Local Government TV

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

LV Tea Party Advocates Return to Old-Time Book Burnin'

It's what made this country great, right?

Wait, that was Nazi Germany.

On Friday night, I snuck into Lehigh Valley Tea Party's monthly meeting, which was being held in Palmer Township. Sure, I saw a few of the usual wing nuts, like Ron Shegda. Joe Hilliard was sitting up front, saying "here, here" a lot. There wasn't a single black or Hispanic-looking person in the crowded and stuffy room. But there sure were a lot of people, at least 320 of them. And they listened politely for over an hour as some author droned on about "individual rights" and "freedom" and getting rid of social security and Medicare and things like that.

Every now and then, he'd say something like "I hope Harry Reid goes down," and everyone would start clapping and stomping their feet. They're angry.

By the way, did you know that the Sherman anti-trust Act, passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law by a Republican President, was the first step on the road to socialism? Neither did I. Imagine that.

Well, after spending an hour listening to a lecture about the importance of our individual liberties, the local tea party decided to get into the book bannin' biz. They're taking aim at a book being used at Easton High School, Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickled and Dimed." That's a story about a year the author spent as a waitress and doing other low-skilled jobs. She's an advocate of a "living wage," and that scares the hell out of Lower Saucon Township resident Eric Adams. He complains that Ehrenreich's tome, like the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, is yet another step along the slippery slope of socialism. He wants the book banned, but the high school has already told him to pound sand.

On March 18, LV Tea Party shock troops will rally at the Easton School Board with their pitchforks and torches. "Let's have a big showing at the meeting to let these people know we mean business!" Here's what one member says. "I know how hard it is to crack the curriculum that is advanced by the libs.

Wait a tic. After an hour of listening to some professor talk about the importance of individual rights, these "patriots" are going to trample all over the First Amendment and censor ideas simply because they disagree with them? I can see the oil painting now, of self-proclaimed Tea Party King Joe Hilliard, courageously burning books they decide are just too damn progressive. For our own good.

What will be next?

Here's a list of the ten most frequently banned books in this nation: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (that damn "n" word); The Catcher in the Rye (farting in church); To Kill a Mockingbird (that damn "n" word again); Bridge to Terabithia (Isn't this now a Disney movie?); The Lord of the Flies (It's pretty much what happens in the blogosphere); Of Mice and Men (Ewww, poor people); The Color Purple (doesn't use the "n" word, but is full of 'em); Harry Potter Series (Hey, it might turn you into a geek); Slaughterhouse Five (probably because it's dedicated to my mother); and The Bluest Eye (I got a black eye sneaking that one around).

What patriots!

When they've finished with the books, what will they ban and/or burn next?

123 comments:

  1. Each wing has its fringe. Equating the unreadable "Nickled and Dimed" with the great works you mentioned is ridiculous. Lots of political bullshit writing isn't introduced into school curricula. Opposing it isn't book burning. I'm also opposed to whatever the right wing will attempt to force into schools in response.

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  2. I think the point here is that once you talk about civil liberties and individual rights you can't talk about banning a book becuase it does not fit into a particular ideology. Bernie is right to all these people on the hipocracy of this movement.

    Reagan is there God and he was not a small government guy by a long shot.

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  3. I doubt that they read the book. The fight for fair wages in America and for better working conditions has a long history in America. We owe those who have fought for better wages and safe working conditions a great deal.

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  4. Ray Bradbury had it right in Fahrenheit 451, didn't he?

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  5. YOu're right about the idiocy of burning the book of course; however, your clever condescending mocking tone regarding the rest of thier agenda is sad. Are you against freedom and individual rights?
    And, are you suggesting hispanics and blacks were not invited? what did you mean when you said they were not there? are you calling conservatives racists?

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  6. And, are you suggesting hispanics and blacks were not invited? what did you mean when you said they were not there? are you calling conservatives racists?
    .
    This caught my eye too.
    .
    The implication is?
    .
    I would not want to live in Washington, DC. I will say DC is loaded with special interest groups of all kinds and there is a rich variety of discussion panels on every type of subject you can think of. Many times these panels are the seed beds of federal policy. Over the years I have noticed a lack of black faces outside of the stereotypical social panels on slavery or some arcane part of black history. I suppose you can accuse CSpan of being "selective".
    .
    Maybe blacks/hispanics have a problem with diversity?

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  7. Members of the LV Tea Party can read? That is news!

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  8. The Tea partier type people seem typical Republicans fighting against their own interests. They're against a living wage but I bet you they're all middle to lower middle class. It's like Texas, which as a state is the most vocal against healthcare reform but has the largest per capita population of uninsured and are the biggest burden on the current hospital/Medicaid etc.. system. There's a great book about this phenomena called "What's the matter with Kansas" that spells out how American rightwingers all have a fantasy that someday they'll be rich, even if they're starving to death so they fight against their own interests because they're sure that even if they're illiterate and poor and uninsured that someday they'll be a rich CEO and they'll want those tax breaks! That's what's happening here. It's just good old fashioned American ignorance.

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  9. Bernie,

    Your post disappoints for many reasons but the mocking tone and indirect labeling of these people as racist and extremist run counter to your usual standard.
    In this country people have every right to assemble; they have every right to express concern over what their children are being taught and what materials are used. This is very American. This is what concerned citizens should do. You have labeled this activity as subversive and lowbrow.

    Scott Armstrong

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  10. Banning books is unAmerican, Scott. The 1st Amendment is a part of the government governing American government. It even says, "We the people...".

    Bernie pointed out very well how rhetoric doesn't always match reality. Anybody who wants to ban books in the name of liberty and freedom is subversive and needs to be called out for that behavior.

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  11. Parental control over classroom material is not “book banning”.

    Scott Armstrong

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  12. " Are you against freedom and individual rights?"

    Of course/ I just hate it. Seriously, how can you spenmd an hour blabbing about that and then launch into book bannin'?

    "And, are you suggesting hispanics and blacks were not invited? what did you mean when you said they were not there? are you calling conservatives racists?"

    A little sensitive, aren't we? My point is that there were no minorities at the meeting. 2 Asians. No blacks. No Hispanics. It tells me there may be something about the message that minorities find unappealing.

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  13. sure it is. they want the book banned from the class rooom. keep spinning. that's American!

