Andy Harris did not drive down here to listen in the rain, he drove down here for a campaign event. He positioned himself to be seen and to speak.

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