I am writing about my evolution from liberal to radical. This blog contains observations along the way. This is me during my arrest at the White House on September 2, 2011 to stop Keystone XL.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Letter to the Editor prior to my departure to join the XL Pipeline protest at the White House
Americans are sitting-in at the White House right now to draw attention to the damage our climate will suffer if the US approves the 1,700 mile long Keystone XL Pipeline that would transport tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada to US Gulf Coast oil refineries. The tar sands oil extraction is taking place on Native lands. A huge swath of lush boreal forest the size the British Isles is being removed in order to mine the oil. Extracting the oil takes massive amounts of fresh water and natural gas to separate it from the sand and clay in which it is embedded. The oil itself is so polluting that transport via pipeline is a threat to any environment through which it flows. However, burning this oil will be, in the words of James Hansen, NASA’s leading climate scientist, “Game over for the climate.” We must persuade the President to exert his leadership. The US
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Mount Shasta Tea Party: My Impressions
In continuing to describe the evening I recently spent attending our local Tea Party Patriots meeting here in Mount Shasta, I need to share about what I learned in the newcomers group that convened directly after the "general session." I was joined where I was sitting in my pew by Ron who was in charge for the evening. The two of us were in turn joined by the other newcomers who happened to be seated just across the aisle from me. Right away I shared with Ron my dissatisfaction with the energy involved in the efforts to overturn SB 48, the nondiscrimination legislation designed to inform students in California schools about the achievements of GLBT people in building California. The teaching of such facts, I explained to him, has been found to have a positive effect upon acceptance of people with nonconforming sexual orientations. This acceptance has been measured in a decrease of harassment and violence directed toward GLBT students in schools. I told Ron about my own near suicidal experiences when I was in high school and how I often times hated having to go to school. He did seem uncomfortable with that aspect of the meeting.
The husband and wife who were in our small circle of discussion had been quite vocal during the general session, offering many comments pertaining to social networking as well as the injustices of government regulation. They were younger than the rest of us. The husband reported problems with government regulations that were compounded by difficulties arising from his personal physical problems. These issues, he felt, combined together in preventing him from earning the income that he needed. I think he was a logger. He was extremely over weight for a man of his age ...perhaps in his late 40's to early 50's ... and he had a extra large sized waistline. I could envision him being stuck in a hula hoop just like a ring jammed on a finger. He had to lean himself over the pew in front of him in order to deal with his body balance issues and probably to keep breathing. He seemed to be in physical distress at any rate. I was concerned that he might get too excited in the discussion we were having. I hope is alright.
His wife was strident as well as misinformed about the issues she addressed. She told me, for example, that President Obama was a socialist. To which I responded, "I have the same reaction to the idea that Obama is a socialist that I have when I see the TV commercial for erectile dysfunction. 'If you have an erection that lasts for more than four hours, consult your physician' ... if only." To which she replied "Ah Ha." She had found a live one ... a Commie in the crowd. She also reported that President Obama had personally funded the ship, "The Audacity of Hope" that was part of a flotilla of vessels, held in Greek ports and thereby being prevented from embarking upon their intended voyage to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. I wondered aloud how the President got that one by Mitch McConnell as he is facing intense resistance to everything else he was trying to pass. She affirmed,"I support Israel."
At this point in the conversation the wife and I engaged in a heated discussion. Ron was obviously uncomfortable with the way the group was moving. It was out of his control. The wife complained that the government had basically destroyed their lives. Her house was "underwater" so to speak. And this was the fault of big government and particularly of Obama. As her husband had earlier broached the subject of his health issues, I probed: "How much do you pay for health insurance?" She replied, "None of your business." And, of course, she was correct. It was none of my business. However I did take it by her response to my probe that both she and here husband were among the 50 million or so uninsured Americans. They feel they are victims of "big government." They never thought to question the role of the economic system, unbridled capitalism. I pointed out that 25 million people would jump at the opportunity of landing a full-time job. I got the impression that she thought that 25 million people had just gotten fed up with work and simultaneously left the job market. That's one coordinated effort if I've ever seen one. Our economic system had nothing to do with it. Wall Street was not complicit. It is all, therefore, a matter of personal responsibility. Those 25 million lazy people.
