The Patriot's Flag

Today the South Carolina Flag flies proudly off my front porch. Politics are relatively quiet, after all, it’s a Saturday and the fish are starting to bite!  So, while browsing the Internet, I finally bumped into a video by a fellow named Dylan Ratigan. And what I found is worth documenting for the history of The Patriot’s Flag.

YouTube High Honors! This video earned 13 YouTube Honors from around the globe, including the #1 Most Viewed News/Politics video of the day. And it even became the 26th most popular clip on YouTube!  When you see activity like this on YouTube, it captivates your interest to find out what it is all about.

I had not heard of Dylan Ratigan, he’s a host on MSNBC.  And unfortunately for him, the first time I “hear” of him, he goes viral on the Tea Party Movement … which sort of ends his career with me.  After watching this video clip, I’m totally amazed this person still has a job.  I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anything quite as unbelievable.  Unbelievable because his view of the “Tea Party” is not at all what is happening.  Take a look for yourself at his “view”  … its astonishing.

Is it just “theatrics” for ratings, or was this fellow serious?  Unfortunately I have it on good authority that he was quite serious, and thus believes what he was saying. But he must have gone to a different Tea Party than I did.

Last Night I Went to a Tea Party Meeting

As usual it was an exciting meeting. In three meetings we’ve gone from 55 people to 75 people to 150 last night. Our little room couldn’t hold all the people so 20 of them had to stand in the hallway to listen to the meeting.  We knew from our first meeting we had a “chair” problem, so people brought their own lawn chairs for the 2nd and 3rd meetings.

Our Tea Party group runs perfectly … it is a productive form of organized chaos … no real leadership, just everyone pitching in with ideas and thoughts.  We put the Core Values up on the white screen to stay generally focused then begin our discussions.  I was asked to show the folks the new web page I’d built for them inside The Patriot’s Flag (you can see it too, click on the South Carolina flag to the upper right of this post).  It was supposed to be a little 10 minute talk, but it almost didn’t happen. It seems I came with a little prepared speech, but everybody else also came with their own!  Everyone seemed to have something to say. Watching this happen was thoroughly enjoyable on my part.  It looked for a time like I might not even get to speak.  But as I watched and waited my turn, I began to wonder about what I was experiencing.

150 people, some standing in the hallway in a (too warm) crowded room?  And they certainly didn’t show up to hear me talk about a web page, and there was no “keynote” speaker of great renown.  There were no give-a-ways, in fact we asked for donations. So why did all these people show up on a Friday night?  Why is it that all of us could barely get a word in edgewise? The answer in the end was rather simple.  These people, very simply, wanted to be heard and wanted to “do something” to try to change what they are seeing happen to their country.  We didn’t need a “speaker” last night. We didn’t need a “program” or a give-a-way. What we offered (by accident, I think) was the opportunity to “speak out” and “be heard.”

How many meetings have you gone to where a person asks for volunteers and 4 people’s hands go up?  That, in itself, is a rarity … not in our Tea Party meeting however, that’s was the norm.   It is obvious people are “angry” and they are done sitting in front of their TV watching the world pass in front of them.  They have gotten out of those comfortable chairs and have gone to the Tea Party to say … “OK Folks, THAT’S ENOUGH!”  and “What are we going to do about it?” It is also obvious that most of the people in that room last night were far from “professional demonstrators” … many were “first time” activists. What I saw last night (again) was nothing but pure energy, perhaps born of anger, maybe fear, maybe a realization that our country truly is slipping from our common grasp, taken from us by the radicals from the 60’s that have somehow gained control of our lives.  Whatever the driver, the result was concern and a wish to “do something about it.”  That’s what I saw at MY Tea Party Meeting last night.