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  14. "but the mocking tone and indirect labeling of these people as racist and extremist run counter to your usual standard."

    Scott, I accirately noted the absence of minorities. That should be a clue that there is something about the tea party that is scaring them.

    As far as extremism is concerned, I think a group that approves abolishing soical security, medicare and the Sherman anti-trust act is a tad on the etreme side.

    But worst of all, this group is inconsistent. If they really believe in "individual rights," the last thing they should want to do is insist that a high school stop using a certain book, simply bc they dislike its message. That's the worst kind of socialism you could have now, isn't it?

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  15. Again disappointing, Bernie I go to many venues without seeing a minority, does that mean those in attendence are racist or doing something that scares minorities? Is that a fair inference to make? Your last paragraph makes no sense, how does a belief in “individual rights” translate into the notion that parents/group of parents should allow others/the state to decide what is suitable material for their children’s education? So parents who demonstrate a concern in this area are the worst kind of socialists?
    Very disappointing reasoning.

    Scott Armstrong

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  16. Bernie

    You are right, I attended one of the first Tea Party events at the Park in Bethlehem Tsp. As I was walking thru the crowd I over heard a few people saying "watch out for stimulus" 5 minutes later a friend told me the Stimulus people were referring to . was a code word for me . You see I happened to be Black and can say I never felt threatened in this area until I attended that rally..The behavior of some of people at that event was scary. That's my account and that's why I can't attend any of those meetings.

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  17. " Bernie I go to many venues without seeing a minority, does that mean those in attendence are racist or doing something that scares minorities?"

    Scott, I never suggested that a single person a that meeting was a racist. What I stated is that, other than two Asians, there was not a single black or Hispanic-looking person among the 320 people who attended. That tells me, and should tell you, that minorities are turned off by the tea party for some reason. If you live in a place like A-town, that's a problem bc it means that the tea party movement has no effect there.

    "how does a belief in “individual rights” translate into the notion that parents/group of parents should allow others/the state to decide what is suitable material for their children’s education?"

    Axctually Scott, I think it is hypocritical to wax on about individual liberties for an hour and then decide to attack a schol board bc it offers books whose message you dislike. I find that very offensive, and if you really want to talk about national soicaliasm, it starts with book banning and book burning. No true conservative could condone that.

    I found the group was basically very nice, maybe a bit older. I do not think they were extremists. But I dio think any group or organization that tries to suppress books is wrong.

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  18. Parental control of School Curriculum and the idiots we elect on School boards are the Problem. We aren't last in industrialized world for nothing.

    In,other countries parents complain that they aren't teaching foreign languages in kindergarten. In the Us people protest that they are being taught in 7th grade.

    We, have crazed lunatics running around screaming and yelling that unscientific theories should be taught in schools. (in some cases on the school boards themselves) In other counties these people would be thought of nuts, here the proposal are given real consideration, and even adopted.

    We have a school year that is between 10 and 30 days shorter than anywhere else in the world.
    Now, we are even trying to shorten that.

    We have culture in the schools. That is in grained in the students. That being smart is wrong. That doing well in school or showing that your smart will get you beat up.


    We have parents that barely passed High school, or gradate from High school. Running around screaming and yelling about what should and shouldn't be taught to their kids.

    Our big problem in the schools in US; I'm sure I'm going to get all types of blow back about this; but our kids are stupid; because we are letting these people with no education and personal agendas set curriculum in the us.

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  19. Anon 8:35,

    I am sorry to hear about your experience. Sure sounds a tad racist to me. I know Bruce Gilbert, who happens to be black, is a pretty prominent conservative. I don't know if he is a tea party member.

    I do not think the group is in any way racist. If anything, I heard things that made me think the opposite. The speaker on Friday night spoke about the evils of slavery and the opression of women. But the fact is that there were no minorities, and if individual members are making snide remarks like the ones addressed to you, I can see why.

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  20. These are the same people who protested the President of the United States addressing school children the first day of school. Stay in school, get good grades. The horror of the socialist message!

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  21. are you calling conservatives racists?

    Not Conservatives. The anti-Obama Tea Partiers, yes.

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  22. Parental control over classroom material is not “book banning”.

    So if a bunch of parents decided to "control" the curriculum at my child's school and replaced Darwinism with Creationism, that should be permitted? Parents setting public school curriculum makes little sense.

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  23. WOW! Bernie, The right to speak out is the very core of our liberty and that includes against school boards that are composed of elected officials. How is it hypocritical?
    Spare me the back peddling on the implied accusation of racism. You have written yourself that this is no small charge but are doing it yourself with this post and throwing in a Nazi picture for good measure. Slander and insult are the rhetoric of emotion rather than intellect.

    Scott Armstrong

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  24. Woo-Hoo, great picture.

    Yeah, great article.

    Here's another right up the same alley...

    "Vancouver Olympics Compared With Nazi Germany"

    http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/news/article/-/6891721/vancouver-olympics-compared-nazi-germany

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  25. I think parents should get involved with curriculum decisions, but a) how many of this tea party group do have children attending the Easton School District? I know Scott Armstrong doesn't. and b) parents should feel free to get involved with what their children learn at school and tell them that all that science is hogwash and that god provides for housekeepers, too. If my child was at school and the teacher taught creationism, I'd be spending 3 hours a night teaching darwinism.

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  26. So, opposing Obama's dreadful and destructive policies makes one a racist, huh?

    Check out the polls with respect to the popularity of Obama's radical left-wing agenda.

    :)

    Happy race-baiting today.

    Hope you catch something for your troubles.

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  27. Parents' setting school curriculum is not the ideal, but it is becoming increasingly necessary to be more directly involved. We hire and pay greatly for "experts" who, instead of working for us, tell us how things will be, that we will conform to their dictates.

    In my professional life, someone who works for me and conducts themselves with the arrogance, self-rightousness and outright defiance of our "experts" would be shitcanned directly.

    I'd love to have the luxury of leaving it to the "experts". But, after having done so for several generations, the evidence is overwhelming that they can't be trusted to simply deliver academic services. The public education system seeks to control and indoctrinate, so that when the little mushbrains reach adulthood, they are good and faithful supporters and willing funders of their nonsense.

    That's where the anger comes from. If you could trust the bastards to teach that there are competing views, with no editorializing or endorsement, this wouldn't even be an issue.

