Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Out Among 'Em: The Sugar Land Sore Losers’ Tea Party

I need a shower.

I just spent the evening out among my central adversaries, the right wing radical fringe of the Republican Party as it exists in Fort Bend County, Texas. I was among shaven heads, handlebar moustaches and blue hair. I was surrounded by gun nuts and church ladies.

It was good to get out and see what the people are doing on that other planet.

Because I am here to tell you that I live here in the heart of red neck heaven. I felt as welcome as a wart on the end of Miss Austin Rodeo’s nose – who was in attendance.

As was my congressman, Pete Olson, and that former weatherman on KHOU Dr. Neil Frank.

And some others too numerous or negligible to mention.

This is worth a couple of days’ postings at my rate – I do have another life. So let me just give you these two teasers that I took with my camera.

More photos - and video are coming.

(Oh, and sorry about the profane sign. I could have edited it but then you would have missed some of the flavor - or shall I say odium - that existed at their tea rally).

I need a shower.

26 comments:

Person said...

I was there too. I didn't see any shaved heads or handle bar mustaches. I saw concerned people. Yeah, they're a little religious, and some of the signs were out of place, but most of them just wanted to have somebody listen to what they had to say, and their point is just as valid as yours. As a matter of fact, theirs may be more valid, because they are radicals. They're people.

Anonymous said...

Republican sore losers? This was a rally about being defending themselves from the government regardless of political party. I think it is funny how a twisted mind sees things other than reality. There were no skin heads there so why resort to name calling? Arent liberals supposed to be tolerant and understanding?

Nice try but sounds like you are the sore loser.

Hal said...

You weren't where I was Person. Too much upper lip hair, too few scalp hairs that could otherwise grow. Sometimes on both crania.

You saw people concerned about what, Person? About losing their rights to guns? Nothing has been offered there. About higher taxes? Only for the 5% uber-rich amongst us. About, maybe, having free education provided by the government? About having your choice usurped by tyranny?

Good God, Person. I was there and I saw how the people around me accepted the lies and deceptions. It was awful. I had to leave.

A "little religious?" Good God, Person. I have it on video! Religion doesn't get better than what I saw this evening.

Listen to reason Person. Someone needs to step up and spend some money. Some of us are trying, but in the absense of that, the government needs to prime the pump. It's dry right now. If you don't do it, then who will?

Their points are more valid because they are radicals? OMG. Flip floppery. Last time I was called a radical was when I questioned my country's presence in Iraq. Now, I suppose, that is the position of "The Establishment".

Too cool. I'll take it.

Unknown said...

I was also there. Couple things I recall off the top of my head: "When the citizens fear their government, that's tyranny. When the government fears the citizens, that's Liberty. -Thomas Jefferson.

Also, we got into this mess because of excessive Spending & Borrowing. So we're going to get out of it by Spending & Borrowing? $10 Trillion and counting.. Let's go after the pirates in Congress, who have their hands in our childrens' piggy banks. I saw no ACORN paid protesters, no Pink Ladies calling for gift-certificate abortions... I just saw concerned Americans, about 5,000 came during the evening by my estimation.

bonzilla said...

Wow Hal. I realize that this is your blog, and is entirely editorial, however the prejudice that you felt prior to attending the tea party is amazingly apparent. Rather than experience this outpouring of patriotism, pride in America and a return to our roots, seemingly all you are open to is a bunch of slanderous language about the good citizens of Fort Bend County.

The very freedoms that allow you to have a BLOG like this are being threatened by the administration. The government has taken control of the banks via TARP (I blame both Presidents Bush and Obama for that) as well as major industry (when was the last time the President of the United States fired the CEO of a private, publicly traded company?) These moves echo those taken by Mussolini as he moved Italy into Facism.

I will give credit to President Obama for his handling of the pirate crisis last weekend, but other than that, he has been rapidly chipping away at our rights and freedoms.

I am posting this anonymously as I dont have my own blog and dont wish to sign up for one tonight, but if you wish to have a logical, factual discourse, I will return to continue this conversation.

Hal said...

Thank you all for responding to my Democratic opinion on your counter punch(es) to how it is going to be from here on in.

Now if things go according to plan, none of your concerns will be addressed by Congress or the Obama Administration.

That's because YOU LOST.

