By Daniel Johnson-Kim, Editor in Chief

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There was no harbor and no Native American disguises, but that did not stop more than 1,000 Big Country residents from sponsoring a TEA party protest to voice their opposition to what they call unnecessary spending by the federal government and socialistic policies.

The TEA – an acronym for Taxed Enough Already – party participants gathered at all four corners on the cross roads of North 4th and Pine streets from 6-8 p.m. Big Country residents of of all ages held homemade signs denouncing the federal stimulus packages; others hung teabags from their signs and eyeglasses. Some even dressed up for what organizers said was a non-partisan gathering.

Tommy Walden, 69, stood on the curb, donning a metallic blue jacket, a patriotic top hat and red and white pinstripe pants. Coupled with his white hair, Walden resembled a clean-shaven Uncle Sam, an age-old symbol for the country he said was on the wrong path. Walden, who said he tends to vote Republican, said he opposed all forms of federal spending to bailout failed banks and companies; he said he came to the TEA party because he is a concerned citizen.

“The reason I am out here is because our country is in dire straights,” said Walden, the director of the Discovery Center. “We’re not just saying, ‘Oh, Obama is bad.’ It’s not a Democrat or Republican thing; we’re all grass-root Americans, and we’re standing against spending.”

Walden and hundreds of others pointed their signs toward cars driving by on Pine Street. Some drivers honked their horns, and some motorcyclists revved their engines, acts of apparent approval that energized the crowd that burst into chants of “Enough, Enough, Enough!” and “No more, No more, No more!”

The Big Country TEA party was joined by fed-up taxpayers throughout the state and nation who simultaneously planned TEA parties on Tax Day, the last day a citizen is able to file income tax returns. Big Country protestors signed a petition, and organizers handed out envelopes and Xeroxed copies of a picture of a tea bag that would be sent to the White House, said Heather Hodges, event organizer.

“The No. 1 thing I hope this accomplishes is that we show that we’re tired of them spending our hard-earned money,” Hodges said. “I want the public to get involved and wake up.our nation is being ravished by liberalism.”

Not only the liberalism associated with the Democrats in power, but any politician, “Republican, Democrat or Libertarian,” who sees government spending as the answer to the economic downturn, Hodges said.

“I really do feel the bailout and stimulus is not a good thing, so I wanted to put my voice out there and wanted to step up,” said Margaret Moore, freshman interdisciplinary major from Houston.

Jimmy Pickens (’81) showed a picture of his 9-month-old great-granddaughter while speaking from a podium to illustrate how unfair it was to place the federal deficit in the hands of future generations.

“She is facing a life of slavery to the federal government to pay off this deficit,” said Pickens, a 73-year-old veteran.

Octogenarians Bill and Helen Lail held hands, while Pickens’ speech blasted through nearby speakers. Each held an American flag, and the retired Abilenians who have been married for more than 64 years said Pickens’ message was on point.

“I don’t want my grandchildren to ask me for money to pay the debt,” Bill said.

“They don’t know what they’re doing in Washington,” Helen added soon after.

Virginia French, 66, and Darlene Williams, 63, tied tea bags to their eyeglasses. The friends, along with Darlene’s husband, Daniel, drove more than 60 miles from Eastland to Abilene to join the TEA party.

“It’s time people stood up and said enough is enough,” Darlene said. “All of our freedoms are being taken away from us.”

Soon after 8 p.m., the crowd dispersed and left behind more than a dozen pages signed by protesters for the petition that will be sent to the White House.

“To us, this is a kickoff to what we hope will be an American revolution,” Hodges said.

The BIG Country TEA Party (Taxed Enough Already) met in downtown Abilene on Tax Day to rally against the wasteful spending in Washington. We had an incredible show of support by fellow Abilenians and our friends from surrounding areas. We had a kick-off Rally at noon till 2:00pm and then our Big Rally was from 6-8:30pm. I am elated to report that our official count, according to our sign-in sheets, for the early rally was 250 people. And then our official count for the main rally was 1010 citizens!! Now, these numbers don’t include the people who didn’t sign in, or for those who signed in under one name for their family. So our numbers were actually even higher than these!!