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  28. "The right to speak out is the very core of our liberty and that includes against school boards that are composed of elected officials. How is it hypocritical?"

    The right to speak at public meetings is something I have long advocated. Any attempt to ban books is something I have long condemned. What is hypocritical in this instance is that the samegroup that spent an hour talking about "individual rights" thought nothing of deciding to suppress a book (it's really not a very good book) whose message is too "progressive."

    "Spare me the back peddling on the implied accusation of racism. You have written yourself that this is no small charge but are doing it yourself with this post and throwing in a Nazi picture for good measure. Slander and insult are the rhetoric of emotion rather than intellect."

    The racism charge is your own invention. My observation is that there was not a single black or Hispanic-looking sould there. That's a fair observation, and now that one person has shared his/her experience, we know that there may indeed be some racism by some members.

    The Nazi picture was intentional bc the path this group is headed on, whether they know it or not, is national socialism, the very thing they decry. They want to replace the "progressives," whatever that is, with their own worldview and will suppress anything different.

    Scott, as someone who really does value "individual rights," I would hope you could let this group know that they are doing the exact opposite of what one would expect from someone who values freedom.

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  29. "That's where the anger comes from. If you could trust the bastards to teach that there are competing views, with no editorializing or endorsement, this wouldn't even be an issue."

    But that's part of education. We should have multiple different viewpoints, don't you think?

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  30. FAULTY COMPARISON AT ITS FINEST :

    Limited government is a core belief of the Tea Party Movement.

    The Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeitpartei --- The National Socialist German Workers' Party --- the Nazis...

    They did not believe in limited government by any stretch.

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  31. racist yes a good percentage of people in the tea parties are racists. The people in the tea parties are the same people that would have been in the early 19th century Know nothing party.

    They are loud and noisy and make up maybe 1/10 of the population and mostly the same people that were against Obama from the day he got elected.

    The media have decided they are good story so they have given them much more coverage and power than they deserve.

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  32. Bernie -

    Regarding the "book banning", let's stick with the facts.

    The book is not a great work of literature and it does have a bias. Not all parents would agree with the conclusions drawn in the book, nor think it is suitable for their children.

    If this were the only case where liberals are forcing their agenda/viewpoint on our children it might not have drawn such attention. However, it is one of many such cases.

    Just a few years ago in East Penn School District, many of our children were subjected to Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth". It was presented as fact. Now, the work has been widely discredited and legitimate questions have even arisen about the "science" supporting the notion of man-made global warming.

    Not all books are suitable for our children or need to be required reading in school. I'm sure groups like NAMBLA could recommend compelling works supporting their viewpoint, but I don't need my child reading it in school.

    There needs to be good judgment used in selecting which books are used in the classroom. There also needs to be a balance in the viewpoints presented.

    Most of all, there needs to be parental involvement and input in deciding which books are used. We need more parents involved in the process.

    Parents have a responsibility - and a right - to influence what their children are being taught in school. They should not be maligned for doing so.

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  33. Bernie,
    When I saw you were at that meeting I KNEW to expect a post like this. No one advocated book burning or banning, just that it should not be a book mandated in the curriculum. I agree in principle but as a Board member myself, I would leave it up to the curriculum department. They're trained, skilled educators and I trust their judgement. As for anon 835s comment, Bruce Gilbert spoke at that TEA Party, so I doubt his account is accurate.

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  34. Bernie -

    No one is saying the book should be banned. The issue is whether it should be taught in high school.

    There's a big difference.

    The Nazi's burned books and kept them from being published. No one is advocating that.

    Perhaps some additional information is in order. Can you tell us what alternative the Easton School District offers to counterbalance the viewpoint in "Nickeled and Dimed"?

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  35. Bernie,

    Apparently one may write without saying anything new or answering the question, so I’ll try again. How is the attempt at parental control over curriculum taught at public schools equated with “banning”? Your answer that “any attempt to ban a book is something you have long condemned” does not answer the question; in fact, it raises them. Are you saying parents have no right to demand books they find objectionable because of an inappropriately blatant political bias be removed from the teaching curriculum? Have they no right to act on their concerns?
    The racism charge is the one you directly implied in your original post; it is there still for everyone to see. It is reinforced with your charge that Tea Party groups are heading towards national socialism/Nazism. Again Bernie, this is a reckless and completely unsubstantiated charge. Those who make such accusations draw their own credibility into question.

    Scott Armstrong

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  36. Bernie O'Hare said -

    "That tells me, and should tell you, that minorities are turned off by the tea party for some reason. If you live in a place like A-town, that's a problem bc it means that the tea party movement has no effect there."

    ********************************

    Bernie -

    Allentown voters will pull the D-Lever no matter how bad things get in the city, so that might be a bad analogy.

    Obviously there needs to be much more outreach by conservatives to let those living in the inner city know that there are alternatives to the steady decay Allentown has experienced over the past 5 years.

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  37. WikiPedia info on "Nickeled and Dimed":

    --------------------
    She [Barbara Ehrenreich]claims "personality" tests, questionnaires designed to weed out "incompatible" potential employees, and urine drug tests, increasingly common in the low wage market, deter potential applicants and violate liberties while managerial apathy and austereness contribute to class separation and promote an unhealthy, stressful work environment.
    ----------------------

    Drug-free work environments do discriminate against the crack-heads. This must be why we have so few crackheads with good paying jobs. Maybe we should have her book as required reading in all schools. Crack-heads are real people, and they need the same job opportunities of being daycare workers, nurses, and police officers as drug-free people have.

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  38. Bernie -

    From Amazon.com:

    What can you get with $25 and a dream?

    Adam Shepard graduated from college feeling disillusioned by the apathy around him and was then incensed after reading Barbara Ehrenreich's famous work Nickel and Dimed—a book that gave him a feeling of hopelessness about the working class in America. He set out to disprove Ehrenreich's theory—the notion that those who start at the bottom stay at the bottom—by making something out of nothing to achieve the American Dream.

    Shepard's plan was simple. With a sleeping bag, the clothes on his back, and $25 in cash, and restricted from using his contacts or college education, he headed out for Charleston, South Carolina, a randomly selected city with one objective: to work his way out of homelessness and into a life that would give him the opportunity for success. His goal was to have, after one year, $2,500, a working automobile, and a furnished apartment.