ENERGY This is why the politicians, at the same time both fear us and need us.  In that crowded room last night was the ENERGY the politicians need to move forward with whatever agenda they may have. The Tea Party meeting is a source of ENERGY that can be given or withheld and will only be given with forethought and care.  It is ENERGY that doesn’t belong to anyone or any party, it is ENERGY that only belonged to the people in that room last night … and most of them didn’t know each other!  It is an ENERGY that is building  noticeably in our little group … (55 to 75 to 150 people … growing with each meeting).  And there is nothing driving this growth except a fragile email list and word of mouth. Yet it builds.

And that seems the model for this populist movement. That what the Tea Party Movement is all about and that’s why the progressives like Ratigan cannot fathom the depth of commitment involved.  A few folks get together because they are concerned, others show up, all want to be heard, all are concerned something is terribly wrong.  I saw it at 912 in Washington, DC  (documented here) … two of us walking up to the train station … that became 30 of us at the ticket counter … 300 of us on the platform … 3000 of us climbing up the stairs to exit on Pennsylvania Avenue to join with 1,750,000 of us!  And that is what is happening across this nation.  And our little … growing! … group merges with the two groups near to us on April 15th, then further merge in DC on Sept 11 and 12. No wonder the progressives are losing their sanity as Mr. Ratigan obviously has. This phenomenon coming at them is beyond any proportion I’ve ever seen.  I’m just thankful that I’m a part of it that is “going after them”  and that it is not “coming after me!”

So people like this fellow, Dylan Ratigan, come along and try to explain it away by concocting ideas that were not remotely in on our minds last night.  In fact, we listed our concerns and they were these: (1) FairTax or A Fair Tax, (2) Tort Reform, (3) Term Limits, (4) Fixing Education (thank you Glenn Beck!), (5) Illegal Immigration, (6) States Rights, (7) Too Much Government, (8) Speak English!    Now there’s a real threatening list of concerns … and they don’t exactly match up with what Mr. Ratigan said do they?  Why do they fear the Tea Party Movement so much they must blatantly lie about it?  Could it be our little list of concerns last night could be seen as a “radical threat” to the progressives and raving madmen like Mr. Ratigan? Has common sense become that strange to the “MAINstream Media?”  I guess so.

Mr. Ratigan’s Tea Party is not My Tea Party!

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The Bottom Line

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If anybody ever tells you they “heard it on MSNBC” … it is time to break out in laughter. And if you haven’t been to your local Tea Party meeting yet, you don’t know what you are missing.  Go!  Be with folks who think like you do … you are far from alone in these thoughts.  There are millions like you.  Turn off the TV… go meet them! It is the best sanity check there is! And a wonderful way to spend a Friday evening.

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Recent Posts, References and Updates

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Doug S.C. Flag - Relatively Calm

Today I am flying the South Carolina State flag. A Patriot Flag I fly when politics are relatively quiet. John McCain handily lost his bid to be President of the United States … and maybe, in the long run, that was a good thing.

There is an excellent column you should read in the Washington Examiner. Diana West has expressed my personal point-of-view nearly perfectly.  You should read it HERE to see how closely this matches with your philosophy. Her post is titled, “I voted for John McCain but I’m glad he lost.”  Now there’s a mouthful from a conservative … but upon reflection, I believe she is absolutely correct:

Diana West. (Excerpt): That’s because only out of ashes may the phoenix be reborn. The liberal-lite frustrations of a McCain administration would have smoldered on the Right but lit few fires, dampening the possibility of real post-Bush regeneration.

From Bush’s compassionate conservatism” (read: liberalism) to McCain’s compassionate bipartisanship (read: more liberalism), the nation would have continued to drift in the wrong direction. The “good” thing about the economy-crashing, military-breaking, ideologically mind-blowing Obama administration is that it puts us on a collision course that just might force Americans to bail and start over better. Metaphorically speaking.

This is probably the best article on this subject I have seen. All Conservatives are distressed that Obama won the election, but if you step back and look at a longer time line (instead of seeing the summer’s rise in temperature and believing in global warming) … it was the best thing that could happen. Don’t look at “these four years” … look in terms of 8 or 12 years.  We would have gotten Bush’s “compassionate conservatism” (slippery step to the left) on steroids. Had McCain won, Cap and Trade would have been a law by now, Copenhagen may have turned out differently.

