What Do You Serve With Tea?

This is a great article found on the Freedomwize blog and is written by Scott Franz. I think it's worth a read, lots of thought and a willingness to do something more than hold our signs and and maybe shout a chant or two. Are you ready?

What Do You Serve With Tea?
By Scott Franz
It is fine and right the American people show their displeasure with their government through the planned “tea party” demonstrations this coming April 15th; and hopefully, the task will be accomplished in a peaceful and respectful manner. It is of the greatest importance that none of the antics, recently displayed by the European anarchists at the G20 meetings, be duplicated at a single one of these events. Furthermore, if these events are to have any lasting meaning, it is not sufficient to simply proclaim our anger against oppressive taxes, out of control spending and the other current policies of our government we so steadfastly oppose; we must, in due course and in short order, state clearly and succinctly an affirmative course of action for the future. If not, what is there to distinguish us from the anarchists, who oppose everything and stand for nothing? It is not enough to say “Down with this!” or “Down with that!”; for if we can muster no more than that, and express nothing further than our temporary outrage, if all we require is a venting of our current displeasure, then it will easily be ignored and soon forgotten by our political princes; and nothing further will be achieved. Political passion alone, void of the advancement of true and positive ideals and goals, those born only of rage and opposition to the status quo and nothing else, either quickly fizzle away or go the way of the French Revolution.

Let us not waste the momentum and the tireless efforts expended and put forth by so many to organize these “parties”. For if the culminations of those efforts is a single day of chanting, hand painted signs and tea bags wantonly wasted, then never has so much effort been put forth for so little. But if those efforts mark only the beginning, a clear and forceful announcement and proclamation of things to come to our tone-deaf and arrogant ruling class, then truly it will have been worth our efforts.

I have previously written often and passionately of the arrogance and contempt with which our political ruling class views those they govern. How often must we endure the false promises of politicians, only to see them shamelessly broken once elected? How can we once and for all ensure they avoid the lurid seduction of Washington; the seemingly irresistible temptation that comes with wielding power and influence? Our founders envisioned God-fearing, moral “citizen-politicians”, who after serving briefly, would return to their lives as citizens. Not even in their wildest imagination did they envision a permanent and hereditary governing class. Again, while it is fine and just to proclaim our displeasure with the current actions of our elected officials; and while they may hear us and respond accordingly this one time, due to the strength and volume of our collective voice, expect them to return to their old, arrogant and dismissive ways soon indeed, particularly once our placards have been discarded, our collective voice lowered and we return to our real daily business of living; caring and providing for our sons and daughters.

The affirmative course of action for the future then, the end result of the vast and tireless organizational efforts put forth by so many, should and must be the ultimate return of our government to its rightful owners. I for one believe only through limiting the terms of our elected officials can we finally slay or at least restrain the monster our government and the political class have become; this must be our first order of business. Unless we sustain our efforts until this is accomplished, any of our other efforts will be futile and any gains will be fleeting. For the monster we’ve created in Washington has broken free of its restraints; its running amok and terrorizing the people; it’s an ugly and cunning creature and now that it’s loose, it’s determined not to be subdued or restrained. And make no mistake about it; this Frankenstein is truly of our own making. I’ll not bother at this time to chronicle the monsters history, or the method of its construction, for that is a topic in and of itself; and worthy of a lengthy extended discussion for a later time. Let it suffice to say we created it, we nurtured it and we allowed it to grow, stupidly thinking all along it was within our power to control. Now it has broken free and has turned upon us.

It will not be easy to put this monster back in its dungeon. We have tried before with little success, and have even wounded it from time to time during our efforts to return it to its dark cage. But it has become a master of the tactical retreat and has so far escaped capture; and while it licks its wounds from time to time after these encounters, it always reemerges stronger and ever more belligerent towards the people. The monster that is Washington must be subdued and the government returned to the people, truly returned to the people, before it’s too late. I have no doubt our politicians will take notice of the coming tea parties, but mark my words; they’re already planning on how to ride out the storm. They’ve become adept at pacifying us when they feel our outrage growing, but we cannot be fooled by another tactical retreat. It’s absolutely imperative we press on and on, until we ultimately regain our government. Only the removal of the political class, a return of the monster to its dank, dark cage will do.

We need to ask ourselves, once and for all, if the business of governance and politics really requires such skill and practice that only life-long devotion to the craft makes one worthy and able to govern? Are the machinations of the legislative process so complex, are they so impossible for the “citizen-politician” to comprehend; is the maze of governance so difficult to maneuver so as to make anyone other than a life-long politician an effective legislator? I doubt it to be so; but even if true, we could only hope it to be so. The logical end product of more “citizen-politicians” would then be less legislation, not more; and a definite boon to the people.

It matters little how term limits for elected officials becomes the law; a constitutional amendment works fine for me; but until it becomes so, any real and substantial change is impossible, and it is only a matter of time until the monster breaks loose his bonds to once again terrorize the people. Never mind the biscuits or crumpets serve me a pitchfork and torch with my tea; and when we’re done with tea, let’s go capture a monster.