    Scratch Beginnings is the earnest and passionate account of Shepard's struggle to overcome the pressures placed on the homeless. His story will not only inspire readers but will also remind them that success can come to anyone who is willing to work hard—and that America is still one of the most hopeful countries in the world.

    *******************************

    So here is a book (Scratch Beginnings) with a counter viewpoint to "Nickeled and Dimed". In fact, it was written to directly refute the conclusions arrived at in "Nickeled and Dimed".

    Is the Easton School District also requiring this book - and alternative viewpoint - to be read?

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  39. Is the Easton School District also requiring this book - and alternative viewpoint - to be read?

    10:55 AM

    Fat chance. It directly refutes Teh Narrative.

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  40. I think we should ban Bernie from any more of our meetings..Who's with me

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  41. Nah, even if he gets it wrong, he at least gets it. The conversation gets furthered, some misinformation gets corrected. And who knows, maybe it leads to a convert or two along the way.

    Not likely that anyone who's in is gonna be change their mind based on this post.

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  42. The Nazis played soccer.

    By your logic, all soccer players are Nazis.

    Happy Nazi Witch Hunting

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  43. Peter and The Nazi Wolf

    O'Hare's favorite story?

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  44. Politics ... Politics ... Politics ... Watch what you don't say ... That may harm you .. Even though you did not say it and certainly don't believe it... What others say that you have said and what you believe may cause others to act wrongly and very unfairly ... Jobs can be lost not because of what you did but what others say you did although you haven't done it ... We live in a 1984 world eventhough it is 2010 ...

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  45. sounds like the Tea Party doesn't like when people know their real agenda. anybody who wants to ban books from a classroom b/c they don't like a political message is bound to scurry when the light shines on them.

    thanks for your service Bernie. We could use some more sunshine to help disinfect some of the rhetoric in this country.

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  46. 12:01

    Wake up fool.

    It is obvious which party wants to exercise total control over your life.

    How't that Obamacare working out for you?

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  47. 12:01

    We have seen who the liars and back-room dealers are these past 13 or so months!

    How is that Louisiana Purchase and union exemption from Cadillac tax going today?

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  48. Speaking of National Socialists...

    WHO NATIONALIZED GENERAL MOTORS

    and BANKS???

    Who wants to nationalize health care???

    The Obama Administration.

    So, are Obama and the Democrats Nazis?

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  49. Wow Bernie, look at them go! Looks like the Tea Party doesn't enjoy answering questions about their agenda.

    "Obamacare, cadillacs, nazi's, national health care, stop the libs from teaching our kids"

    I can't wait to see what else they post.

    Congrats! You have pissed off Dems across the region with your crusade for Dent. You have pissed off the Tea Party by exposing this matter. I guess the only two blocks to piss off are liberals and moderate Republicans.

    Keep exposing the infestation.

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  50. These people like to revel in their ignorance and use lofty sounding political rhetoric to disguise their very base prejudices.

    Sort of like the same thing the Klan and other hate groups have been doing for years.

    So what's new except for the unwarranted media coverage and false legitimization they get from it?

    They are still a bunch of boneheads.

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  51. Joe Hilliard is a bully who will aienate these people like he does everyone else.

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  52. I don't understand why the media ignores the thousands of people protesting insurance companies all over the country

    http://blog.healthcareforamericanow.org/2010/03/09/arresting-the-insurance-companies-live/

    But three toothless illiterate Tea partiers will crawl out of the barn where they're living and be covered up and down and left and right!

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  53. "When I saw you were at that meeting I KNEW to expect a post like this. No one advocated book burning or banning,"

    Julian, Actually, my general impression weas very good. Where the hell else can you get 320 people to listen for hours to someone drone on about government? And the speaker, though very conservative, was no whack job.

    But when I reviewed my notes to write this piece, some of the absurdities began to hit me. How can a group that advocates individual liberties want to get rid of a book simply because it's politics are different?

    When the collective decides what is and is not appropriate, that's socialism, the very thing you folks rail against.

    And really, doesn't the remarks of that earlier commenter bother you? I know you are no racist, nor is Scott. But it would appear that someone is fomenting a bad image, and that has not been lost on our minority commuinity.

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  54. "Hope you catch something for your troubles."

    PigPen, Wishing evil on another person is about the cruelest thing someone can do. What a bitter and unhappy personn you must be.

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  55. "Are you saying parents have no right to demand books they find objectionable because of an inappropriately blatant political bias be removed from the teaching curriculum? Have they no right to act on their concerns?"

    Genrally speaking, parents are not educators. That's why we have schools. If you object to the curriculum, you have several options - ask the educators to review their decision; send your child to another school; home-school.

    "The racism charge is the one you directly implied in your original post; it is there still for everyone to see."

    Scott, my observation was there was not a single black or Hispanic-looking pwerson among the 320 in attendance. Not a one. This does not carry a charge of implied racism; it is simply an observation. I mention it bc it should concern conservatives like you, who are not biased. Why is it that blacks and Hispanic are so reluctant to attend? Could it be, as one commenter has already bserved, that they have been victimized by acts of racism? This is something you need to think about.

    "It is reinforced with your charge that Tea Party groups are heading towards national socialism/Nazism. Again Bernie, this is a reckless and completely unsubstantiated charge. Those who make such accusations draw their own credibility into question."

    I find it highky ironic that a group so concerned about individual rights would be so quick to decide on what books are appropriate for high school students. That is precisely what occurred under national socialism, which is what the Tea Party supposedly opposes.

    But no, I do ot think the Tea Party is a hidden Nazi movement. They are basically decent people.

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  56. You are the one doing are the fishing, O'Hare.

    For all to see!

    PigPen, as we have gone over like 4,000 times, is a bar.

    Obviously, you do not have the mental capacity to keep IRONPIGPEN straight from PIGPEN.

    It kind of makes me wonder what else you can't keep straight.

    Like what a real Nazi would be.

    But, I am glad you have fun playing with photos.

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  57. BTW O'Hare- why would I be miserable?

    I was never disbarred.

    :)

    Got any more ludicrous charges for me to respond to?

    (YOU are the one who constantly smears people - like conservatives)

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  58. The Left are the angry and bitter ones.

    Upset because Obama is and has been failing miserably.