As I was about to gather up my water bottle and notes and head out the door I was approached where I was sitting by a younger man who handed me two documents. He informed me that he had filed lawsuits pertaining to the information that he was sharing with me. Earlier he had been in the back of the sanctuary mouthing the mantra, "No teachers unions. No public employee unions." The documents had to do the with residents in Mt. Shasta and Lake Shastina and described them as having been "Hoodwinked." The two-page single-spaced handouts dealt with water and sewer connection and maintenance fees that were assessed by the respective local government entities in order to fund current and future needs. Walter, I believe that was his name, had obviously spent a good deal of time collecting and crunching data. The documents were filled with computations and extrapolations describing current and future costs to residents in Mt. Shasta and Lake Shastina. What intrigued me the most however, aside from the fact that the gentleman never introduced himself to me, was a phrase that appeared identically in both documents. After asserting that he had filed formal complaints with both civic entities he complains that he has not received a response. The reason, "...because they are Govt, (sic) and we are the peasants." He portrays himself as a victim of government.
My overall impression coming away from my evening with the Siskiyou Tea Party is this: the members were mostly if not all retired white people who were genuinely aware that their way of life is coming to an end. They view themselves as victims of persecution. This point was emphasized during the meeting where various references were made to the Tea Party members being labeled "terrorists."
They are sensing a real change. They are intelligent people who know something has gone terribly wrong. However their populist energies have been hijacked by the very people who have caused our problem. The Tea Party is a top down creation of the ruling elites. They blame government spending, government regulation and immigrants for what they are experiencing as the decline of their country. I believe what is actually happening is capitalism coming to its final stage. The economic system is coming unglued. It may very well be the end of capitalism. Capitalism, in order to survive, must continue to expand and grow. What we are experiencing is the reaching of the limits of growth. Up until now governments have intervened in order to forestall the inevitable collapse of capitalism. The New Deal enabled a mixed capitalist economic system to thrive. Since then state banks have manipulated the economic system through the creation of interim bubble economies. But this is no longer working. The capitalist economy is collapsing. Their answer is to take their country back ... way back to some golden age that never existed. However, their populist energies have been cleverly hijacked by the ruling elites in our country who have benefited inordinately from the financialization of our economy.
I saw people who were for the first time in their lives experiencing the phenomenon of marginalization themselves. They are now in the minority. Until recently, white middle class people have been in the majority in the US. Anyone not conforming to this "American" image of was marginalized. I'm referring to people with disabilities, people of color, native Americans, people with non-conforming sexual identities, poor people, immigrants and ... and that time is over. It is a different world now, and we can make an even better world by realizing that we are one.
The husband and wife who were in our small circle of discussion had been quite vocal during the general session, offering many comments pertaining to social networking as well as the injustices of government regulation. They were younger than the rest of us. The husband reported problems with government regulations that were compounded by difficulties arising from his personal physical problems. These issues, he felt, combined together in preventing him from earning the income that he needed. I think he was a logger. He was extremely over weight for a man of his age ...perhaps in his late 40's to early 50's ... and he had a extra large sized waistline. I could envision him being stuck in a hula hoop just like a ring jammed on a finger. He had to lean himself over the pew in front of him in order to deal with his body balance issues and probably to keep breathing. He seemed to be in physical distress at any rate. I was concerned that he might get too excited in the discussion we were having. I hope is alright.
His wife was strident as well as misinformed about the issues she addressed. She told me, for example, that President Obama was a socialist. To which I responded, "I have the same reaction to the idea that Obama is a socialist that I have when I see the TV commercial for erectile dysfunction. 'If you have an erection that lasts for more than four hours, consult your physician' ... if only." To which she replied "Ah Ha." She had found a live one ... a Commie in the crowd. She also reported that President Obama had personally funded the ship, "The Audacity of Hope" that was part of a flotilla of vessels, held in Greek ports and thereby being prevented from embarking upon their intended voyage to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. I wondered aloud how the President got that one by Mitch McConnell as he is facing intense resistance to everything else he was trying to pass. She affirmed,"I support Israel."