For a real conservative,  McCain is WORSE than the radical Democrats. How can I say that? Simple, McCain was another “baby step” to the left. You say, he’s better than Obama. No, to Conservatism, he was more dangerous, because he would have made all his moves “in the spirit of Conservatism” . John McCain would have been an ongoing attack on Conservatism.  We don’t need any more “just a little more left baby steps.” The federal government slowly drifts, one baby step at a time, toward the left. Almost not noticeable … until you step back and look at a longer time line … look at the past 30 years … on the longer time line, you see it clearly.  I’ve written about that HERE: Take back the baby steps! So now we have OBAMA. [screaming heard in the background!]. However with the election of Obama and with his radical progressivism, Communist-leaning Czars and all,  in full view, we have something else:

WE HAVE A LIBERTY BELL RINGING LOUDLY WAKING UP THE POPULATION.

The alarm has been sounded … under McCain, the alarm would have been silent. Now REAL battle lines are being drawn, Americans …in droves … are buying up Constitution study books and going to classes, forming and joining Tea Party groups. Democrats are literally on the “run.” Virginia, New Jersey and even Massachusetts were CONSERVATIVE victories. It is becoming obvious that we are going to PUSH THEM BACK HARD in this next election and in the process maybe many “on-the-fence Independents” who voted for HOPE AND CHANGE and a bunch of numb Republicans that stayed home will at last hear the alarm and  STAND UP FOR SOMETHING AND DO SOMETHING RIGHT for a change.

It is unfortunate we needed to get Obama to wake up, the damage he has done may not be recoverable.  But America was sleeping soundly and allowing a Left-Biased news media lull them into making a huge mistake.  American people tend to sleep as the attack is coming (as with Pearl Harbor, where lives were lost because we slept) … but eventually, they wake up … and Americans tend to wake very angry when they realized they’ve been deceived! The “disaster of Obama” is  the wake-up call for Conservatism. On the longer time line, he was exactly what this country needed. The “baby steps to the left had to stop!” As Diana West said:

….only out of ashes may the [conservative] phoenix be reborn

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The Bottom Line

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So I’m glad McCain lost. And hopefully he will lose his bid to become Senator of Arizona again.

• About Sarah: It is too bad Sarah Palin has to support him … and rightfully she does. She will get a shot at the Presidency because of John McCain, the press would have had a field day with Palin throwing McCain under the bus … they could have attacked her trustworthiness and she would have looked a lot like a Democrat … doing what she needed to do to get elected instead of doing the correct and moral thing.  Should McCain lose the primary, watch how quickly she throws her support to the remaining “conservative” candidate.

A Republican Lesson Learned? John McCain is the poster boy for what is wrong with the Republican Party, and why they so disastrously lost their power over the past few years.  The “base” of the Republican Party is conservative … and when the party drifts left, the conservatives get off the train.  The “moderates” (lefties) in the party got their way and got McCain for a candidate … and “moderation” LOST the election.  If the Republicans want to be back in power, they are going to have to swing to the right and accidentally swerve into the power of their base.

If McCain loses the primary, it would be another excellent indicator to the Republican Party.  We don’t want your “moderation” it is “progressivism in a Republican cloak.”  And if the Republican Clubs in South Carolina don’t line up an attack the “progressivism” of Lindsey Graham, then the Obama Dictatorship will be strengthened.  Its time to get angry and take the Republican Party back from the moderates who have given us Obama.

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Recent Posts, References and Updates

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Doug S.C. Flag - Relatively Calm

Today I am flying the Gadsden Flag, the Patriot Flag I fly when the post concerns Tea Parties or Taxes.  Tea Party gatherings are “groups” and all groups are governed by a basic set of behavioral fundamentals. Summed, this phenomenon is called Group Dynamics.  This post is for Tea Party Groups that are just starting up, or for those who have formed but are demonstrating difficulties.