    And the best part is, O'Hare, you know it!

    :)

    All you can do is call people Nazis and post pictures!

    Ha Ha

    (see you in November)

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  59. Tea Party members rambling on incoherently about the Constitution, health care reform and the "freedoms" that that "socialist" "fascist" Obama is supposedly taking from them just serve as evidence of the total failure of our education system.

    That and the fact that most of them are really racist -- but more than willing to deny it and condemn anyone who sees through their bull***t.

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  60. I would think conservatives would love this book. Keep in mind, the book shows, in rather gripping detail, the struggles of daily life while trying to live on minimum wage. It's a GREAT way to convince kids that they can't make a decent life for themselves if they don't get educated. It also shows how hard it is to get out of the hourly wage life once you start living paycheck to paycheck. It's SCARY stuff, and it's stuff I personally would want MY KIDS (and the kids of my community) to know about before they decide to destroy their lives and drop out of school.

    In terms of "banning" a book, the kids at Easton have the option of reading something else if they chose to not read this particular book. Couldn't parents simply ask their kids to pick another book? Isn't leaving this type of decision up to parents what the tea party wants, after all?

    The issues discussed in the book are exactly the same issues faced by the millions of hourly employees all across this country. Those of us w/ college degrees and professional lives probably have no idea how this huge segment of society barely makes it day to day. Learning some of their daily challenges did not make me want to become a socialist; rather, it made me even more determined to make sure I give my kids every chance in life to go to college.

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  61. "Are you saying parents have no right to demand books they find objectionable because of an inappropriately blatant political bias be removed from the teaching curriculum? Have they no right to act on their concerns?" Scott Armstrong

    Mr. Armstrong, the school already has stated quite plainly that the kids can pick another book. What is the problem, then?

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  62. I don't like strawberry ice cream.

    Oh no!!! Now Bernie might play the race wild-card and call me a racist. Then make up a stupid story about me want to burn ice cream!!!

    Hey, stay off the rock, it's rots your brain B.O.!!!

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  63. 2:01

    Keep trying.

    See you in November.

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  64. "PigPen, as we have gone over like 4,000 times, is a bar."

    I will call you PigPen bc you are nothing like the baseball team and your flawed thinking and irrational hatred is dirty and dark, very much like a pig pen. The name fits, even though I've noticed you are now afraid to use it.

    Wishing harm on another person, especially for his or her beliefs, is about the most disgusting thing anyone can do.

    Your personal attacks against me just end up making you look as silly and nutz as Villa.

    Take a look at Scott or Julian. We can have serious disagreements without personalizing things.

    You need to grow up. Until you do, your "I hate Obama" and "All Muslims are evil" rants will be deleted without comment.

    I have rules for commenting here, and you will follow them or be deleted.

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  65. I will also add that, after all your attacks at people who comment anonymously, now you're doing it, too, like a little coward.

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  66. Bernie O'Hare said:

    "Could it be, as one commenter has already bserved, that they have been victimized by acts of racism? This is something you need to think about."

    **********************************

    Bernie -

    The act of racism mentioned by one commenter was supposedly someone saying "Watch out for stimulus", which a friend of the commenter explained was some sort of code for black people.

    Maybe I'm just out of the loop on code words, but I didn't get the memo at any recent meetings that "stimulus" was code for anything besides an excessive and un-needed government spending program.

    I'm all for pointing out racism where it exists, but let's not make things up.

    From the few meetings I've been to, I came away with the same impression that you did - these are all decent, ordinary people concerned about the direction of the country and the runaway spending of the federal government.

    I've also been to meetings/rallies where minorities were present. Not in the number that I'd ultimately like to see, but they were present.

    The message of belief in the individual and the need for limited-government is meant for everyone. I'd be happy to sit in a meeting with those who share those values and beliefs - no matter what race, religion, etc. they are.

    Conservatives welcome all who are like-minded and concerned about the many issues our government is facing. We see fellow Americans - not members of demographic groups. Democrats are the ones to see and divide people according to race, gender, religion, etc.

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  67. I'll agree with you. These were very conservative people who struck me as basically decent. In some ways, my post is misleading bc I attacked the book issue w/o going into more detail about how interested these people are in their government.

    I will say that, if a black person feels that he or she was the object of discrimination, it probably happened. Unfortunately, there are racists in every group, even liberal groups.

    The bigger question to me is why the tea party message has no appeal to people of color. Sure, there are notable exceptions to this general obervation, like Bruce Gilbert, but the reality is that the tea party message may not be as universal as is commonly thought.

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  68. When Barry ran for president while pretending to be a working Senator, the MSM and Bernie repeatedly reminded us that community activism was the high calling of American civil life. That was before those on the right began to engage in their own community activism. Now Bernie's apparently changed his mind, knee-jerked the racism charge (ho frickin hum), and ridiculed a group whose political positions are largely the same as his favored Congressional candidate, Charlie Dent.

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  69. Perhaps some additional information is in order. Can you tell us what alternative the Easton School District offers to counterbalance the viewpoint in "Nickeled and Dimed"?

    Do you require a counterpoint to Sinclair's The Jungle or Uncle Tom's Cabin? Why don't we teach what really happened during westward expansion or the hundreds of thousands we burned alive in Japan? The are a million counterpoints we could make however teaching students about the inequalities of the working and ruling class has no counterpoint. It just IS. I suppose the tea partiers would just like to gloss over this like we gloss over the slaughter of American Indians or the Japanese.

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  70. There was a post about a book called "Scratch Beginnings" that had an alternate perspective from "Nickle and Dimed".

    It would seem to me that freedom does not mean protecting kids from ideas but providing them a range of perspectives. Of course, this does not apply to creationism as it has no scientific merit whatsoever.

    I think it would be great education to have kids read both books and get a sense of both perspectives, as both ring true. It would make for some great classroom discussion on the issues of employment and the values of hard work.

    That the Tea baggers want to remove ideas as part of their quest for freedom is more than a bit hypocritical.

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  71. what a looney tune. Go back to your tea party.

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  74. Bernie O'Hare said...
    The bigger question to me is why the tea party message has no appeal to people of color. Sure, there are notable exceptions to this general obervation, like Bruce Gilbert, but the reality is that the tea party message may not be as universal as is commonly thought.