At this point in the conversation the wife and I engaged in a heated discussion. Ron was obviously uncomfortable with the way the group was moving. It was out of his control. The wife complained that the government had basically destroyed their lives. Her house was "underwater" so to speak. And this was the fault of big government and particularly of Obama. As her husband had earlier broached the subject of his health issues, I probed: "How much do you pay for health insurance?" She replied, "None of your business." And, of course, she was correct. It was none of my business. However I did take it by her response to my probe that both she and here husband were among the 50 million or so uninsured Americans. They feel they are victims of "big government." They never thought to question the role of the economic system, unbridled capitalism. I pointed out that 25 million people would jump at the opportunity of landing a full-time job. I got the impression that she thought that 25 million people had just gotten fed up with work and simultaneously left the job market. That's one coordinated effort if I've ever seen one. Our economic system had nothing to do with it. Wall Street was not complicit. It is all, therefore, a matter of personal responsibility. Those 25 million lazy people.
As I was about to gather up my water bottle and notes and head out the door I was approached where I was sitting by a younger man who handed me two documents. He informed me that he had filed lawsuits pertaining to the information that he was sharing with me. Earlier he had been in the back of the sanctuary mouthing the mantra, "No teachers unions. No public employee unions." The documents had to do the with residents in Mt. Shasta and Lake Shastina and described them as having been "Hoodwinked." The two-page single-spaced handouts dealt with water and sewer connection and maintenance fees that were assessed by the respective local government entities in order to fund current and future needs. Walter, I believe that was his name, had obviously spent a good deal of time collecting and crunching data. The documents were filled with computations and extrapolations describing current and future costs to residents in Mt. Shasta and Lake Shastina. What intrigued me the most however, aside from the fact that the gentleman never introduced himself to me, was a phrase that appeared identically in both documents. After asserting that he had filed formal complaints with both civic entities he complains that he has not received a response. The reason, "...because they are Govt, (sic) and we are the peasants." He portrays himself as a victim of government.
My overall impression coming away from my evening with the Siskiyou Tea Party is this: the members were mostly if not all retired white people who were genuinely aware that their way of life is coming to an end. They view themselves as victims of persecution. This point was emphasized during the meeting where various references were made to the Tea Party members being labeled "terrorists."
They are sensing a real change. They are intelligent people who know something has gone terribly wrong. However their populist energies have been hijacked by the very people who have caused our problem. The Tea Party is a top down creation of the ruling elites. They blame government spending, government regulation and immigrants for what they are experiencing as the decline of their country. I believe what is actually happening is capitalism coming to its final stage. The economic system is coming unglued. It may very well be the end of capitalism. Capitalism, in order to survive, must continue to expand and grow. What we are experiencing is the reaching of the limits of growth. Up until now governments have intervened in order to forestall the inevitable collapse of capitalism. The New Deal enabled a mixed capitalist economic system to thrive. Since then state banks have manipulated the economic system through the creation of interim bubble economies. But this is no longer working. The capitalist economy is collapsing. Their answer is to take their country back ... way back to some golden age that never existed. However, their populist energies have been cleverly hijacked by the ruling elites in our country who have benefited inordinately from the financialization of our economy.
I saw people who were for the first time in their lives experiencing the phenomenon of marginalization themselves. They are now in the minority. Until recently, white middle class people have been in the majority in the US. Anyone not conforming to this "American" image of was marginalized. I'm referring to people with disabilities, people of color, native Americans, people with non-conforming sexual identities, poor people, immigrants and ... and that time is over. It is a different world now, and we can make an even better world by realizing that we are one.
A post too hot for the Huff?