You lost. You losers. Get used to the idea. You lost the November election. Now. What are you going to do about it other than offer tea bags at the worst day of the year? When Americans get a pay boost? $13 every 2 weeks?

Gimme a break.

Republicans who remain clueless, this is what you need to do if you did not get the message at the rally:

Spend your federal bonus at "La Madeleine" in Sugar Land. That would be a good Republican outcome.

Chicks like it too.

Unknown said...

I'll wager most people there weren't Republicans, or Democratics (your words), they probably label themselves as conservatives. Big difference. Republicans ala GW weren't much different than the present democratics, ie, huge spenders, pro-illegal immigration, other such nonsense. That's why I can't understand, Hal, why you and others like you hated GW with such vitriolic ugliness.. he was just your cup of tea... a liar, a spender, a dunce who would be lost without his telepromt... same as Obama. If those aren't your core beliefs... Tax & Spend & Lie... then what are your core beliefs? Because that's all Obama has given us these 100 days. He lies everyday, and you apologists change subject rather than acknowledge he lies more often than Bush did.. You're proud of that? What are your core beliefs?

Anonymous said...

"Majority Rules."

So should those that don't vote for the winning candidate simply support the policies of the winner?

Fenway Fran said...

This was certainly an insult to the Boston Tea Party, in my humble opinion, and wasted millions of teabags. Talk about wasteful spending! Thanks for covering the event. Since I couldn't join you in observing my former fellow citizens in action, after patriotically paying my taxes, I made a cup of tea because here in PDT, it actually was tea time. And gave thanks for what we do have in this country. Some of these people need to get out of the bubble and see what the rest of the world looks like.

Carlos Cain said...

We are all losers in our current situation. Why? Because we are a divided nation. Quibbling over party politics, neglecting real issues, allowing our differences to separate us from our common goals and setting an example to our children that anyone who doesn’t agree with our point of view is obviously out of touch with reality or just plain ignorant. I seem to remember someone running for president that was going to bring us all together. I’m sorry, but we are more divided than we have ever been.
I would like to propose the following.
Can we agree to disagree on party politics? Can we seek out our common goals? I’m sure there are things we all agree would forward the cause of improving our quality of life and would help to better our nation? What are these common goals I speak of? I leave that to each of you. In fact, I challenge each of you to make a list of what you expect and or hope our future to be. Let’s start with; Can we all agree we would like to see lower taxes? Can we all agree we would like to see everyone who wants a job to have a job? If we can start with this and move on from there, perhaps we’ll find we actually agree on more things than we disagree on. Then and only then can we work together to attain these goals by eliminating the quibbling and building on positive discourse between each and every American. And that by the way is one extraordinary gift to most of us. We are Americans. Let’s act like it.

Carlos Cain
832.859.5783
www.carloscain.com

FED UP said...

Hal: I am a small business owner. For the last 10 years I have paid 100% of my employees health insurance and that of their families. I have matched their 401K's 50%. I paid 100% for long term disability for them. I'm not tooting my own horn. The point is this. With the overhauling of the TX state franchise tax and the increased federal taxes paid for last year, it is no longer worth the effort and lack of sleep to keep this company open. I work 15 hours per day starting at 5am and ending at 8 pm. I work two Saturday's a month. Employee pay and benefits have not decreased once in company history until this year. In order to pay these various taxes that as of yesterday are now 54%, I was forced to lay off one employee. I held out as long as possible to do this but I can't bear the burden anymore. As of June 1st this year, employees will be offered insurance as in the past, but they will have to eat 50% of the cost. Their 401k's will now be matched only at 50% up to 4% of their contribution. My point is this. I personally took a 25% pay cut over the last 2 years so that I wouldn't have to cut anything back from my employees. I want employees who come to work to think about work - not how they're going to take their kids to the doctor, not how they're going to pay their electric bill or how they are going to retire before the age of 75. Right now you're probably thinking that oh well so you took a pay cut from 500k a year to 375k a year. No! I went from 80k a year to 60k a year. It is no longer worth the hard work and effort to keep this company open. I'm giving it one more year and no more. I can work for someone else in the same business and make 100k / year. My point is this...when the government takes more - that money has to come from somewhere. Tax me more - tax me more. It's not going to hurt me anymore - it's going to hurt my employees. Every cent the govt increases on taxes from here will be deducted 1.5x from my employees. I say this because I don't have a single employee who doesn't make more than me....and forgive me but I don't think that's right. I am the one who is risking my money. I worked hard for that money and it's gradually getting eaten up in taxes. In effect, the government is not taking money out of my hands - they are taking it out of the employees hands. I say tax me more because as I said in my new policy, for every dollar the government increases my taxes - I will make an additional .50. I'm not taking the hit amymore. Let the government provide everything. That seems to be the liberal way.

