Independence Day 2010: Tea and Fireworks

The Tea Party Movement was probably too young in 2009 to have much visibility just 2 and a half months after the mid-April rallies, so Independence Day 2009 seems to have been pretty much the same as always.

Not so this year.

This year, with more than a year – and the Angst of August (2009) - behind us, as well as the success of Tea Party-backed primary candidates this spring the Tea Party Movement was loaded for bear this past weekend.

Traditional July 4th festivities had something new in the mix: Teabaggers and teabagger wares.

In Lexington, Kentucky, a Teabagger hub courtesy of the successful candidacy of Libertarian Rand Paul’s bid to become the Republican senatorial candidate we had paranoid Teabaggers being interviewed in this You Tube video selling their Teabagger wares at a 4th of July festival in that city.

Their featured T-shirt was one sporting the slogan “Yup, I’m a Racist.”

The vendors spewed an incredible tirade against all sorts of things, both real and imagined. Business looked brisk.

The website Teapartypatriots displayed over 20 generic Independence Day events all over where Teabaggers would either have a presence, a booth, or a place in the parade.

Closer to home, in Williamson County, a 4th of July Teabagger Rally was held in an airplane hanger at the Georgetown Municipal Airport where speakers ranged from Congressman John Carter (R-Round Rock) to GOP candidate Melissa Gordon running for justice on the 3rd Court of Appeals, to HD 52 Republican candidate Larry Gonzales.

Also present was SBOE District 10 candidate Marsha Farney who I have mentioned before when she was running in a primary runoff against an ostensibly more conservative opponent. I mentioned in passing back then that her traveling caravan was seen parked outside the establishment (at which I no longer eat barbecue) where a Teabagger fundraiser was being held – a patently illegal one in that they are raising money for political expenditures without being registered with the Texas Ethics Commission.

Farney, then, is no stranger to the Teabagger Movement and had this to say to the Williamson County crowd:

“I'd rather be here than with those America-bashing Democrats."

Leading me to pose the obvious question: given all that we have seen and heard about in the events of yesterday, precisely who are the ones doing the “America Bashing?”

Hut RI Ke-64

Anyone who has spent a summer in Indonesia knows what the title of this blog entry means.

Sort of.

64 stands for the number of years that the Republic of Indonesia has been independent – from Japan. RI is simply Republik Indonesia.

Hut is an acronym, and stands for the equivalent of Happy Birthday.

I think.

Ke is short for Kemerdekaan which is short for Proklamasi Kemerdekaan. Which means Independence Day.

I think.

I find it interesting that Indonesia and the United States have a similar tradition in counting their respective years of independence.

We number our years of independence from 1776 when we issued the Declaration of Independence on July 4^th of that year. So we have 232 years of independence from the world’s largest colonial power at the time, Great Britain.

Even though Britain hotly contested this claim for another 5 years, and occupied many parts of the warring colonies for that period of time.

Indonesians number their years of independence from a week after the Japanese announced that they were surrendering on August 10th, giving Indonesian patriots a week to hear the news, react and declare their independence.

Their former owners, The Netherlands contested this claim and moved to take back their possession for 2 years. The Netherlands, however, were sapped of any strength, having themselves been occupied by Nazi Germany for nearly 6 years.

So they dropped their claim. A non-issue in Indonesia because, like Americans in the 18^th century, independence existed from the day of declaration, and not the actual day of victory.

In Case You Didn't Get Our President's July 4th Message

I'm sorry, I have spent my day finalizing my Democratic Club's TEC filing and it took up all of my time today. More on that later.

But it is the 4th of July. Independence Day. I love this day.

Down the British. Up the Americans.

So if you didn't get our president's 4th of July message, here it is. You can thank me by voting Democratic.

This weekend, our family will join millions of others in celebrating America. We will enjoy the glow of fireworks, the taste of barbeque, and the company of good friends. As we all celebrate this weekend, let's also remember the remarkable story that led to this day.

Two hundred and thirty-three years ago, our nation was born when a courageous group of patriots pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the proposition that all of us were created equal.

Our country began as a unique experiment in liberty -- a bold, evolving quest to achieve a more perfect union. And in every generation, another courageous group of patriots has taken us one step closer to fully realizing the dream our founders enshrined on that great day.

Today, all Americans have a hard-fought birthright to a freedom which enables each of us, no matter our views or background, to help set our nation's course. America's greatness has always depended on her citizens embracing that freedom -- and fulfilling the duty that comes with it.

As free people, we must each take the challenges and opportunities that face this nation as our own. As long as some Americans still must struggle, none of us can be fully content. And as America comes ever closer to achieving the perfect Union our founders dreamed, that triumph -- that pride -- belongs to all of us.

So today is a day to reflect on our independence, and the sacrifice of our troops standing in harm's way to preserve and protect it. It is a day to celebrate all that America is. And today is a time to aspire toward all we can still become.

With very best wishes,

President Barack Obama

July 4th, 2009

P.S. -- Our nation's birthday is also an ideal time to consider serving in your local community. You can find many great ideas for service opportunities near you at http://www.serve.gov.