Bill McKibben, the founder of http://www.350.org/ was arrested over the weekend along with a hundred or so other demonstrators in front of the White House. They are part of a several week long vigil to draw attention to the environmental risks involved in moving ahead with the Keystone XL Pipeline project that would bring tar sand oil from Alberta, Canada to US Gulf Coast oil refineries. The tar sands extraction project in Alberta is taking place on First Nation lands. The tribal members, with whom I spoke in Detroit New England states has been removed to mine the tar sands. The process of extracting the tar sands oil requires huge amounts of fresh water and more energy expenditure through natural gas than is retrieved in oil. The resulting oil itself is so polluting that transport via pipeline or whatever means is a threat to any environment through which it flows. Aside from the obvious contributions to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere merely from removing forests and cooking the tar sands, the product itself is extremely toxic. Unless we can persuade the ruling elites to chart another course, this is what will be occurring in fossil fuel extraction as the “easy to access sources” are exploited. This would be a great time to convert on a national scale to renewable, sustainable energy. That is what, in a nut shell, the protests are aiming to accomplish. We are at the turning point. Convert now to sustainable energy systems or become a second rate civilization.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
What I Learned at aTea Party: Or Welcome to the Peoples Republic of Mt. Shasta
Some weeks ago I was invited to attend a Tea Party meeting here in Mt. Shasta California Abundant Life Church
When I walked through the front door of the sanctuary, to my left I noted a counter that I would have taken for a bar in settings other than a church. Behind the counter were several people who were advising members on signing a petition. It was quite busy. I discovered that the cause at hand was the Fair Education Act - SB 48. The act, passed by the California Legislature this July and signed by Governor Jerry Brown, would add LGBT people to the list of other underrepresented cultural and ethnic groups who have contributed historically to political, economic and social evolution here inCalifornia
The meeting rolled to order and someone I knew named Ron was evidently in charge. Meanwhile, a gentleman named Andy who seemed to know what was going on in the church had purloined an electric guitar from the front of the church where it was arranged with drums and other musical instruments. Andy settled down on a front pew with the instrument that was energized at this point as he demonstrated several times. As it turned out, Andy was in charge of issuing a loud twang when speakers overstayed their allotted time or when they drifted into topics he adjudged to be "negative." As the meeting progressed I was honestly expecting a lot more twangs than were actually produced. Ron spoke only briefly and then Andy, whom I assumed to be the pastor of the church, rose to lead a prayer that was addressed to the Father in the name of Jesus. Andy then christened the evening by adding that "this is a church thing." I was beginning to see that Christian fundamentalism was one the underpinning beliefs in this Tea Party assembly. Then came "The Pledge of Allegiance." I couldn't help wondering, while we were all standing with our right hands on our hearts, how many of the members gathered this evening knew that "The Pledge" had socialist origins in the person of Edward Bellamy who wrote it in 1898. I mean, I believe that's how "Justice for all" found its way into this socialist ritual.
I said earlier that the woman tending the clip board full of "No on Non-discrimination" petitions was gray-haired. No. Her hair was obviously tinted/colored blond. And she wasn't having more fun. Her hair style resembled a wide-bell shaped mushroom with an enlarged lip at the bottom that made me think of rolls of cookie dough. I couldn't help wondering why she didn't just let it remain gray. At her age she surely should have overcome the internalized oppression of ageism that is so rampant in our culture.
The older woman, absorbed in getting her quota of signed petitions for the evening, was not the only senior citizen present. In fact, with the exception of perhaps three people in the meeting, all of the white attendees were senior citizens. The irony that kept occurring to me about this all white, all senior assemblage was that they were all beneficiaries of "entitlement" programs, Social Security, Medicare and possibly Medicaid. I kept asking myself, "How in the world do you convince people to vote against their own self interest?" They are against government ... except for defense spending. I can't help thinking what will most likely happen after the 2012 election. A Tea Party Congress and a Tea Party President will surely press ahead with Congressman Paul Ryan's dismantling of Medicare. I can just see the looks on the faces of all of us seniors when we exchange Medicare for a voucher with which we will be able to shop for private health insurance. From what I understood of the Ryan plan that our own Congress Member, Wally Herger voted for, Medicare will be replaced by a voucher worth one-third of the current cost of our Medicare. And, lest it be forgotten, Obama Care will be abolished along with the provision that private insurers will not be able to deny coverage due to prior medical conditions. Medical care will be rationed according to your ability to afford it and your good fortune of not having prior conditions. Each of us seniors will be just one major medical event away from losing our homes and what's left of our 401 K's.
At any rate, getting back to the Tea Party meeting, I noted that the petition lady appeared to have me under surveillance as though she expected me to attack the other kids on the playground. However, this was a church setting. This vigil , in which the petition lady was pivoted around in her pew so as to keep me in her line of sight, reminded me of the time I was curious about why a local church had literally garrisoned their property with "Yes On Proposition 8" signs. The church still runs an ad in the Mount Shasta Herald every Wednesday declaring that "Everyone is Welcome." Somehow I didn't feel that was sincere.