Anonymous said...

To the Liberal Naysayers,
The SugarLand Texas TEA party was but one of manay wake-up calls to America. The The TEA Parties have stimulated the heart and soul of America. It was more than a gathering of conservatives from all walks of life, it was a call to political arms to form a Freedom Militia. This Militia will not carry guns or conventional weapons of war. This militia will equip men, women and children with the knowledge to stand against oppressive left wing liberal ideologies.
It is amazing how someone's political position can schew their view of their fellow Americans. When I see someone defending their 2nd Amendment Rights, I see patriots. When I see the gray hairs of our elderly, I see men and women that helped build the greatest nation on earth. When I see people pray, I see people enjoying freedom that is not even legal in some of the countries we call friends and trading partners.
Maybe working from age 15 and completing three college degrees has schewed my outlook on life, or maybe it has taught me to think for myself, work for my needs and to recognize the difference in a man that wants help and one that needs help.
Proud American

Anonymous said...

You all have to excuse Hal. He is a bit paranoid and forgetting that O'Bama got in on disaffection for the crony-regimes that keep a very closed political system in power. Now he has to run all those supporters off and save face too.

Oh, and don't dare exercise your free speech because they (republicans and democrats) will put you on one of their lists. If you are pissing the dems off you are a right-wing radical motherless goat (and a terrorist), but if you are pissing off a crony republican then you are a socialist and terrorist.

Maybe the crony republicans and democrats could form a new party and call it "the crony capitalist and damn proud of it"... ; )

Busy Lizzy said...

I attended the Sugar Land Tea Party. I did notice when the event ended, unlike the Kool Aid Drinkers that attended the Inauguration we did not drop our American Flags on the ground and trample on them.

Marsha said...

WOW Hal, You've doubled your readership! That was fun so keep swinging at the ball, tell it as YOU see it and hit another home run.

Anonymous said...

I was there with my kids who were just put into a lifetime of debt, and probably wont enjoy the freedoms I've just matured enough to enjoy and be proud of. And anybody who thinks wrong of me being concerned, are communist sheep. baaa baaa, baaa
p.s. I was the six and a half foot tall white guy with the shave head.

Anonymous said...

Oh, yes, I know; the Tea Partiers have wrapped the American flag around themselves and cloaked their outrage as being worried and concerned about our Constitution, America's freedom, and unfair taxes, etc. Okay fair enough. But, what I find strangely, uncanny is the silence of the outrage for the entire, miserable eight years of the Bush Administration

When the Constitution was given emergency surgery to endure, unnecessarily a heart, kidney, and liver transplant, simultaneously; nonetheless, no exhibition of outrage was actualized. Obama has been in office barely a 100 days, if that, and inherited the worst economic mess, ever; yet, such an exhibition of outrage is being actualized by the Tea Partiers. My, my, my; what a farce. The Tea Partiers doth protest too much, me thinks; it is a disguise of what “really” ails them.

Dress it up as you please, but, when it is all said and done, the dirty little secret, is, the Tea Partiers are engaged in acting out behavior against President Obama who simply inherited a bad seed; oh contraire, the Tea Partiers did not engage in likewise behavior against President Bush who gave origin to, developed, and cultivated the bad seed in the first place. And the dirtiest secret of all is that the Tea Partiers are betrothed to an overt rebirth and rekindling of the Confederate stance against Obama. Need I say more?

Hal said...

Didn't see you anon. Don't recall a "six and a half foot tall white guy with the shave head."

But you're right, there were an awful lot of white guys there.

Anonymous said...

Come on Hal--Majority Rules.

Those that vote for the losing candidate are supposed to blindly follow the policies of the majority winner?

Hal said...

When the Republicans were in power, the demand to Democrats was to get behind the president or be labeled as "with the terrorists."