All groups, be it 2 people or 200, will follow the same basic evolution from start-up to finish. Understanding those steps and the dynamics involved in each are key to a group’s success or failure.  We simply cannot fail, success is our only option!

The Tea Party and Group Dynamics

The Mission Statement:

Start with a mission statement. The National Tea Party Patriots organization probably is one you should adopt:

Mission Statement

The impetus for the Tea Party movement is excessive government spending and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.

Core Values

• Fiscal Responsibility
• Constitutionally Limited Government
• Free Markets

Fiscal Responsibility: Fiscal Responsibility by government honors and respects the freedom of the individual to spend the money that is the fruit of their own labor. A constitutionally limited government, designed to protect the blessings of liberty, must be fiscally responsible or it must subject its citizenry to high levels of taxation that unjustly restrict the liberty our Constitution was designed to protect. Such runaway deficit spending as we now see in Washington D.C. compels us to take action as the increasing national debt is a grave threat to our national sovereignty and the personal and economic liberty of future generations.

Constitutionally Limited Government: We, the members of The Tea Party Patriots, are inspired by our founding documents and regard the Constitution of the United States to be the supreme law of the land. We believe that it is possible to know the original intent of the government our founders set forth, and stand in support of that intent. Like the founders, we support states’ rights for those powers not expressly stated in the Constitution. As the government is of the people, by the people and for the people, in all other matters we support the personal liberty of the individual, within the rule of law.

Free Markets: A free market is the economic consequence of personal liberty. The founders believed that personal and economic freedom were indivisible, as do we. Our current government’s interference distorts the free market and inhibits the pursuit of individual and economic liberty. Therefore, we support a return to the free market principles on which this nation was founded and oppose government intervention into the operations of private business.

Our Philosophy

Tea Party Patriots, Inc. as an organization believes in the Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government, and Free Markets. Tea Party Patriots, Inc. is a non-partisan grassroots organization of individuals united by our core values derived from the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America, the Bill Of Rights as explained in the Federalist Papers. We recognize and support the strength of grassroots organization powered by activism and civic responsibility at a local level. We hold that the United States is a republic conceived by its architects as a nation whose people were granted “unalienable rights” by our Creator. Chiefly among these are the rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The Tea Party Patriots stand with our founders, as heirs to the republic, to claim our rights and duties which preserve their legacy and our own. We hold, as did the founders, that there exists an inherent benefit to our country when private property and prosperity are secured by natural law and the rights of the individual.

Know the fundamentals of Group Dynamics

When people come together, especially in a “leaderless” environment, they go through the four stages of group dynamics on their journey from coming together to finally performing like professionals!

1. The Forming Stage:

• This is the beginning stage of development for any group.  In this stage, people are generally excited about the prospects of coming together to start something new.  At last, their ideas and their goals will be met. There are a lot of introductions, and people start (almost immediately) “selling” their ideas as the group begins discussions.

2. The Storming Stage:

• Bring together two people and you bring together to separate data sets of ideas.  This because individuals have specific thought processes, the data sets of ideas may be pointed toward the same goal, but vary wildly in methodology. So when one person espouses an idea, it is not unusual for a second person to “oppose” that idea because they espouse a differing idea. The ’storming’ happens when people realize the group is not going to adhere to their personal ideas. One idea may be accepted, the other rejected … which causes people to “fight” for acceptance of THEIR idea. Hence “storming” or arguments erupting, hurt feelings, sometimes resulting in disgusted persons actually leaving the group.

3. The Norming Stage:

• This is the point in a group’s evolution where the dynamics begin to cause excitement.  The arguing and storming is in the past, the group is focused on singular ideas for a focused reason and all group members seek ways to streamline the processes so the group can pick up speed toward its goal.  Along the way, there are still “bumps in the road” as conflicting ideas (remnant storming) are worked out and “normed” into a single methodology.