In an effort to find out more about the church, I looked them up on the Internet. I found an email link to the pastors so I fired off a question: "What do your gay and lesbian parishioners think of your attempt to withdraw marriage equality rights from them?" I never received an answer. But before I left their web, I came upon their church constitution. Appended to the document was an amendment detailing their clearly stated policy on homosexuality. It said, in essence, that anyone found to be homosexual could not be a member of the church or be employed as staff or volunteer. That explained the silence of the gay and lesbian members of the congregation regarding the church's outspoken stance against marriage equality. Those members definitely do not tell. I found reading on a little further, that homosexuals were welcome to attend worship services "providing they conduct themselves in a manner that is not disruptive or disrespectful of our services." http://www.snowcrest.net/efc/Constitution%20&%20By-Laws2.pdf.
The last time I caused a notable disturbance in church, I’m told, was when I was an infant. My Mom was burping me on her shoulder over cloth diaper (remember those?). To make a long story short, when I did finally release the offending gas, I over shot the mark a bit and barfed full force on Frances Hardcastle who was unfortunate enough to be sitting within range. I ruined her dress. I haven't been nearly so disruptive in church since then.
Getting back to the Tea Party meeting, Ron, speaking over the church sound system with his notes arranged on a music stand, reviewed the three underpinning principles of the Mount Shasta Tea Party: 1) Limited Government, 2) Fiscal Responsibility 3) Adherence to the Constitution. I noted that principle "3" in this Tea Party gathering differed from the one I found on the Internet where it is replaced by "Free Markets." This enumeration of the principles led directly into the passing of the tea pot in order to cover lights, heat and air. Ron outlined the evening as falling into two main sections: the general session for the first hour followed after a short break by the convening of the separate action groups that would be meeting in various corners of the sanctuary. The new people, (that's me) were going to meet with Ron.
Ron introduced Matt who came to the microphone carrying a well worn olive green copy of The Rape of Justice, written by Eustace Mullins. According to the Wikipedia article I reviewed, Eustace has the reputation of being an anti-Semite. Moreover, he is regarded as a very influential author in the genre of conspiricism. Matt, himself, was well-versed in the specifics of the tome. He had obviously spent long hours reviewing the degradation of common law that devolved into merchant law. Matt wore his pants high up on his belly and this gave him the overall appearance of a character who might have been paired with Cousin Minnie Pearl on the Old Time Opry. I got the impression also that Matt was often a speaker in these general sessions. There was the specter of an anticipatory "twang" that hung in the air. He had a lot of dates, facts and historical personages to address in the short time allotted to him.
At this point the specific chairs of action groups were given the opportunity to report on their individual activities. The lady in charge of gathering anti-nondiscrimination signatures to prevent the teaching of homosexuality inCalifornia
Andy, who is in charge of preparedness issues, summarized for the meeting the important aspects of being ready for what is coming. In terms of financial issues, Andy urged the purchase of precious metals, specifically silver. In homes water and food should be stored. Self-protection should be covered with hand guns, martial arts and the like. Spiritual preparedness should also be a focus - where will you go if you die. Medicinal needs should be looked at and Andy pointed to the bouquet of weeds he had gathered that were on display in the entry way to the sanctuary. He would be delighted to go over each species of weed in regard to its medicinal and nutritional value. There were allusions to the environmental and emigrations groups, but no reports were offered.
Next to speak was the chair person who appeared to be in charge of monitoring legislation inCalifornia
A member named Sam next described a proposal he had developed for a Border Patrol. He was excited to report that our Congress Member, Wally Herger had said, "Yes, and get it to me."
Ron, who was still functioning as the moderator for the evening, pointed to the need he sensed for getting the membership up in this Tea Party group. Lorenzo volunteered to pursue this. In addition, it was pointed out that Steve, the editor of the Mt. Shasta Herald had been invited but was not present this evening. Another woman, younger by far than the rest of us, signaled her interest in spreading the word by social media such as FaceBook. Both she and her husband were new comers as it turned out and were a part of the new comers group headed by Ron during the Action Groups section that followed this general session. It was shared that the Redding Tea Party was actually having teaching sessions in which a technically savvy member was enabling Tea Partiers to use this tool.