    .
    Social conditioning or conflict of interest.
    .
    It's been my understanding the federal government is the largest employer of blacks in America so many have little incentive to shrink the federal government.
    .
    Many blacks are conservative but cringe at the Republican label due to conditioning or social pressure (it's defacto racism).
    .
    I have one friend who is black and we have spent many hours discussing politics (we agree about 90% of the time). I like to kid her by asking you agree with me so much, what does that make you politically? She had mentioned her husband told her she's a Republican too. She just can't bring herself to accept her inner GOP because blacks "do not go that way".

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  75. Bill wrote:

    That the Tea baggers want to remove ideas as part of their quest for freedom is more than a bit hypocritical.

    3:51 PM

    I'm not a member of the local 9-12/Tea Party group but, like Bernie, I have gone to one of their meetings. There were approximately 250 people in attendance when I went. The crowd was skewed towards seniors but there were a number of those that appeared to be in their 30's and 40's. The ones I talked to worked as (or were retired) teachers, firefighters, construction workers, small business owners, etc. etc. Also, there were a fair number that were veterans.

    In short, they were the type of people you would find through out the Lehigh Valley. I mention all this to make the point that nothing in their makeup or purpose warrants the slur of "tea bagger". There simply is no call for that type of derogatory comment.

    The members of this group are trying to gather information and organize to use the ballot box to make changes they feel are needed. You can argue that they are poorly led or you can disagree with what they are advocating. But they acting as citizens and as such any counter points should be made with some civility.

    Thanks,

    Dean Browning

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  76. One thing has been made clear by this post. The Tea Party movement has created a lot of smoke, and that usually indicates fire. Anyone who doubts the impact they're having need only view the passionate hatred they're getting on this left-leaning blog. Despite attempts to deride them with sexual and Nazi references, and nervously hopeful claims that they're "Astroturf" and not grass roots-based, they reflect genuine popular sentiment and Ds are in trouble in November. The squealing is like music. It's hard to believe Ds are about to lose their overwhelming majorities so quickly.

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  80. Bernie,
    I can appreciate the point you are trying to make re some "hypocrisy", which really is no different than any "party" who can't live up to their own rhetoric once you start talking specifics. Actually I think it safe to say the Tea Party is as much a reaction to the Democratic/Obama election as it is to feeling betrayed by the previous big spending Republicans/Bush.
    But as the cover story in the latest "American Conservative" points out: "It's a leaderless coalition of conservative activists who for all their revolutionary vim look less likely to take over the GOP than to be taken over by it." Heck, they even got excited about electing what would have been called a "RINO" last year (including by some posters here)in Massachusetts.

    That said, I do think you are wrongly trying to throw in race to imply "fringe." Just as it would be wrong/unfair to point to the Stoffa flip cam celebrations you have posted in May 2009 and point out there was only one "stimulus" when you panned the room and think that really means anything (it doesn't). Fact is 95% of blacks and 67% of hispanics voted Democratic in 2008. Chances are pretty good you could go to any Republican-leaning meeting and see similar ratio as what you saw Friday. So does that make all Republicans like Dent, Angle, Armstrong, etc Nazis?? NO. But in your own words of recovery: "It tells me there may be something about the message that minorities find unappealing."

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  81. "need only view the passionate hatred they're getting on this left-leaning blog."

    Ooah, hold on there. I more or less agree w/ Dean about their makeup and have stated several times in this thread that I find the members to be decent people. Their willingness to ban a book is inconsistent with the core beliefs they were promoting earlier in the evening, when national socialism was discussed frequently. I've made no sexual references and do not condone the "tea bagger" comments, which I condemned a few months ago on a Channel 69 program, now that I think about it.

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  82. Lighthouse, There is nothing in my post that suggests, for even a moment, taht there is any racism, latent or otherwise, in the Tea Party movement. That is your imagination getting the best of you, with a little help from my conservative friend Scott Armstrong.

    My point, and this could apply to Rs as well, is that when a movement like that fails to attract minorities, that's a problem. That is true of the R party as well, although it is a bit more diverse than what I saw Friday night. If I were a Tea Party member, I would want to do something to reach out to minorities and make them feel welcome, so they do not have a misapprehension that the Tea Party movement is actuallythe KKK or something like that. It's not.

    If you are getting the impression that I intended to imply that Tea Party members are racists from the nearest trailer park, I've got to tell you that is inaccurate.

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  83. Bernie,

    You wrote this
    “Genrally speaking, parents are not educators. That's why we have schools. If you object to the curriculum, you have several options - ask the educators to review their decision; send your child to another school; home-school.”
    Again, local/parental control of the schools and curriculum is the time honored standard in America. The tea party is only doing what you are now suggesting as your second option, yet you have accused them of wanting to “ban books” and likened them to Nazis.
    You try to turn the table on denying you intended to imply the tea party is racist but I won’t bite. You wrote what you wrote and used the picture of the book burning Nazis to make the point certain. It remains what it is, a cheap partisan shot, the kind we(conservatives) expect from mere hacks but not from you.

    Scott Armstrong

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  84. I have heard the term "tea baggers", "tea bag campaign" and "tea party" used pretty much interchangeably in the media over the last year and did not intend to insult anyone.

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  85. The Nazi comparison was brought on Tea Party members by themselves, Scott. After an hour talking about the advantages of "individual rights" and the disgrace of "national socialism," they had no problem deciding to grab their pitchforks and march on a local school board bc one of the books being used there promotes ideas they find offensive. When a collective imposes its thinking on educators especially, that's socialism. You may not like me noting this because creationists do it all the time, but it is socialism. But I do not think they are Nazis. As someone noted, I was criticizing them for straying from their ideals, much as we all do, I suppose.

    I've already explained my remarks about the racial makeup of the crowd. No racism charge was intended, but doesn't it bother you that a black person has come on this blog and confirmed that he or she was a racial target at one of the meetings?.

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  87. This is a little message for Pig Pen. Once I've decided to delete someone, they are deleted. You can post 1,000 messages here and I will delete them all.

    There is nothing more disgusting than when one person wishes ill on another. The only other person I have seen who actually wished for bad things to happen to another is Bill Villa. You have put yourself in that category, and nothing you post here is welcome. You have crossed a line with me and no longer deserve respect or consideration.

