My Michiana 912 Tax Day Tea Party 2010 Speech - Elkhart, Indiana
Well gang. Here’s this year’s rendention of my Tax Day Tea Party speech.
Transcript as follows:
You know, one year ago today the media wasn’t quite sure what to do with us. First they tried to ignore us. So, we took our little Tea Party to Washington… and filled the national mall.
Then, they tried to discredit us.
So thousands of our members went toe to toe with Congress men and women in town halls all across the land. They quickly realized we know what we’re talking about.
Now, our detractors are trying to demonize us.
They imply our movement is about race. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Recently, a left leaning friend of mine questioned why there weren’t more minorities at one of our meetings. What struck me about that question; at all the tea party events I have attended, all the conservatives I’ve ever met, and all the countless conversations I have had, the only person focused on the color of skin was a progressive liberal.
Isn’t it ironic that the very same elitist progressives who claim a holier than thou enlightened attitude are the ones constantly dividing Americans by their race. What is worse, they have used race to foster a permanent dependency class solely for the purpose of securing votes. Highlighting the lack of political diversity among some minority groups does not speak ill of conservatives; it speaks ill of the progressive sudo-plantation owners who have used these groups as pawns in a political game.
Let’s be absolutely clear here. As conservatives, as tea party members, we’re not interested in your race, we interested in your principles. We’d like to focus on the content of character, not the color of skin. Wasn’t that Dr. King’s dream? We welcome ALL Americans who have a desire for limited government, and unlimited potential.
Our detractors label us anti-immigrant.
They are mistaken. We believe immigrants are some of the hardest working and most valuable members of our society and we whole-heartedly welcome them.
We are not anti-immigrant. we are against illegal immigration.
One of my dearest friends emigrated here from Brazil nearly 20 years ago. He came here with absolutely nothing. While other young people his age were busy wasting money on frivolous things, he worked hard, putting himself through college and pharmacy school. He’s now a successful pharmacist and it gives me great pride to say this past year he became a citizen of the United States.
To give those who breaks our immigration laws a free pass is a slap in the face to my Brazilian friend, and the millions of others who came to our shores the right way, through the front door. We live in a dangerous world and we must protect our borders. We cannot afford to ignore illegal immigration.
Our detractors call us haters.
We don’t hate people.
What we hate the disgusting, incomprehensible, irrational, unethical, immoral mountain of debt that is being piled on our children and grandchildren.
And yet, our detractors continue to call us names. Whenever I’m engaged in a debate and my opponent resorts to name calling, I know I’ve all but won. So when the big government nanny state supporters start calling us names, I say bring it on! Fellow Tea Party patriots, they are resorting to name calling because they know they can’t win the substantive argument.
Poll after poll is continuing to show what we know to be true… America is on our side.
When it’s a flat, fair tax vs. cap and tax, America is on our side.
When it’s the free market vs. oppressive regulation, America is on our side.
When it’s ever higher energy prices vs. drill baby drill, America is on our side.
When it’s liberty vs. tyranny, America is on our side.
When it’s Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid vs. the will of the American People, America is on our side.
Throughout American history, from the Revolutionary War to the World Wars and everything in between, many generations were forced to lay their lives on the line to save this precious gift of limited government. I would never make light of those sacrifices. But I truly believe this is our generation’s war; not a physical war, but a war of ideas… and the consequences are every bit as serious.
I have no doubt we will win this war of ideas. Because as conservatives, as Tea Party members, as patriots, we are armed with the most powerful weapon of all… The Truth.
The truth is, too much borrowing and spending cannot be fixed with more borrowing and spending. If Americans have to cut their budgets, so can Congress.
The truth is, every dollar that flows through Washington is less freedom for each and every one of us.
The truth is, the borrower is slave to the lender, and our children are being sold to China.
The truth is, we the people rule Washington, not the other way around.
The truth is, we’d like to see a few more job losses in America… Specifically, those in the halls of congress… And you can bet we’re going to start right here in Indiana with Joe Donnley!
Congress is scared… and they should be. You see, you can’t have a Tea Party without brewing something. What we’re brewing here is nothing short of a ballot box revolution.
For those that have yet to wake up the choice is clear and President Reagan put it best: “You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man’s age-old dream–the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order — or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path.”
Take heart fellow patriots. The road is long and difficult, but by the grace of God we will win this battle. We will restore the principles that made this country great. We will ensure the future of a constitutionally limited government. We will make the tough choices and the sacrifices necessary so our children and grandchildren will never have to wonder what it was like to live in America when men were free.
Thank you, may God bless you, and let freedom ring.
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