At this point in the meeting, the flow of events seemed to break up into snippets or even sound bites. For example, one member offered the warning that the Republican Party may be faced with a split in candidates such as happened when Theodore Roosevelt ran as a Bull Moose against the nominated Republican in 1916 thus paving the way for Woodrow Wilson to win a second term. This was seen as a conspiratorial tactic that must be anticipated.
Other warnings were issued: Ron pointed out the danger of "Agenda 21." This is a United Nations initiative designed to assist emerging nations with sustainable economic development. The very word "sustainable" appears to be problematic for Tea Party members. It kind of resonates with environmental regulation which is seen as a threat to jobs andAmerica
At this, Walter, sitting all the way in the rear of the sanctuary gathering ejaculated, "No teacher unions, no public employee unions." Other comments included the guidance that "letters to the editor" be signed "Concerned Citizen." Someone else, whom I did not identify added that George Soros was picking radicals in both parties. To this observation, Ron added that both parties were "going left." Still another member pointed out that the Federal Reserve was "owned by the Queen." This thought brought up the idea once again that we need "fiscal responsibility."
Ron then began a litany of scary world organizations who were seeking a one-world order. These included the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission and the United Nations along with the Federal Reserve. Another member was stimulated at this point to suggest that the Mt. Shasta Tea Party Patriots sponsor the erection of a topical sign reading, "End the Fed."
The discussion then drifted into the materials to be offered to people inquiring at the Tea Party booth at the Siskiyou County Fair. The Constitution was named as the number one choice of items to offer as "kids don't know what the Constitution is about." There should also be sheets against "sustainability" and removal of the damns on theKlamath River . This fair booth activity should dovetail into the social networking that the members need to maintain during the next election cycle.
Andy, the pastor, then urged members to see the DVD, Agenda. The film depicts how progressives are planning to take over the country and then having done that, to move on to the world. The film, it was reported, demonstrates how this will all be accomplished in collusion with the Communist Party of America. Fifteen to twenty-year-olds are a particular target. A personal note here: I am aware of the Communist Party of theUS
In the closing moments of the general session of the Mt. Shasta Tea Party there were exhortations to have more clip boards and signs available so that people in the community could know to become involved. It was pointed out that Steve is a professional sign painter and could help with this. Ron was a little discouraged by the lack of involvement locally. He observed that Mount Shasta andSiskiyou County
When I walked through the front door of the sanctuary, to my left I noted a counter that I would have taken for a bar in settings other than a church. Behind the counter were several people who were advising members on signing a petition. It was quite busy. I discovered that the cause at hand was the Fair Education Act - SB 48. The act, passed by the California Legislature this July and signed by Governor Jerry Brown, would add LGBT people to the list of other underrepresented cultural and ethnic groups who have contributed historically to political, economic and social evolution here in
The meeting rolled to order and someone I knew named Ron was evidently in charge. Meanwhile, a gentleman named Andy who seemed to know what was going on in the church had purloined an electric guitar from the front of the church where it was arranged with drums and other musical instruments. Andy settled down on a front pew with the instrument that was energized at this point as he demonstrated several times. As it turned out, Andy was in charge of issuing a loud twang when speakers overstayed their allotted time or when they drifted into topics he adjudged to be "negative." As the meeting progressed I was honestly expecting a lot more twangs than were actually produced. Ron spoke only briefly and then Andy, whom I assumed to be the pastor of the church, rose to lead a prayer that was addressed to the Father in the name of Jesus. Andy then christened the evening by adding that "this is a church thing." I was beginning to see that Christian fundamentalism was one the underpinning beliefs in this Tea Party assembly. Then came "The Pledge of Allegiance." I couldn't help wondering, while we were all standing with our right hands on our hearts, how many of the members gathered this evening knew that "The Pledge" had socialist origins in the person of Edward Bellamy who wrote it in 1898. I mean, I believe that's how "Justice for all" found its way into this socialist ritual.