Democrats don't behave that way, Anon. No one thinks that Republicans need to rally to the flag. We didn't when it was demanded of us.

But what about the current situation, Anon? All we hear is "No" and "Enough is Enough."

Not a far cry from our call to arms "Had Enough? Vote Democratic."

But far enough.

Democrats don't demand blind obedience (although that would be nice). Democrats do ask for civil discourse. We had that once in my youth, but it hasn't happened in a long, long time. Republicans divined a way to a "permanent majority" that failed to maintain itself. In doing so, they embarked on a journey that they are still on. A long, slow move to the right.

And therein lies the rub. Republicans have lost the ability to deal. In doing so, they lost their credibility and have had to resort to the rituals of the Libertarians, who developed a populist Tea Party ploy. It worked for them, maybe it will work for Republicans.

Don't agree with us, Anon. Work with us. Because if you don't, we will do it all by ourselves.

Anonymous said...

Nothing wrong with a couple trillion dollars borrowed against our kids futures for crony projects. To the victor goes the spoils as they say and now the dems are raping the taxpayers as did the repugs during Bush-Cheney.

Sic semper tyrannis!

hopefulagaininTX said...

It's the "imaginative crowd" as President Obama so politely calls them.

BTW - I'm new here. Where do those of us Americans who support the President congregate in Fort Bend?

Hal said...

www.fortbenddemocrats.orgThey're having a Gumbo Gala next month.

Anonymous said...

The naysayers congregate in Houston usually were they get their orders. Out here they just agitate. First from the outside and now to maintain power. There message changing to suit the regime.

Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..Bush=O'Bama..

KD said...

Hal, just curious, why do democrats feel it so necessary to resort to name-calling? In several cities across the nation, patriotic American people were simply expressing their constitutional rights to assembly peaceably and protest what they feel is a government out of control. This includes Congress, not just the president.

Please tell me why you aren't concerned about the continuation of the massive spending, out of control earmark spending, lack of transparency and many other things.

This is not even the platform that Obama ran on. He has broken his promises left and right.

People across the nation are feeling very disenfranchised and as if "we the people" no longer have a say in our government.

A couple more questions. What is it that democrats such as yourself are so passionate about? I would truly like to know. What issues does the democratic party represent that you feel passionate about?

I know what I feel passionate about is my country and keeping it safe and free! In addition, I feel very strongly that a country that is made strong by the conviction of it's people and not purely the strength of it's government is what keeps personal liberties and freedoms strong.

KD said...

A note about WE THE PEOPLE....

I figured they (the government) are supposed to know what they are doing because they're the experts. And I'm just as responsible for where we are today as they are. As my Dad says "if you let a guy sell you a diamond ring for only 10 cents, chances are you'll get a diamond ring not worth a dime.

Well, I bought the whole nine. I thought I was getting a free ride, or at least a real cheap one. And I really have to thank them for that. I mean the people who sold it to me.

You know, before the last election, I'd never really read the entire Constitution. I didn't even begin to know how things really worked. And I had never studied or understood the Declaration of Independence. But I know they had....the ones we're talking about...the experts...they all read it. They just forgot what it's about. That it's about WE THE PEOPLE. And that's ME, I'm WE THE PEOPLE...and you're WE THE PEOPLE. And all of us...we're all WE THE PEOPLE right?

So when they sell me that 10 cent diamond, or down the river, or to some guy who wears alot of medals, that means they're selling all of us....all of WE THE PEOPLE.

And when those guys, the government, when they spend another pile of money, or when they give away all those guns and tanks and planes...and every time they invite another foreign big shot to the White House and hug and kiss them and give them presents, it has a direct affect on WE THE PEOPLE'S lives.

So if I, or we, don't know what you're up to or if I, and we don't holler and scream if we think you're doing it wrong or mind my business and don't vote or care, then we just get what we deserve.

So as a private citizens who have finally woken up to what's happening, you, the government, are going to have to watch out for us because we're going to be watching all of you....LIKE A HAWK!!! Remember, we hired you to work for WE THE PEOPLE! Not the other way around!

This goes for ALL OF THE GOVERNMENT BEAUROCRATS...REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, INDEPENDENT, LIBERATARIAN....

It's time that WE THE PEOPLE take back our government!!! And our country! This has gone on long enough!