The Tea Party made itself heard on the west lawn of the state Capitol when thousands of people had a good clean demonstration on tax day April 15.
Although this new-group-old-name, anti-tax group has been around for a while, there has been some question about what it all really means. To some the name sounds like a clever tag for a group of whiners, which indulges us to pose a few other names for parties.
How about the Tupperware Party in support of maximum use of all resources, the Garden Party in support of a health care program that provides free vegetables and fruit to all, the Rent Party in support of laws that require those whose turn 18 and still live at home to pay rent, the Bachelor Party in support of periods of anarchy followed by commitment, or one unlikely to go viral with activity — the Slumber Party in support of sleeping through election seasons.
All of these names are more fun than the ProgressNow Colorado, a group that matched wits with Tea Partiers downtown on tax day.
But as far as we can tell the “taxed enough already” theme attributed to the word TEA rings true — a nice broad complaint designed to attract anyone who wants to be the master of their bankbooks. Tea Party placards that read “Born free, but taxed to death” and “Give me liberty, not debt” send a clear message.
We know the original Tea Party took place in 1773 in Boston, and the date of the first neo-Tea Party event is uncertain. Some reports point to 2007 demonstrations held by Ron Paul, a constitutionalist who ran for president.
But we see that as time goes on, this new brew is showing it has conservative grass roots. It values the constitution, freedom and liberty.
Like all good politics it will be up to us all to decipher the rhetoric, but we welcome the renewed attention the Tea Party is bringing to the constitution — in particular exercising the right to peaceably assemble and take part in the great American right of dissent.