I said earlier that the woman tending the clip board full of "No on Non-discrimination" petitions was gray-haired. No. Her hair was obviously tinted/colored blond. And she wasn't having more fun. Her hair style resembled a wide-bell shaped mushroom with an enlarged lip at the bottom that made me think of rolls of cookie dough. I couldn't help wondering why she didn't just let it remain gray. At her age she surely should have overcome the internalized oppression of ageism that is so rampant in our culture.
The older woman, absorbed in getting her quota of signed petitions for the evening, was not the only senior citizen present. In fact, with the exception of perhaps three people in the meeting, all of the white attendees were senior citizens. The irony that kept occurring to me about this all white, all senior assemblage was that they were all beneficiaries of "entitlement" programs, Social Security, Medicare and possibly Medicaid. I kept asking myself, "How in the world do you convince people to vote against their own self interest?" They are against government ... except for defense spending. I can't help thinking what will most likely happen after the 2012 election. A Tea Party Congress and a Tea Party President will surely press ahead with Congressman Paul Ryan's dismantling of Medicare. I can just see the looks on the faces of all of us seniors when we exchange Medicare for a voucher with which we will be able to shop for private health insurance. From what I understood of the Ryan plan that our own Congress Member, Wally Herger voted for, Medicare will be replaced by a voucher worth one-third of the current cost of our Medicare. And, lest it be forgotten, Obama Care will be abolished along with the provision that private insurers will not be able to deny coverage due to prior medical conditions. Medical care will be rationed according to your ability to afford it and your good fortune of not having prior conditions. Each of us seniors will be just one major medical event away from losing our homes and what's left of our 401 K's.
At any rate, getting back to the Tea Party meeting, I noted that the petition lady appeared to have me under surveillance as though she expected me to attack the other kids on the playground. However, this was a church setting. This vigil , in which the petition lady was pivoted around in her pew so as to keep me in her line of sight, reminded me of the time I was curious about why a local church had literally garrisoned their property with "Yes On Proposition 8" signs. The church still runs an ad in the Mount Shasta Herald every Wednesday declaring that "Everyone is Welcome." Somehow I didn't feel that was sincere.
In an effort to find out more about the church, I looked them up on the Internet. I found an email link to the pastors so I fired off a question: "What do your gay and lesbian parishioners think of your attempt to withdraw marriage equality rights from them?" I never received an answer. But before I left their web, I came upon their church constitution. Appended to the document was an amendment detailing their clearly stated policy on homosexuality. It said, in essence, that anyone found to be homosexual could not be a member of the church or be employed as staff or volunteer. That explained the silence of the gay and lesbian members of the congregation regarding the church's outspoken stance against marriage equality. Those members definitely do not tell. I found reading on a little further, that homosexuals were welcome to attend worship services "providing they conduct themselves in a manner that is not disruptive or disrespectful of our services." http://www.snowcrest.net/efc/Constitution%20&%20By-Laws2.pdf.
The last time I caused a notable disturbance in church, I’m told, was when I was an infant. My Mom was burping me on her shoulder over cloth diaper (remember those?). To make a long story short, when I did finally release the offending gas, I over shot the mark a bit and barfed full force on Frances Hardcastle who was unfortunate enough to be sitting within range. I ruined her dress. I haven't been nearly so disruptive in church since then.
Getting back to the Tea Party meeting, Ron, speaking over the church sound system with his notes arranged on a music stand, reviewed the three underpinning principles of the Mount Shasta Tea Party: 1) Limited Government, 2) Fiscal Responsibility 3) Adherence to the Constitution. I noted that principle "3" in this Tea Party gathering differed from the one I found on the Internet where it is replaced by "Free Markets." This enumeration of the principles led directly into the passing of the tea pot in order to cover lights, heat and air. Ron outlined the evening as falling into two main sections: the general session for the first hour followed after a short break by the convening of the separate action groups that would be meeting in various corners of the sanctuary. The new people, (that's me) were going to meet with Ron.