4. The Performing Stage:

• This is the goal of any group, and without guidance, surprising few actually attain this status. This is when all members of the group know their role, know the guidelines, adhere to the principles and put maximum effort into a focus drive toward the goal.  Groups like this are difficult to sidetrack and being a member of such a group is the greatest reward the process permits.

New Members:

When you have a “performing” group and you add a new member, you will find yourself at the FIRST STAGE again.  Your performing group understands the guidelines because they were part of discovering them … but the new person does not have that knowledge and understanding. So to bring a new person along and assimilate him/her into the group, the easiest way is with a group “mentor” or helper.  This person should be skilled in teaching group dynamics and should carefully mentor the new person into the performance mode.

Walking the Talk

• The Mission Statement: Make sure every member of the group has access to the Mission Statement, either by a handout, web page, card for the wallet, etc.  For potential (new) members, give the mission statement to the acolyte approaching the group and making it clear that “THIS” is what the group is and stands for will filter out the wrong people and encourage the right people for the group.  People need to know the mission statement almost by heart. For the Tea Party Patriots, this is their “little Constitution” … and example of “how” they will operate and why it is important.

• Visible Core Values: Also place the “core values” in plain sight of every member of the group during meetings.  When an idea strays from the core values, let it be known that it is “outside the boundary” of the group’s scope.  There will be a few hurt feelings when an idea is rejected because it does not adhere to core values, but soon the group will “learn” their ideas must fit. This is key to keeping the group focused and saves it from being derailed by a good idea that has nothing to do with the purpose.

• Train Group Dynamics: Next, explain group dynamics to people entering the group and also to those already in the group who have not yet been exposed to it. People need to understand the four stages so they understand their feelings as they interact within the group.

The Hijacking of Energy

The greatest danger to the Tea Party Movement is the hijacking of its ideas. This often comes from outside the group, but you can also see it happening INSIDE a group. If the group is not adherent to its mission statement and core values, then the probability of valuable energy being siphoned off by parasitic elements is heightened.  As stated in an earlier post (Conservatism-The Divided Attack) organizations, political parties, candidates … all are like “vehicles.”   All need energy to “go fast.”  The Tea Part Movement is pure ENERGY … that element all of the vehicles need.  Don’t be surprised if a local politician draws near to siphon off some of the energy … they all need it and recognize the POWER of this movement. They will try. Only GIVE energy if it fits your mission statement and your core values.

Internally, beware of  someone  becoming outspoken about a potential candidate and is “campaigning” for the person rather than adhering to the mission statement and core values of the group.  Campaigning is for political parties and we are not a political party. Let the “campaigner” know this behavior is counter-productive to the mission and core values of a Tea Party group. (Read the mission statement again, campaigning is not a part of it!).  Don’t allow the energy to be drained away or captured. Guard it jealously … it is your political currency. Spend it when you VOTE!

• Example: In our local Tea Party Group, a politician asked to be a part of a rally. The coordinator for the rally said that we would be pleased to have them participate. She recommended the politician bring a lawn chair so he would be more comfortable sitting and listening to the ideas. Our politician got the drift of her message. They have done all the talking, now they need to do all the listening!  Point made! No energy usurped.

Anger and Leadership Control:

Another common problem will be that there will be strongly opinionated people in the group. People are becoming angry with the government (75% of them, according to CNN think the government is a threat!).  So “anger” is an inevitable element … people ARE upset, that’s why they go to the meetings, why they volunteer their time and contribute their energy. This “EMOTION” is the birth of ENERGY. Channel it toward our enemies, never at each other. So be ready for the anger. Allow it to vent, encourage people to “let it out.” Discuss it, then turn to the Mission Statement and Core Values again.  People with strong opinions will automatically tend to assume leadership. Remind everyone that this is a “populist” movement and EVERYBODY is a leader. The trick is to make sure all the “leaders” are focused on the same goals and core values.  (How many times have I said it?  MISSION! CORE VALUES! Over and over).

