it was none of what i hoped and all that i feared.....

[strollingbones]

lets get a couple of things out of the way right up front....it was a good turn out for the area....sto...but that only takes about 250 people...i figure there were maybe 300 people there...2 of us had no idea what to expect...1 was a tea party vet with 4 rallies under her belt this would be the 5th...she did however warn us that this is ashe county....very religious area and all...soooooooo off we go...in the doorless jeep....we had a few issues

here is alt flipping me off..when the jeep went all toyota on us and the gas pedal stuck on open...luckily we were going up hill...and were able to recover and fix the jeep

parking lot and crowed room:

we get there and the place is set up where you have to stop at the fair tax booth...well this guy is pushy...(a bit of foreshadowing here)..he confronts alt immediately about paying taxes..and demands to know if she likes having taxes out of her paycheck...she tells him...she is currently unemployeed and would love to be paying taxes out of a paycheck.

so the speaker is a young female...30ish...full of the spirit of god and the spirit of...well talking about her kids and saying how democrats are like her spoiled kids...how she got off wic cause she didnt need it...and everyone should shun government programs and go it on their own....she started into how she was a christian and that is what this country needs to be...exit stage left for me...my friends are still there...so i got outside to take pics...

now this is where something goes weirdly wrong...i am taking pics of a car...painted for the tea party etc...nice custom pain job...or decals not sure..

.and the man from the fair tax booth comes out of the building and goes...is that your car?....(of course he knows that is not my car ....as the car as been parked there for most of the day) i reply that is it not my car, i am taking pictures of the car....he asks why i am there? ...i tell him i was here for political debate and a look at a grass roots movement..not for andoctal childrens tales...
he gets all uppity at this point and begins to yell at me...wanting to know what i know about the tea party....i tell him...i did not began this conversation and i would like to end it ...he ask again what i know about the tea party...i tell him what i know about it..that it is a for profit org...well hell....that was it....he really begins to yell at me...."no one cares about that inside" at his point....i again tell him...sir i did not begin this conversation, you did, i have politely tried to end it.....and i begin taking pics again....he goes off on me...
yellling and gesturing with his cup of ice tea from hardees...so i go into the uber polite fucking mode....and tell him...."sir, i have ask twice that you leave me alone, i did not begin this conversation and i have attempted to end it twice, if you say another word to me, i will consider it harassement" of course i got my purple cell phone in hand...well that did it...he walked back into building muttering under his breath....

now in all fairness..this guy was just a dick...he was a dick to alt and then got in my face...

i like to take photos...the only time i explain myself, without someone asking...is when i am at a place where a lot of kids are...i dont take any pictures of kids...without the parents consent and the parents knowing who i am...i offer to email the pics to the parents...

plus this is a public event, the car is parked right up front....normally they dont mind...most people consider it some form of free advertisement etc...

now racism: didnt see any...matter of fact there was a black guy at one of the vendor tables...i didnt get a chance to talk to him...

here is about the only sign in the parking lot:

it was overly christian...but that was to be expect with the area it was held in..

everyone else was polite and all....some had cute little signs around their necks but nothing racist or violent....i couldnt really take pics of people...with signs cause of the consent thing...there was a pretty non diverse group..but c who is the tea party vet....says that this is the first one she has been to inside and that it was the most homogenus group she had seen....

so the fair tax guy was a dick...it was very christian, very conservative and full of key words...by key words, i mean words used to rally people....which is just what one would expect of a tea party rally...would i go again, sure.

why? i would like to see a more developed meeting...the speakers werent that good at this one...i would go again.

did i give anyone my email? o hell no

 

[strollingbones]

by "none of what i hoped"...i had hoped for a solid, viable grass roots movement....it was not that....

"all of what i feared"...very tunnel visioned...the first thing the fair tax booth was saying...was closing the irs and paying "fair" taxes...but would not define the fair taxes...just wanted your email address

it was not racist in any manner that i saw....sure its a bunch of white people wanting to get rid of a black president...but i think it really is more policy than race...

it was very one sided....all the democrats and the fault of the liberals.....seems they espouse a personal responsibity but dont live up to it...

 

[RadiomanATL]

.....seems they espouse a personal responsibity but dont live up to it...

So you did a deep background check, or at least a cursory one, on the majority of the 300 that were in attendance?


Bones, I think your preconceived notions got in the way of a bit of honest reporting on that point.

Most everything else though....seems like a pretty good event except for the dbag in the fair tax booth.

 

[strollingbones]

no no radio...they were all blaming the democrats and liberals for all the woes of the country...that is were they falled on the personal responsibilty .....its not all the fault of anyone one side...i was hoping that the tea party would be more objective in that....

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Like how you blame the Republicans for everything? Link me to a thread where you have attacked the democrats on anything.