Ron introduced Matt who came to the microphone carrying a well worn olive green copy of The Rape of Justice, written by Eustace Mullins. According to the Wikipedia article I reviewed, Eustace has the reputation of being an anti-Semite. Moreover, he is regarded as a very influential author in the genre of conspiricism. Matt, himself, was well-versed in the specifics of the tome. He had obviously spent long hours reviewing the degradation of common law that devolved into merchant law. Matt wore his pants high up on his belly and this gave him the overall appearance of a character who might have been paired with Cousin Minnie Pearl on the Old Time Opry. I got the impression also that Matt was often a speaker in these general sessions. There was the specter of an anticipatory "twang" that hung in the air. He had a lot of dates, facts and historical personages to address in the short time allotted to him.
At this point the specific chairs of action groups were given the opportunity to report on their individual activities. The lady in charge of gathering anti-nondiscrimination signatures to prevent the teaching of homosexuality in
Andy, who is in charge of preparedness issues, summarized for the meeting the important aspects of being ready for what is coming. In terms of financial issues, Andy urged the purchase of precious metals, specifically silver. In homes water and food should be stored. Self-protection should be covered with hand guns, martial arts and the like. Spiritual preparedness should also be a focus - where will you go if you die. Medicinal needs should be looked at and Andy pointed to the bouquet of weeds he had gathered that were on display in the entry way to the sanctuary. He would be delighted to go over each species of weed in regard to its medicinal and nutritional value. There were allusions to the environmental and emigrations groups, but no reports were offered.
Next to speak was the chair person who appeared to be in charge of monitoring legislation in
A member named Sam next described a proposal he had developed for a Border Patrol. He was excited to report that our Congress Member, Wally Herger had said, "Yes, and get it to me."
Ron, who was still functioning as the moderator for the evening, pointed to the need he sensed for getting the membership up in this Tea Party group. Lorenzo volunteered to pursue this. In addition, it was pointed out that Steve, the editor of the Mt. Shasta Herald had been invited but was not present this evening. Another woman, younger by far than the rest of us, signaled her interest in spreading the word by social media such as FaceBook. Both she and her husband were new comers as it turned out and were a part of the new comers group headed by Ron during the Action Groups section that followed this general session. It was shared that the Redding Tea Party was actually having teaching sessions in which a technically savvy member was enabling Tea Partiers to use this tool.
At this point in the meeting, the flow of events seemed to break up into snippets or even sound bites. For example, one member offered the warning that the Republican Party may be faced with a split in candidates such as happened when Theodore Roosevelt ran as a Bull Moose against the nominated Republican in 1916 thus paving the way for Woodrow Wilson to win a second term. This was seen as a conspiratorial tactic that must be anticipated.
Other warnings were issued: Ron pointed out the danger of "Agenda 21." This is a United Nations initiative designed to assist emerging nations with sustainable economic development. The very word "sustainable" appears to be problematic for Tea Party members. It kind of resonates with environmental regulation which is seen as a threat to jobs and
At this, Walter, sitting all the way in the rear of the sanctuary gathering ejaculated, "No teacher unions, no public employee unions." Other comments included the guidance that "letters to the editor" be signed "Concerned Citizen." Someone else, whom I did not identify added that George Soros was picking radicals in both parties. To this observation, Ron added that both parties were "going left." Still another member pointed out that the Federal Reserve was "owned by the Queen." This thought brought up the idea once again that we need "fiscal responsibility."
Ron then began a litany of scary world organizations who were seeking a one-world order. These included the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission and the United Nations along with the Federal Reserve. Another member was stimulated at this point to suggest that the Mt. Shasta Tea Party Patriots sponsor the erection of a topical sign reading, "End the Fed."
The discussion then drifted into the materials to be offered to people inquiring at the Tea Party booth at the Siskiyou County Fair. The Constitution was named as the number one choice of items to offer as "kids don't know what the Constitution is about." There should also be sheets against "sustainability" and removal of the damns on the
Andy, the pastor, then urged members to see the DVD, Agenda. The film depicts how progressives are planning to take over the country and then having done that, to move on to the world. The film, it was reported, demonstrates how this will all be accomplished in collusion with the Communist Party of America. Fifteen to twenty-year-olds are a particular target. A personal note here: I am aware of the Communist Party of the
In the closing moments of the general session of the Mt. Shasta Tea Party there were exhortations to have more clip boards and signs available so that people in the community could know to become involved. It was pointed out that Steve is a professional sign painter and could help with this. Ron was a little discouraged by the lack of involvement locally. He observed that Mount Shasta and
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