Troubleshooting:

There is a tendency, when something goes wrong, to blame PEOPLE.  “Sally, just doesn’t know how to run a group.”  “I wish they would just do it right, instead of the way they are doing it!”  You’ll hear all kinds of disparaging remarks. When you hear them, they are a signal that PEOPLE are being blamed.

In group dynamics … PEOPLE DO NOT CAUSE PROBLEMS …POOR PROCESSES CAUSE PROBLEMS.  Never blame the person, ALWAYS suspect the process.  Then FIX the process so the problem cannot happen again.  Sometimes it is as simple is not having the mission statement available, or the core values are not visible … the most simple flaw in the process can cause immense problems. Too frequently, problems will occur when people stray from the mission and core values … or are not sufficiently trained in group dynamics to know what to expect of themselves and of others.  When you are troubleshooting a problem in the group … these are the places to focus upon and repair.

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The Bottom Line

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Tea Party Groups are no different from another group and fundamental group dynamics will apply in every case.  Be sure your group understands the dynamics, make sure everyone understands the Mission and keep the core values visible.

Our “friends” on the Left cannot wait for us to fail. They cannot wait to report the next “broken Tea Party group” or the latest “rift” in the Tea Party Movement.  Most of this is typical smoke from the left, if it is not real, they simply invent it. So even if the Tea Party Movement ran perfectly (which it will not because it is made up of real people) … the headlines would still point out the failures. So we have to do everything in our power … as INDIVIDUALS to help keep the movement on track and focused.  If you read the headlines, and believe them, you would laugh at the movement. But if you join a Tea Party Group and see what is really happening, you will ignore the headlines, hold your head proud, and know that you … RIGHT NOW … are just as important as the men who dressed up as Indians and threw the tea into the sea.  This is YOUR TIME and YOUR TEA PARTY ……

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Recent Posts, References and Updates

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Doug Gadsden Flag - Taxes & Tea Parties!

Today I am flying the “Don’t Tread on me!” Gadsden Patriot Flag.  People wonder why are are joining Tea Parties around the country. Calling us names and mocking us has become a daily ritual of the Left and the Left-Leaning news media. After the so-called “Health Care” summit yesterday, the anger rose to a new level as Liberals threatened to use Reconciliation to pass the bill … IN SPITE of the will of the majority of Americans.  The result is clear in the polls.

The President’s approval rating is now in the 40’s, Congress is down to 10% approval and even CNN is reporting that “Congress is a threat to our rights.”  And people wonder why we act so “strangely?”  Actually, we are not acting strangely, we are acting as normal Americans who are revolted by the thought of this out of control administration and Congress going forward with their agenda without the will of the people. We are not acting “strangely” … we are acting!  America is Rising!

America is Rising – A Must Watch Video.  If you wonder “why?” … here’s your answer!

Congressional Approval Ratings

Rasmussen:

• Voter unhappiness with Congress has reached the highest level ever recorded by Rasmussen Reports as 71% now say the legislature is doing a poor job. That’s up ten points from the previous high of 61% reached a month ago.
• 10% Approve! Only 10% of voters say Congress is doing a good or excellent job.
• Democrats give Congress poor rating: Nearly half of Democratic voters (48%) now give Congress a poor rating, up 17 points since January. The majority of Republicans and voters not affiliated with either party also give Congress poor ratings.
• 70% dissatisfied with Congress: Seventy percent (70%) of voters say Congress has not passed any legislation that would significantly improve life for Americans, up 10 points over the past month and the highest level of dissatisfaction measured in regular tracking in over three years. Only 15% say Congress has passed such legislation.
• Rasmussen: Only 25% of people think America is going in the right direction, record low! (03.04.10)

Presidential Approval Index for March 25, 2010: (Rasmussen)

Rasmussen: Overall, 44% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President’s performance. That matches the lowest level of total approval yet measured for this President. Fifty-five percent (55%) disapprove.

