A NEW COALITION

Much has been said and written about the Tea Parties which took place in this country on April 15, 2009.

Liberals have denounced us as a bunch of government hating Neanderthals who could not put a paragraph together if our lives depended on it.

Republicans have speculated that we might help breathe new life into the GOP.

The media have written us off as a bunch of gun toting rednecks.

I attended two of these events on that day and I say we are not necessarily any of the above.

We are, first and foremost, Americans who love our country. Most of us were tired of government bailouts, profligate spending, an unresponsive Congress, and ILLEGAL immigration before George Bush ever left office. Most of us were already tired of our government's inability to corner and catch Osama bin Laden.

I don't think any of us really want to be co-opted by the Democrat or Republican party. We would like to point out the direction this country needs go in.

We need lower taxes and less spending. We also need more freedom. We need for our borders and ILLEGAL immigration to be controlled.

The Republican party needs to drop it's policies of exclusion. I could be a Republican but I am pro-choice so I don't fit in. I could be a Democrat but I believe in property rights, American exceptionalism and pulling your own load so I don't fit in there either. There are many ways that I don't fit into either party so I am an Independant and have no party.

At the Tea Parties I saw many people who are like me. We are patriots, we are Americans, we love freedom, we want a government but only so much of it. We want to be able to enjoy the fruits of our labors but we don't mind sharing with our fellow man as long as he is willing to do his part.

At the Tea Parties I saw young and old, rich and poor, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Independant and Conservative, black, white, red, brown and yellow but most of all I saw Americans who were ready for some real change.

That's who we were and that's who we are!