I went to a Tea Party tonight in San Antonio, Texas. It was said that 15,000 people were in attendance. Though I could have done without the helicopter fly-by, I was exceedingly pleased to have gone. The event was not highlighted by any elected official speeches. Although I was told by reputable sources that some did indeed ask to speak, none were permitted to do so by the event organizers. The program was organized, paid for, and attended by low and middle class citizens – just like me – who have a vested interest in our elected leaders doing work for us and not continuing to act as though we work for them. FOX news headliner Glenn Beck was there and gave a powerful perspective that I did not expect. He reminded us that, after 9/11, we, as a nation, did not forget that we were all neighbors and did not begin to distrust, act terribly against other Americans, or lose our humanity – in short, the take-away for me was that we did not begin to act badly. And that we became focused and united. This Tea Party was the kind of event that all protest affairs should be: energizing, civilized, and respectful. I am also pleased to report that ted Nugent played the best solo, electric guitar rendition of the Star Spangled Banner that I have ever heard.

            But, by far, the best speaker – the most inspirational for me – was an immigrant to our country from Columbia. Katharine Moreno shared her personal story and love of America with us from that special point of view. She told us that in Columbia, if you are born poor that you will die poor. There is no liberty or possibility of upward mobility. She and her mother came to this country, learned English, and became citizens without taking the personal disability of welfare. She has raised a daughter and become a professional accountant and felt a great need to tell the crowd, that allowing the Federal Government to make us all subservient to the power-grabbing nanny state mentality enveloping us now, will ruin the best nation in the history of the world. Plainly spoken and abundantly clear, I heard the words and could not help thinking that our president is doing us a monumental disservice by apologizing and bowing to misogynist Arab leaders and otherwise kow-towing to European socialist low brows posing as intellectuals.

            I had only my mobile phone with which to take pictures. And I saw many signs worth photographing. So, instead of forcing the reader to bear out-of-focus and over-pixelled snapshots, I will just recall the best ones I saw. “Liberty is the only stimulus we need.” Obamanomics – chains we can believe in.” And my personal favorite, “The USA needs Texas more than Texas needs the USA.” In fact, at the rally, it was said that 70% of the new jobs created in the US in 2008 were created here in Texas. I could not find a citation for that but I did find – from the Milken Institute – a Top 5 Metropolitan and Small Metro ranking. (The mix was mostly noted for the lack of Blue State representation; but I digress.) In 2008, the Top 5 Metro areas in Texas were: Austin/Round Rock - #5, McAllen - #7, Killen/Temple/Ft. Hood - #13, San Antonio - #15, Houston - #16. And the list for the Top 5 Small Metro areas in the Lone Star State was: Midland - #1, Longview - #7, Odessa - #10, Tyler - # 26, and Waco - #27. The rankings are nationally rated and the lists are the Top 100 noted and pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.

            As one could expect the additional parking for 15,000 folks was in downtown San Antonio was at a premium tonight and I was pressed to take public transport from my lot to the Alamo park where the rally was in progress as I arrived. On the journey, I met a family that already been to a tea Party in their town of Fredericksburg and had travelled an additional 100 miles to come to San Antonio to be part of this one. They told me that, of the town of roughly 5,000 that 4,000 were at the rally there. I also made the acquaintance of a young man from Phoenix, Arizona; recently unemployed and looking for work in Texas. I recognized him as a smart fellow right away. He intimated that he owned a home in Arizona that was now worth$200,000 less than what he owed – he was upside down, as the modern saying goes and ready to bail on the property. Since he was a young man, I tried to counsel defense and implored him to avail himself of the trend to throw oneself at the mercy of the financial institution holding the note, but he insisted that Wells Fargo would not negotiate even in a small way. I left him, praying to myself that, when WF realizes how much money they were about to lose that they would find it in their corporate heart to help this young man. But, since Turbo Tax Cheat Geithner has bailed out Wells Fargo to the tune of some $25 billion dollars - like all the others that are becoming part of the New Order, thug-twizzle of Chicago style politics being played out on the national stage - they do not have to actually about the little people, as their losses will be covered by the federal government – that’s right, you and I will be paying the interest on their greed for decades. OK: I’m starting to rant. But, before I stop, let me relate the story of a woman from Canada that attended the Tea Party, because she wished to opine to a willing audience that we (the United States) should not allow the travesty of universal health care to devastate our own system, though, while flawed, is still the best on the planet. I also walked away with a renewed vigor for more sustained political activism. Here are a few links, if you are so inclined to follow through as well.

www.Heritage.org

www.theythinkyouarestupid.org

www.TEXASturf.org

www.campaignforLiberty.org

www.americansforprosperity.org

            But, by far, the most important thing I can encourage all people to do is REGISTER TO VOTE – do it now and follow through. Remember, we got to this revolutionary stance because 70 million Americans did not vote in the last election. In 2010 we shall need every conservative-minded citizen to throw the Democrats away. And discard republicans who show they are worsening the conservative movement too! We here in the Republic of Texas have eyes that shall stay upon you and encourage all we can to avoid the travesty of our children’s chance for prosperity disappear before they have even grown up and gotten their first job. Our liberty to define our own path in life is at stake. Before the power grabbing, money hungry politicos become so entrenched that we lose hope of ever restoring the country to a semblance of fiscal integrity or responsibility – we MUST write, call, email, and fax our elected official NOW to tell them we want them to vote no on this 1.4 trillion dollar budget and force it to be re-written. Do not allow populist sentiment to replace the Constitution with a socialist agenda and a debt carried by the Chinese and Russia. Our freedom to be the master of our own destiny demands your patriotism and courage today. Do not waver in your attention to detail. Do not be dismayed at the Left Wing bias and race-baiting, school-boy taunts. They are wrong – we are strong and we will surround them. I am compelled to leave you with my last thought after leaving the Tea Party this evening; the Alamo is still a good place to make a stand.