Live from Houston Tea Party: Report and Pics
young Houston protester: i can't read, what's your excuse
Our very own Marc Moore is currently attending the tea party (protest) in Houston, Texas. He sent me several pictures already – see below. We’ll publish more photos from the Houston Tea Party later today, and Marc will write a report about it for us.
For now, Marc tells me that the “atmosphere is great. People are fired up. They are friendly but angry. They want the government to stimulate the economy, but they don’t want to see their children’s and their own financial future ruined. Washington is getting bigger and bigger, while people feel their (property) rights are taken away from them.”
He adds that there is “positive energy” in the air, and that protesters come from all walks in life: young, old, in-between. Those who have worked and are now seeing their hard work being undone, those who are working hard now and fear it may all be in vain, and those who have yet to work a day in their lives are all present and voice their opposition to the Democrats’ ridiculously expensive spending (and future taxing) plans.
“This is working America here. They don’t resent the rich: they wonder what will happen when they are taxed out of existence.
“All protesters ask the same question,” Marc reports. “I have to balance my budget, why doesn’t the government?”
It is a good question with, sadly, “no answer.”
Marc says that a “very conservative estimate” of the size of the crowd is 2,500. There are likely to be (many) more, however. Still, 2,500 working Americans protesting – most likely for the first time in their lives – in Houston Texas: that is not bad, not bad at all.
Especially not considering the fact that 300 to 500 similar protests (make that 800) are taking place throughout the country. U Pajamas Media reports that at least more than 100,000 people protested today. Marc explains: “Most of those here are impressed with the importance of being heard before it is too late. Preservation of freedom” is deemed essential by all of them.
One of the speakers at the Houston Tea Party was George Hernandez. Mr. Hernandez is a Cuban immigrant who loves America and everything it represents. He came to the U.S. to improve his lot in life and to live the American Dream.
“If America fails, there is no other place for free people to go,” Hernandez told the crowd. “Change for the sake of change [...] is not always a good thing.” He urged his fellow Americans to defend their rights and their freedom.
Another speaker (name not known, ex-air force) told the crowd that “our greatness comes not from natural wealth… or impressive technology. It is given by God through the people – the people who in their heart understand that being an American means believing in something bigger than themselves.”
“We are citizens of Texas and the United States of America,” he said. “We have been patient – trusting our government to do what is right. Trusting that our tax contribution would be used responsibly and in accordance with the Constitution. And now we find ourselves with a government which confiscates our resources in order to feed an ever-expanding bureaucracy which has exceeded its constitutionally granted role.”
He went on to say that “the foundation of our nation is simple.” Americans are bestowed with certain rights, among which: “men and women have the right to the fruit of their labor, that property is owned by the individual, and that government is accountable to the governed.”
The crowd responded especially passionately when the speaker said that he believes that “you own what you earn.” When you work hard, use your creativity to make money, “it is yours to spend” as you see fit. It is, perhaps, libertarian, but it is also an inherently American and – dare I say it – human principle.
Enough of that, here are the pics. Notice how funny these signs are – people may be angry, but they did not lose their wonderful sense of humor. That alone proves that the left-wing narrative about these protesters is wrong; they are no ‘angry wackos.’
Warning: The full entry is very image heavy.
Houston sign reads: Save now for your future taxes, sweetie
TEA: Taxed Enough Already
Houston tea party protesters are angry... but witty
Houston tea party, sign reads: Will work to pay may neighbor'$ mortgage
Check back frequently for more pics. This post will be updated throughout the day. Pics are published as Marc sends them in.
More:
Houston protesters
Thomas Jefferson: one of the protesters' favorite founding fathers
Houston protesters are already looking forward to 2012
And here we go again!
Houston to Washington: "Please. Stop. Helping. Me."
Texans worry about their grandchildren's prosperity
This protester believes Barack Obama is incinerating the Constitution.
To clarify:
Washington forces UNEEDED and UNESSECARY tax dollars on TEXAS with demands of submission to a new government with no accountability.
Washington has forgotten they work for us. We don’t work for them. Throwing good money after bad is NOT the answer. I am sick of the midnight, closed door sessions to come up with a plan. I am sick of Congress raking CEO’s over the coals while they, themselves, have defaulted on their taxes. I am sick of the bailed out companies having lavish vacations and retreats on my dollar. I am sick of being told it is MY responsibility to rescue people that, knowingly, bought more house than they could afford. I am sick of being made to feel it is my patriotic duty to pay MORE taxes. I, like all of you, am a responsible citizen. I pay my taxes. I live on a budget and I don’t ask someone else to carry the burden for poor decisions I may make. I have emailed my congressmen and senators asking them to NOT vote for the stimulus package as it was written without reading it first. No one listened. They voted for it, pork and all.
The reason the government bailed out AIG is because the pension of government officals were also lost and they were only looking out for themselves. The government does not care about the people!!!!!!!!!! Be them Democrats or Republicans! No one is bailing me out when I make bad choices and cannot control my spending. God! for bid! if I miss filing taxes. OOPS!!! I didn’t know I had to pay taxes. Now!!!! I can run for office!!!!! People of the United States of America!ENOUGH!!!!!!!! IS ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh how I wish I could be there – had to work too late. At least I have a job but Ihave to work 10 times harder to keep it and to pay my taxes.
YOU WORK FOR US OBAMA< PELOSI< REID.
WE DONT WORK FOR YOU.
Stop the madness. STop the insanity. Fiscal responsibility. I dont care if you pass all the left wing junk you want……just PAY FOR IT.
These are the rants I heard over and over at my Rally today.
Went to a protest today during lunch, worked late and didn’t get to attend the one this evening. I do want to say our rally wasn’t anything like Atlanta or NY, but we had a good turnout this afternoon. I agree with “Joe the Plumber”, we all need to stick together and protest and PRAY that something does get done and things “Change” the way they should be changed, not the way Obama and his cabinet propose as change.
I want to be able to pay my own mortgage, not pay my neighbors mortgage. No one would help me and hasn’t helped me pay my mortgage! I paid my taxes that I owed, my stimulus from Bush actually went to my old tax bill (I didn’t get it) and my tax refund paid the remaining tax bill I owed. I wish I could have had someone pay my taxes for me like our cabinet members had. This is crazy!
America needs to become the country that was founded by our founding Fathers. Put God first and prayer back in schools and God will take care of all of us. In God we Trust – well, some of us anyway!
The Houston Tea Party was a tremendous success. I’ve posted all the pictures (about 150 of them) I took at it: http://www.secularconservative.net/fiscal-policy/pictures-of-the-houston-tax-day-tea-party/ Feel free to use any of them if you’d like. We’ve got to use this momentum while we’ve got it.