    Go bray elsewhere. Nothing you post here will have a long shelf life. I am not interested in opinions from people like you.

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  88. Sorry, how is it "conservative" to be for pre-employment personality tests? I'm an independent and lean libertarian and am against them. Am I now a socialist? And also, I don't mind if my kids read "Nickled and Dimed" as well as 'Atlas Shrugged' in schools. These tea partiers are not speaking for me at all. By banning this book, they are going against the rights of parents who want their kids to read the book! How is that "liberty?" They want liberty to ban something! Ridiculous!

    I also agree that parents are way too involved in the public school curriculums here in the US. My community is full of sports-worshipping parents who barely finished high school, and they want to dictate what should and shouldn't be taught in a classroom? No thanks. This is why my children will go to private school.

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  89. Bernie,


    Thank you for implying the Tea Party people are Nazi Racists, you have done the Republican Party a big favor. In case you didn’t notice, many of the Tea Party/ 9-12ers are not aligned with either party but share an anger for the political status quo. Some within their ranks are advocating for a third party, others are supporting primary challenges to Republicans they believe have not lived up to their small government/ individual liberty standard. Your attack on these good people has served to perhaps sharpen their focus on who the real enemy is. It is no small thing to be called a racist and/or have your attempts to safeguard public school education likened to Nazi book burnings. You have made any Republican failures suddenly seem insignificant.
    These people are new to the political process; they are learning that smears and slanders are the tools of the trade of the left. It is an ugly lesson to learn; been there done that, but keep in mind, we emerge as a result, harder, stronger, and even more committed to the cause.

    Scott Armstrong

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  90. Dawn makes a decent point.

    Both Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead were (are) commonly listed on public school book lists. However, I never recall anyone ever asking schools to remove these everyone-for-themselves, capitalist manifestos to be banned.

    For the record, I've read them unlike the people basing their opinion on the Nickel and Dimed book based on a Wikipedia entry.

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  91. Thanks Scott. I was at a meeting and I am not a racist. I believe in freedom of capitalism and want the government to stay out of my medicare and social security.

    Some of you people sound damn ignorant.

    A Proud Teabagger!

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  92. Calling Tea Party activists Nazis ain't working for the left. In fact, it seems to be backfiring. Saul Alinsky, call your office.

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  93. Bernie
    Tea Party people love this blog the way they're yelling at you..
    I'll point out the type of comment that creates "the environment" that makes people of color threatened...this thread is so full of them....I don't think people understand the cumulative affect of some of these statement until they walk a mile in a person of colors shoes.

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  94. Tea Party type of comment

    "Many times these panels are the seed beds of federal policy. Over the years I have noticed a lack of black faces outside of the stereotypical social panels on slavery or some arcane part of black history."

    1.More than 30% of conservative commentators are black? They're always on political panels

    2.This comment is right from the John Birch society Dogma

    Indoctrination is reality in the tea party

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  95. Tea Party concern number 2 a person explains his experience at the first public Tea party rally in Bethlehem Tsp park and is then subjected to comments challenging his or her experience

    "Maybe I'm just out of the loop on code words, but I didn't get the memo at any recent meetings that "stimulus" was code for anything besides an excessive and un-needed government spending program."

    I'm all for pointing out racism where it exists, but let's not make things up.


    Ok let me get this straight. Because this didn't happen to you or you didn't get the memo ...it was made up.


    Good example of "pointing out racism where it exists"

    or should you amend that comment and add " racism that is directly in front of my face and can't be swept under the rug or denied type racism"

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  96. "Republicans are turned off by the size of Obama's package." You can read it here.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/09/why-are-republicans-turne_n_492342.html

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  97. want the government to stay out of my medicare and social security.

    I'm really hoping this was a sarcastic comment. If not, the irony and ignorance of the statement sums up a majority of the tea baggers perfectly.

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  98. Anon wrote:

    "Ok let me get this straight. Because this didn't happen to you or you didn't get the memo ...it was made up.

    Good example of "pointing out racism where it exists"

    or should you amend that comment and add " racism that is directly in front of my face and can't be swept under the rug or denied type racism"

    *******************************

    Let me put it a few other ways:

    1) Maybe the commenter FELT out of place in a predominately white crowd and was reading something into a comment about "stimulus" that really wasn't there.

    or

    2) More likely, the commenter is making the story up in an attempt to discredit the Tea Party movement and those involved in it. Believe it or not, we've seen this page of the Democrat playbook before and it's not the first time false charges of racism have been made.

    I will bet a steak dinner that anyone believing in limited government under the US Constitutions is welcome at any Tea Party event.

    Conservatives see people for what they believe in. Democrats see people for the color of their skin (among other things).

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  99. Or the commenter really was a victim of racism.

    If I were one of the tea Party leaders, I'd be asking myself why my group has no appeal to people of color.

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  100. "These people are new to the political process; they are learning that smears and slanders are the tools of the trade of the left."

    Wrong. BOTH the Left AND Right do this. Each side distorts the facts to fit their own agenda.

    The Tea Party intially intrigued me but has quickly taken on an image (rightly or wrongly) as an "Angry Old White Persons" society.

    There is an angry middle out there. I thought that was what the Tea Party was at first.

    Fiscal responsibility is very much in need, by the same token there are some social issues that need to be address as well.

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  101. Yep. Even the BIRTHERS are welcome!

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  102. The Tea Party is simply a kneejerk reaction to the Obama presidency. None of these people said a damned word in opposition to President Bush. In fact, I'm sure a majority of them lined up in support of the unpaid and elective wars that have helped bankrupt the nation.

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  103. Low Naz Scott, Your assessment is pretty much my assessment, but you put it more succinctly. Thanks.

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  104. The "Tea Party" was quickly adopted by Republicans who have no agenda and therefore must steal the thunder of a group, some of whom may have actually cared about the way our government spends taxpayer money. Unfortunately, they attract racists and bigots who just want to hate a black president, and they feel safe hiding behind the rhetoric of the Tea Partiers. Once the Republicans adopted them, however, they lost all appeal and all the promise of a serious discussion about fiscal responsibility in an era when you and I are paying to bail out banks who pay million dollar bonuses to failed executives, who are probably the same people inciting tea party activism.

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  105. Tea Party followers are basically supporters of Corporate interests. They work against the good of the common people. They are shills for 2% of the country, the super wealthy, and too dumb to realize it.