 

[RadiomanATL]

no no radio...they were all blaming the democrats and liberals for all the woes of the country...that is were they falled on the personal responsibilty .....its not all the fault of anyone one side...i was hoping that the tea party would be more objective in that....

*Shrug*
They are a political movement. Every political movement blames its polar opposite for the negative things that happen.

I'm glad that for the most part they were respectful, non-racist, non-violent, literate and law abiding. I can live with that.

Also, looked to be a pretty large rally. I know hinted that you thought it should be bigger, but people parked on the grass according to your shots. And you could barely get in the meeting hall due to the crowd.

Seems pretty darn large for the venue provided to me.

 

[strollingbones]

and not being a christian, its pretty hard to get behind the call for a christian nation...but i was ready for that...

okay here is what we think happened....

the dude comes out and starts talking to me...expecting me to be all about how great everything is and how wonderful the fair tax blah stuff is and how wondeful the tea party is....he didnt get that...he gets upset...insteading of being the southern female..and trying to make him happy....i go stonewall polite...and let him know he will not yell at me...in any form or fashion....and after attempting to end the conversation...i did warn him he was haressing me....now i cannot think of any instance where i would let a man who is a total stranger just yell at me...in public or private.

 

[strollingbones]

Like how you blame the Republicans for everything? Link me to a thread where you have attacked the democrats on anything.

1.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/curre...census-just-mail-the-damn-things-back-in.html

i am all out critical of the census and how it is being ran


2.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/the-f...r-sharpton-is-obamas-link-to-the-streets.html

obama link to sharpton


3.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/gener...bama-launches-solo-agenda-on-mexico-tour.html

 

[strollingbones]

the venue is about 255 seats....which i think is a good turn out for a largely rural area on a saturday....now i am sure if you wanted to see racism in what they said you could....but i think the rants are more...rah rah..the speaker puts on a snuggie.....and talks about the comfort and security of a blanket but how you are confined...it was a bit showy and a bit well stupid....the methphors...

now alt did point out that two of us...her and me....looked like total dykes....due to dressing for the doorless jeep and all...no offense to total dykes

 

[editec]

and the man from the fair tax booth comes out of the building and goes...is that your car?....(of course he knows that is not my car ....as the car as been parked there for most of the day) i reply that is it not my car, i am taking pictures of the car....he asks why i am there? ...i tell him i was here for political debate and a look at a grass roots movement..not for andoctal childrens tales...
he gets all uppity at this point and begins to yell at me...wanting to know what i know about the tea party....i tell him...i did not began this conversation and i would like to end it ...he ask again what i know about the tea party...i tell him what i know about it..that it is a for profit org...well hell....that was it....he really begins to yell at me...."no one cares about that inside" at his point....i again tell him...sir i did not begin this conversation, you did, i have politely tried to end it.....and i begin taking pics again....he goes off on me...
yellling and gesturing with his cup of ice tea from hardees...so i go into the uber polite fucking mode....and tell him...."sir, i have ask twice that you leave me alone, i did not begin this conversation and i have attempted to end it twice, if you say another word to me, i will consider it harassement" of course i got my purple cell phone in hand...well that did it...he walked back into building muttering under his breath....

He had vetted you as a SPY for homeland security because you were taking pictures of cars (and he presumed license plates)

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
The man comes and takes you away

You'd better STOP
Hey! what that's sound?
Everybody look what's going down.

Buffalo Springfield


I can't help but find it amusing that the right wing is just now beginning to understand what it feels like to fear their government.

The so called left has felt that way for decades.

 

[JW Frogen]

I have read this thread several times and I have no idea what Ms. Strolling is going on about, but for some reason it turns me on.

God dam she is sexy when she is on a roll.

 

[strollingbones]

lol good point ed...i do have a pic with the license plate...didnt think of that....

i just think he was an overzelist dickhead....you run into them on occasion....i have ran into them having fun....in great places....as i said the other 255 plus where just average folks...

and i will try another one....we will pick a different area and go...c goes was taken back by some of it...but it just reflects the very conservative nature of the area...

 

[Immanuel]

Thanks for the review Bones.

It actually sounds like something that might be worth looking into.

I have two things to say:

The first is about the Christian nation "theme" of your thread. I am a Christian, but as much as I believe in Christ, I get very nervous when people who I don't know start telling me what it is to live a Christian life and that I have to do this or that. Not saying that was what they were saying but if what they were saying is the things I have heard in the past... it was the gist of their message.

