The question is posed, are the tea parties good or bad for America? They are America!
From the founding of this great nation it has been our heritage to stand for and protect our freedoms, ordained under God, and preserved through the blood of those who fought and died for that freedom.
The original Tea Party took place in Boston, Dec. 16, 1773, when American Colonists dumped 342 containers of tea into the Boston harbor. Opposition to that Tea Party arose from the ruling political class much like it is today. The British Parliament retaliated by enacting a series of Intolerable Acts, these punitive acts where meant to force the colonists to acquiesce to British rule. Instead it only steeled the colonists in their resistance.
Economic and military tensions between the colonists and the British escalated when in February of 1775, a provincial congress was held in Massachusetts and began defensive preparations for a state of war. The colonists where not just going to lie down and acquiesce. This riled the English Parliament and they declared Massachusetts in a state of rebellion.
On March 23, 1775, a meeting of the colony’s delegates was held in St. John’s church in Richmond, Virginia. Resolutions were presented by Patrick Henry putting the colony of Virginia “into a posture of defense…embodying, arming, and disciplining such a number of men as may be sufficient for that purpose.” Before the vote was taken on his resolutions, Henry delivered his now famous speech imploring the delegates to vote in favor of the resolutions.
He spoke without any notes in a voice that became louder and louder, climaxing with the now famous ending. “Give me liberty or give me death.” The resolution passed and Virginia joined in the American Revolution.
Our own Declaration of Independence outlines the thought processes that led up to this American Revolution. It was the position of our founding fathers that America was going to be a free self-governing republic.
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.
This founding document of these great United States of America gives the right to self governance to the people, and proclaims it as our duty to preserve it and to leave to future generations a guardianship that will secure there liberty.
Many who now find themselves in peaceful, public protest of an out of control government have suffered quietly for many years. Enduring the abuse of power coming from the Federal Government, complaining to themselves but still going about their business. However, there comes a time when oppressive government regulation and taxation causes these once quiet people to take a stand and say enough is enough. The Boston Tea party and its present day namesake share one thing in common, an over reaching Government attempting to exert absolute rule over a free people.
It was never the intention of the founding fathers to set up an all powerful central government and specifically limited it’s powers by enacting the Constitution. This law of the land has served our country well, but alas it appears that not even the restrictions placed in the Constitution is able to hinder the rapid expansion of the Federal government as it attempts to regulate our very lives.
Enough was enough, just as the Tea Partiers of old, regular hard working American Citizens are standing up and taking action to protest, to this government, that we the people are not going to allow it, or any other political power, to take away our freedoms guaranteed under our founding documents.
So I ask you. Are tea parties good for America? I say they are America! So I, along with Patrick Henry and the signers of the declaration of independence, do hereby declare my support to my fellow countrymen, and stand with the tea party movement, so that together we can withstand this rise of tyranny within our midst. So help us God!
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