Even CNN is weighing in …

Washington (CNN) — A majority of Americans think the federal government poses a threat to the rights of Americans, according to a new national poll.

Fifty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they think the federal government has become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. Forty-four percent of those polled disagree.

The survey indicates a partisan divide on the question: Only 37 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of independents and nearly seven in 10 Republicans say the federal government poses a threat to the rights of Americans. According to CNN poll numbers released Sunday, Americans overwhelmingly think that the U.S. government is broken, though the public overwhelmingly holds out hope that what’s broken can be fixed.

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The Bottom Line

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Look at the numbers!

• 90% of people do not approve of Congress
• Presidential approval is at -20%.
• 56% of Americans think government is a threat to Freedom and Liberty!

So what will Americans do about it?

1. Some will not notice (but that percentage is becoming VERY small, now an insignificant voting block
2. Some are finally noticing and beginning to talk about it, this is the “maybe we should do something” crowd.
3. Some are fed up and doing something about it … this is the growing number that threatens the Democrats. This voting block represents the “do something” people.

Emerging Activism

The second and third groups above are the voting blocks that are growing, and unlike the first block, these are the people who are most likely to vote!  These are also the people who are expressing their anger on their blog and forum posts on the Internet. These are the people sending around the angry emails. And these are the same disenfranchised people who voted in New Jersey, Virginia and Massachusetts … and THREW OUT the people they disapprove of so vehemently.

The Tea Party Movement:

The people from these two groups are the ones joining the Tea Party Movement.  And people, in these  local meetings, are demanding that their group “do something.”  The most often heard question is “What can I do about it?” and “What are we going to do about it?” Waiting until the “next election” is not action enough for these people, they want to do something NOW.  And so the Tea Party movement grows each week.  People want to express their anger (as seen in the polls above) and the QUICKEST WAY to do it is at the local Tea Party weekly meeting.  By going to the meeting, by discussing the issues, by being with other people who also are disappointed and threatened by our government … by attending and getting involved, they are “doing something.”

… and each week, they bring their friends. Friends, at first a little tentative about becoming “activists,” but people who also are realizing there is not other choice if they want to support their vision of the United States of America. Once at the meeting, they realize they are not among “right-wing radicals” as portrayed by the media . There are no strangers in these meeting, they discover the people there are their friends and neighbors … not gun-wielding, wide-eyed radicals! They become “comfortable” with this gentle activism. They volunteer to help, they form study groups, they attend Constitutional  Instruction classes. And they are determined to take back their country!

DO SOMETHING!

In which of the three groups above do you reside?  If you are in the first group, then you shouldn’t be spending time here reading a blog, you should get a life!

If you are in the latter two groups, then you need to DO SOMETHING.  Every person is important, every action and activity counts … and they add up in staggering numbers. (Read First There Were Two of Us).  In the picture below, my son and I are two of the 1,750,000 people you see.  Going to the 912 March on DC was an outward and visible act of doing something. It “made a statement.”  But then what?  What do you do after the march?  You come home, you talk to a neighbor, you join the local Tea Party Group and you too become part of an overwhelming force to take back our country.  Welcome aboard! Be a part of it. America is Rising!

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Recent Posts, References and Updates

1. Pajamas Media 02.28.10 – GOP on Track to Win the Senate

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Doug Gadsden Flag - Taxes & Tea Parties!

This post for fellow bloggers: Today I am flying the Gadsden Flag. I fly this flag when the blog post concerns the Tea Party Movement or Taxes.  Today, I would like to encourage all bloggers, who have a little extra room on their site, a practical blog template, a little spare time and a wish to “get involved” and “do something!” Solution? Adopt-A-TeaParty!  I did and you can see the result HERE or click on the Bluffton Tea Party “gateway” on the right rail of the blog.  You can also go to the right rail of this post under the “Twitter” Button and click there to “enter” the area reserved for the Bluffton (SC) Tea Party Patriots.

Involved in your local Tea Party Group? Want to be?  As a blogger, you may have a unique opportunity to give a little time and help that could make a BIG difference.