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  106. Low Naz and Bernie,

    How amusing is it to see you two dismiss my words that smears and slanders are the tools and trade of the left in the face of the vast evidence of such that is on display here daily.
    Please keep up your own smears and slanders against the Tea Party people, it will serve well the purposes of those who seek to see the left lose their majorities this fall.

    Scott Armstrong

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  107. By the way, the left is toast thanks to the unbridled arrogance of Obama and company. Write what you want here about the Tea Party, Republicans, Conservatives… it matters not and will not alter in any way the coming electoral apocalypse for progressives. Your brief moment in the sun is over, you have revealed yourselves for what you are and the nation is rightly recoiling away. Great Job. Thanks!

    Scott Armstrong

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  108. You mean the Dem's are realy....DICK CHENEY?????

    AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  109. Kids don't "get" this book anyway. My kids had to read it. They like reading but this book was over their head.

    It's a pretty good book but I think generally you have to be a working adult to understand it.

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  110. Also, to the entitled teenagers out there this book could have taught them to appreciate the less fortunate who they make fun of or avoid. That is how many rich kids are. It's their parents money but they feel superior to poor kids (kids who don't shop at Abercrombie and Fitch).

    We all could use a little more compassion and love they neighbor.

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  111. Bernie O'Hare said:

    "If I were one of the tea Party leaders, I'd be asking myself why my group has no appeal to people of color."

    ********************************

    Bernie -

    I wouldn't expect that the Tea Party message has much appeal to many of the white, liberal elitists in the Democrat party either.

    Polls showed that "people of color" voted overwhelmingly for President Obama. Does that make them racist? I wouldn't make that charge.

    However, I would infer that they are strong believers in the big-government, big-spending, big-bailout solutions Obama promoted. They have also (some would say blindly) voted democrat for many decades.

    Since the Tea Party groups beliefs are the polar opposite of Obama's "solutions" and Obama is a democrat, it would make sense that those who strongly support Obama would need the most time to see the light.

    The Tea Party movement is new and it will take time to reach everyone. However, the message is for everyone. All are welcome.

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  112. "How amusing is it to see you two dismiss my words that smears and slanders are the tools and trade of the left in the face of the vast evidence of such that is on display here daily.
    Please keep up your own smears and slanders against the Tea Party people, it will serve well the purposes of those who seek to see the left lose their majorities this fall.

    Scott Armstrong"

    I didn't smear or slander the Tea Party, just stated the image they've taken on. There are some core values to the movement that I can truly identify with.

    My first impression was that it was a group that was fed up with the way politics was constantly being played in all levels of government often at the expense of the tax payers.

    Over time, either organically or through outside influences, the movement has simply veered into what appears to be a lock step with Limbaugh/Hannitty/Beck types.

    Do I think all of their thoughts and opinions are idiotic? I do not, there are some solid ideas coming from this area of the political spectrum. Tighter spending, more efficient government, Tort reform all work for me.

    Now if you honestly don't believe that much of their viewpoints and opinions aren't "smearing and slandering" Obama and company, then you've lost credibility in my eyes.

    Their constant pants wetting, fear inducing wails that we are tumbling down the slippery slope of socialism is just what it is. Fearmongering.

    And please don't think I'm overly estatic with what the Dems have done or more accurately not done over the past year or so. I bought into the "Change" message. I really thought we would see a new era of bipartisanship, but sadly it seems that the far left has somehow deluded itself into thinking that the last election was some sort of mandate for their expensive and in many cases self serving ideas.

    Be angry. Our government doesnt care about the average citizen. Just don't delude yourself in thinking the "Conservative" or "Liberal/Progressive" movements truly represent you. They each represent a small sliver of society that will ulitmately benefit from their agendas. They simply skew the facts and strum a chord to make others think they represent their values.

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  113. By the way, the left is toast thanks to the unbridled arrogance of Obama and company.

    Get off the sauce. Did you forget the very large margin of victory the President enjoyed in the fall 0f 2008? Just because the right-wing is beside itself with hatred for the man and his policies does not mean the American people as a whole agree.

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  114. I am going to make the biggest stink if Atlas Shrugged appears on my kid's reading list. Look out!

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  115. Low Naz Scott, You have the increasingly rare quality of being able to see both sides of an issue. I appreciate your comments and am sure Scott does, too. He loves a good argument.

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  116. Isn’t it delicious when one’s argument is undone by their own words? So you write you didn’t smear and slander the Tea Party then you immediately write this? “Their constant pants wetting, fear inducing wails that we are tumbling down the slippery slope of socialism is just what it is. Fearmongering.”

    That’s beautiful.

    Scott Armstrong

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  117. By the way, my last comment is direct to low Naz.

    Scott Armstrong

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  118. Nice article Bernie, I always wondered what people did at thise meetings. or the record I liked Huck Finn, my kids will read it.

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  119. I might have to go to the next meeting so I can see these people in action.

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  121. "Isn’t it delicious when one’s argument is undone by their own words? So you write you didn’t smear and slander the Tea Party then you immediately write this? “Their constant pants wetting, fear inducing wails that we are tumbling down the slippery slope of socialism is just what it is. Fearmongering.”

    That’s beautiful.

    Scott Armstrong

    I apologize if I wasn't completely clear on this particular point. I was refering to the typical right wing noise machine and not the Tea Party movement here. Kinda got caught up in the moment. Sorry.

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  122. Notice how the writer implies that the TEA party is made up of racists, by noticing not a Hispanic or an African-American in the meeting. Sir, you are the one searching for color, wasn't the TEA party. Besides the blame Bush for everything group, when does one except responsibility for one's actions? Fact, unemployment rate under eight years of Bush never went over 7 percent. Economy was starting to bleed and Obama and his policies made them hemmorage. The class warfare the Democrats have waged against the wealthy is disgusting and hypocritical. The Democrats are same group who denounce the wealthy, yet who have benefited themselves from that same system and tell you it's immoral and wrong. Can you say hypocrite? They have brainwashed the democrat citizen into thinking that you don't pay enough taxes already, shall we list them? Not enough space! Wasn't it Biden that said something like it's patriotism tp pay more taxes....wake up northeastern Deocrats, you are being hoodwinked!

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You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.