Keen on Setting Brush Fires
It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds. - Samuel Adams
As one of the Founding Fathers and architects of the American republic, Samuel Adams argued that the people must resist encroachment on their constitutional rights, and spent a life observing that principle . As for the Boston Tea Party, historians debate whether or not he helped plan the event. What is known however, is that Adams worked hard to publicize and defend the Tea Party as a principled protest.
Hundreds of people have asked how to get involved and make the Tea Party movement a success and reach out to those who are not active, but hold a mutual desire to get the government off of our backs and out of our pockets. This great advice and direction comes from a post by Cara C. We recommend that all persons interested in organizing and informing themselves about Tea Parties visit the forums, to help turn online enthusiasm into a visible offline statement:
There are some great suggestions here already! Here are a few more to add to the pot.
We do need a giant Tea Party and those are in the works on this site and elsewhere, but in the meantime, small Tea Parties can raise awareness and attract other people to the cause. I attended the one in New York with about 300-400 participants. Thousands of people walked by during the hour we were there and learned about what was going on. (We should have had some handouts with information to give to passersby.) Even if the smaller tea parties are not covered in the mainstream media, they can be reported online. Bring your video camera and upload the video to Youtube.
In addition to spreading the word online, we’ve got to reach all the people who don’t go online in search of this kind of information.
Tell everyone you know about this movement and this web site, and ask them to tell everyone they know. Make up 100 postcards and mail them to everyone on your mailing list. Remember to ask people to spread the word. (Asking goes a long way. Otherwise, even people friendly to the cause might not think to tell others.)
Ask the people you speak to if they know someone in the media who might cover this story, or a trustworthy elected representative or a celebrity who might come out and support your Tea Party. If you can get a celebrity there or plan do something interesting at your event, send out a press release about it or call the media and let them know.
Make up fliers and post them around your neighborhood. Call social clubs, the volunteer firefighters, the historical society, and other associations around town and ask them to let their members know about the Tea Party movement to save America. Get together with others in your area and brainstorm about creative ways to reach the people in your particular city or town.
Contact your local media outlets and urge them to cover this story. Call radio shows and talk about it. Take out some classified ads in your local paper, even just a line that says: “Protest the Stimulus Packages: ReTeaParty.com.” Post about it on Craigslist.com. Add information about it to your Facebook page. Make your own bumper stickers at some place like Makestickers.com or your own t-shirts at a place like Cafepress.com. Or make some for the cause.
Fortinbras is right; we should be able to attract people to this cause as the desire for freedom is universal - and there is no freedom without economic freedom.
David Z said:
Cara C.,
Excellent ideas, all! I have two suggestions to add:
1) Some of you are well-regarded by your circle of associates; you’ve spent years building credibility in your field. Now it’s time to sacrifice a bit of standing, if need be, for the sake of the future of this republic. Write a short appeal to all your associates and contacts in your field, about the Tea Parties. Remind them that what we’ve all worked so hard for, is now being dithered away by a wayward Congress. Surely they can attend a public demonstration of self-government?
2) We can all do more than symbolic things. If a Tea Party is the historic envelope for Independence Day rallies, then consider putting some teeth — some real action — into your rally. Read the America Again! Declaration at your rally, and pass out copies. Have a sign-up table for your to-be-formed Citizens’ Homeland Security Association (CHSA).
Learn the history, purposes, and impact of the CHSA, read the book by constitutional and monetary scholar Dr. Edwin Vieira, called Constitutional Homeland Security, Volume 1, available at Amazon.com (buy a ‘used’ copy from REDBRAZIL; they’re new).
You can make your 2009 Tea Party the beginning of a life of responsibility and self-government by adopting the America Again! project.
http://www.america-again.blogspot.com
(New interactive website coming soon.)
March 9th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Tim said:
Are you people serious? Do you have a clue what the Boston Tea party was about? It was about the British government giving a tax break to the rich. How can you equate what you are doing and that? During the time of the Boston Tea party people helped people in need, your answer in these times is to protest those in need. These are your neighbors. You pile of steaming self indulgent morons…you want to protest your neighbors you would do better to name your movement after krystalnacht.
You obviously know nothing of history or of Sam adams…
{The Tea Party Act gave a tax break to English companies. It gave the English and rich merchants a monopolistic position over competing colonial merchants and was largely regarded as a major infringement on the freedom of American merchants. The protest was not over the tax break for the rich, but in opposition to the English playing political favoritism with English companies and rich merchants who had the means to lobby parliament. -admin}
March 9th, 2009 at 10:46 am
John Galt said:
This is a very contentious issue, but one thing is certain, the government is wasting money in an effort to prop up a broken system. It is our civic duty to let them know where we stand on the issue.
“In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.”
- Mark Twain
March 9th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Denise Antonucci said:
Well my Husband Mark so graciously sent me this link via email..we have support and the GOP is giving us support..woo hoo! Go Read Here>> http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=1054
WE are all heading in the right direction. And if all don’t mind..here is quote from that article>
“Obama is using the politics of class warfare to set the stage for raising taxes. He gives speeches saying how “only” this percentage of wage earners will be affected or “only” that percentage of small businesses.”
Funny as it may seem and from everything that I have read concerning the 9th and 10th amendments…Yes, this is class warfare as he is creating warfare amongst all americans..not just us…ALL
This is actually grounds for IMPEACHMENT according to the rules of the 10th Amendment. Alot of what he has been doing is reason for IMPEACHMENT. We are getting so much closer to do this and will have more and more legal grounds to stand on. Remember the Ole’ saying..”Give a person enough rope and SURE Enough they will Hang themselves!”
I want to hip hop and jump up and down..but not yet…my feet are still firmly planted on the ground and are going to stay there…Long Live the TeaParties!
March 9th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Carol Rust said:
I am so pleased and proud to be part of a group of TRUE American Patriots. Thank you all who are working so hard to save our Republic. I will do what I can.
March 9th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Deborah said:
My five year old Granddaughter is a direct descendent of Samuel Adams and I can’t help but think he was trying to get a message through to us when she asked me if I wanted to see her new “play”.
She walked out from behind the curtains and said “The people have made a terrible mistake, and it’s up to us Ants to correct it before it’s too late!”
March 10th, 2009 at 7:19 am