Local Groups Need our Expertise: Because the Tea Party Movement is “populist” and not organized, is leaderless and is grass-roots … few of the small, local Tea Party Groups have the finances or the technical ability to create and keep up a web page.  As bloggers, you and I don’t think much about this problem, we put a “page” up every day if we like and sometimes more if we’re on a roll!  So we take for granted our talents and our expertise that is, for us, as easy as typing an email.

How can a “blogger” help? Many of us are already in Tea Party Groups, or have gone to the “national” Tea Parties, so our level of involvement is as varied as there are blog sites and styles. There is a way for us to do more very easily.  Dedicate one post to your local Tea Party Group.   Post all their information and contact links for them on the site and keep it up for them. Once you are set up, you are talking about “minutes” a day for maintainance and you are offering maximum communications for the little local group.

Setting it up: Here on The Patriot’s Flag, we are lucky to have a template that will easily facilitate a Tea Party Post (BlogPage) inside an active blogging site.  One of the problems with using a blog is today’s post is soon buried in newer posts. So having a “place” for the Tea Party Group soon gets hidden in the blog posts.  There is a way around this.  If you will look on my right rail, right under the Twitter button, you’ll see a “gateway” for the Bluffton Tea Party Patriots to use to go to their information. Clicking on it is a simple link right to the post for the group.  So no matter how many posts I may make, the gateway will be there for them to take them “home” to their page.  Also, my page may hold interest for Tea Party People … and they may get sidetracked to read some of the other things I’ve posted.  No matter how far they may stray into the blog, the Gateway is still right there on the right rail so they can get “home” with a click.  Keep in mind many people will not “understand” being “inside” an active blog. So I have also renamed my “Recent Posts” to “Patriot Flag Posts” … this so a Tea Party person won’t think those posts are for them.  As you set up your Tea Party Blog Page … put yourself into “their” shoes and edit out any confusion.

Blog Mechanics: On the page itself, I made sure they knew there were “home” by creating a big banner for them, (look left).  Under that banner I explain this is “their” area and that anything under that banner is information for the Bluffton Tea Party Patriots.  Then I make sure “outsiders” who stumble upon the page understand that they are welcome to browse through the information. Hopefully other bloggers will check it out and duplicate what we’ve got … or even better, send suggestions on how they have made THEIR adopted Tea Party’s site even better. (My email link is there on the page). Then below that line is the information from the group.

Maintenance is Easy! As you will see (if you care to go look), the page is mostly links.  We are keeping the NEWS in the Newsletter. In our community we have found people pay a great deal more attention to emails than web pages.  So the key communication vehicle will be the newsletter … but all the backup, mostly unchanging information will be on the web page as a refer to site for the group.  This makes “our job” easy.  Once you’ve got the basics set up, there is very little maintenance.  You are doing a very big service for your local Tea Party Group, you become not just a “talker” but a “walker” in the Tea Party Movement yourself.

Finding your local Group: Although “Google” is always available, I hope people go to the Tea Party Patriots national site. Tea Party Groups are listed there for different areas and you can quickly contact people and see if there is any interest in your help.  Also, this is the “internet” … so if you are hosting a blog and living in Iceland … you can still have a page for a local group here in the USA.  (We’ve conquered the time-space continuum.   If you don’t have a local group, Adopt-a-TeaParty group from the list. It does not matter where you live, you can still help out.

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The Bottom Line

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If you are an active blogger, have a “template” that will handle this idea, and have the wish to become a part of the grass-roots Tea Party movement, here is an easy and most helpful way to become involved.  I would love to hear from you if you Adopt-A-TeaParty … jdlinn@ThePatriotsFlag.com.  You may also, of course, use my site’s example when talking to a group. Some people have to actually “see” it to visualize your proposal. And you can’t steal these ideas, because I’ve offering all the ideas we have for free!  No matter what, Keep on Blogging!

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Recent Posts, References and Updates

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