The other is about the Fair Tax. If it had been me instead of you, that conversation would have gone much differently than it did for you. Because, if you have read any of my posts on the subject I am 100% in favor of the Fair Tax idea. So, I would have told him that I had already signed the petition and contacted my Representative about it. So, maybe he'd of bought me a Hardee's Tea instead of getting all huffy and puffy with me. That being said, your description of him as a dick seems to be very accurate. I'd ask you not to blame the rest of us Fair Taxers because you didn't hit it off with one of us.

Immie

 

[strollingbones]

I have read this thread several times and I have no idea what Ms. Strolling is going on about, but for some reason it turns me on.

God dam she is sexy when she is on a roll.

and on that note...i got to roll on...i dont have time to explain frogen....you just have to go with the flow....radio can explain lol...

but on that note i am out ...i dont know for how long...may not be long...may be long...i got some duties and things to attend to....that leave me with a heavy heart and restless mind and tears in my eyes

 

[Midnight Marauder]

now racism: didnt see any..
...some had cute little signs around their necks but nothing racist or violent....

Your actual disappointment.

 

[California Girl]

lol good point ed...i do have a pic with the license plate...didnt think of that....

i just think he was an overzelist dickhead....you run into them on occasion....i have ran into them having fun....in great places....as i said the other 255 plus where just average folks...

and i will try another one....we will pick a different area and go...c goes was taken back by some of it...but it just reflects the very conservative nature of the area...

Bones, firstly, huge kudos to you for actually going and finding out for yourself instead of getting your views from anyone else.

Secondly, I think possibly the fair tax guy (who sounds like he behaved like a total dickhead) is like a lot of TEA partiers now.... suspicious of anyone who appears to know little about them. This is, to a degree, understandable, since they have idiots who are infiltrating the rallies deliberately to cause problems - holding up racist signs, etc. So I guess some suspicion is inevitable. Shame though.

Thirdly, that 255 average folks - that's the TEA partiers! That's who we are.... just ordinary people.

Fourth, I hope you go again - to a bigger, more diverse rally so you can get a better idea of what these people are trying to do.

Horrah for you for going!

 

[CrusaderFrank]

by "none of what i hoped"...i had hoped for a solid, viable grass roots movement....it was not that....

"all of what i feared"...very tunnel visioned...the first thing the fair tax booth was saying...was closing the irs and paying "fair" taxes...but would not define the fair taxes...just wanted your email address

it was not racist in any manner that i saw....sure its a bunch of white people wanting to get rid of a black president...but i think it really is more policy than race...

it was very one sided....all the democrats and the fault of the liberals.....seems they espouse a personal responsibity but dont live up to it...

Did someone else write the OP For you?

"now racism: didnt see any...matter of fact there was a black guy at one of the vendor tables...i didnt get a chance to talk to him.."

In other words, the racism is all yours.

 

[JW Frogen]

I have read this thread several times and I have no idea what Ms. Strolling is going on about, but for some reason it turns me on.

God dam she is sexy when she is on a roll.

and on that note...i got to roll on...i dont have time to explain frogen....you just have to go with the flow....radio can explain lol...

but on that note i am out ...i dont know for how long...may not be long...may be long...i got some duties and things to attend to....that leave me with a heavy heart and restless mind and tears in my eyes

The restless heart and tears are all mine.

 

[editec]

lol good point ed...i do have a pic with the license plate...didnt think of that....

i just think he was an overzelist dickhead....you run into them on occasion....i have ran into them having fun....in great places....as i said the other 255 plus where just average folks...

and i will try another one....we will pick a different area and go...c goes was taken back by some of it...but it just reflects the very conservative nature of the area...

Of course he was an ovezelous dickhead.

Control freaks (and that's obviously what he was all about) are oversealous dickheads regardless of their political POVs.

You have no idea how many fascist control freaking so called liberals I've had to force myself not to stangle in my lifetime.

WAY more than the number of right wing cranks I've wanted to kill, believe me.

I expect 6there's a whole lot of honest TEAPPARTY players whoi feel exactly the same way about the asshat who was giving you a hard time, too.

There are honest players in BOTH sides of this equasion.

We're just terribly outnumbered by the asshats in both cases.

 

[AllieBaba]

I think people at tea partiers are (justifiably) nervous and defensive. They've been called racists, zealots, traitors, and they've been subject to plants.

And what I have observed is that people who have preconceived notions about Christians will hear what they want to hear, and it is usually nothing like what is actually being said. I say that because I occasionally take people who aren't believers with me to church (family members who will go to church with me on holidays) and without exception, they will interpret something completely innocuous as something (insert fear here...). I've had people tell me my preacher was preaching for the subservience of women (whaaa? I was there..that was not what was being said) and a variety of other things. It has to do with not understanding the references, and instead of actually listening to what is being said, taking umbrage at certain phrases and then listening for key phrases and nothing else.

Still, bones, glad you went and shared, very interesting. Now you know that a reporter can slant a story any way they like!