Saturday, November 5, 2011

Tea Party in the Hills

This Californian based tea party group states in its sub heading on their website that they are concerned with "Life, Liberty and Property." This thus reinforces the fact that the Tea Party are a movement whose interests lie in what a person owns. This reflects the very capitalist nature of the group but it also relates back to what the original settlers came to America for in the first place: Land.

The historical references are strong on this particular protest page. For example, they have
extracted their values straight from the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights. They advocate
  • Limited Government
  • Individual Rights
  • Capitalism
  • American Exceptionalism
Tea Party in the Hills then goes on to state their 'Mission Statement' as follows:
Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy, and to support those candidates, that are consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.
Interestingly, it appears as if the group has strong military influence in their background. Although it states nothing about weapons on their home page, it is clear through the language used that they are angling for a "war" of some sorts upon the current government. The use of historical images also help to bring about images of the struggles the settlers had in order to gain independence, many of which involved blood shed.

Such images and language help to build the tea party's case for a change in the way politics are in America today. For example, those who are unhappy with the way the economy is now may long for a time before when America was seen as the land of prosperity.

Another critical point within the campaign's website is the constant referral to religion, more specifically, Christianity. The tea party truly is a part of the nation under God, and because of this, they believe they are more entitled to what they have earned because God intended it for them. In the Old Testament, there was no concept of an afterlife, and so God rewarded you in this life. Those who feel they are taxed too much believe that the government is in the way of God's plan. Because of this, the movement believes that the government is attributing too much power to itself, playing the role of God.

More importantly, the website makes it very clear that they are constantly recruiting and looking for people to help the movement in any which way possible. Interestingly, however, the main way of helping is in the form of donations to the movement, and also through prayer. As if America can be saved if those who follow this particular movement hand over their cash and set an example for the rest of the nation. The nation that was supposed to set an example to the world. Americans feel as if they no longer have such admiration around the globe and this worries them as they can no longer be described as "a city upon a hill".

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