We started the rally with the tune “Revelry” and posted the Colors with the American and Texas Flags. We had Twyla Foreman sing the National Anthem and America the Beautiful. What a voice! And our County Commissioner, Randy Williams, gave a wonderful invocation. I was so proud to be a part of this very patriotic, non-partisan rally!! College students, young families, blue collar/white collar folks, retired veterans, all came out together with two things in common—Love for this Country and anger with Washington for their wasteful spending /endless bailouts and the direction our national leaders are vision taking us! We all agreed that we were not rallying to throw one political party under the proverbial bus. To be very clear: This is not a “conservative” vs “liberal” thing it’s about RIGHT vs WRONG! We see that BOTH parties are participating in this far left mentality and WE THE PEOPLE are furious that they signed (WITHOUT READING IT IN IT’S ENTIRETY!!) a 787 billion dollar “Stimulus/Pork-ulous” Bill, in open defiance of the American People.

World War II, Vietnam Veterans were mixed amongst the many senior citizens who made their way out to the rally in wheelchairs and walkers! I spoke with many of these courageous people and most reported to me that they had never protested anything in their lives. One gentleman in his 70’s told me that for the first time in his life he is “scared for the future of this country and the security of his family”. Jimmy Pickens, a retired US veteran, said that he has “19 friends’ names carved in the black granite in Washington DC, and this is NOT the America that they gave their lives for”!! Although we kept our rally solely focused on the wasteful spending and seemingly endless bailouts, it seems to me, that many of our freedoms are being encroached upon (just ask the fired CEO of Chrysler), and we owe it to our fallen soldiers to stop being complacent while we watch the American Dream get flushed down the toilet, by the guy who decided to buy a house he knew he couldn’t afford and the govt (thanks, Barney Frank with Fanny Mae/ Freddy Mac) who pushed the banks to lend him the $$$!!

As we were all driving to the Post Office, most of us heard yet another news headliner that had us thinking we must’ve driven through a “worm hole” because this news, yet again, flies completely in the face of the Constitution!! Janet Napolitano reported that Homeland Security is on alert for individuals who aren’t planting bombs or planning to become suicide bombers, but individuals who just like—- US!! ?? The report stated that those individuals who are…wait for it… Christians , against the federal govt’s spending, against abortion, ILLEGAL immigration… have a third party candidate bumper sticker on their car….or (most offensively!!!) are a veteran or “disgruntled” soldier, just returning from the Middle East, after putting their life on the line to PROTECT America and fight for freedom… well then, THEY are a THREAT to this country and should be put on a watch list! Wow, I went to bed as a a wife and mom, and woke up a TERRORIST!? Interestingly enough, this report came out on the eve of the 2,000+ TEA Party Rallies scheduled all across America!! …Now, I’m not a political strategist, but I am a thinker, and this sure as heck sounded like an intimidation tactic to me, and I’m happy to report, it back-fired!! They proved our point for us all over again! Now their stomping on our Bill of Rights! Just a day or two earlier, they were telling State Governor’s that they MUST accept the stimulus money and that if they refused it, they would find a way to force them to take it! Governor Rick Perry of Texas, cited that the 10TH Ammendment says that the federal govt was created to work and support the States, not the other way around!! He told the Washington that Texas doesn’t want their money because our economy is relatively strong! Damn I was proud of him! I made mention of Gov. Perry’s courageous stance at both rallies and the crowds cheered wildly with pride! And our Constitution is in danger, Folks!! And it must be DEFENDED! And these Weasels took an OATH to PROTECT and DEFEND it, not DISREGARD and OFFEND it!! We ALL need to educate ourselves on what the Founding Fathers wrote in these documents that help to create and protect the sovereinty of this great nation from our enemies, foreign and domestic. We must remind these people that they were ELECTED, not ANNOINTED!!! They need to remember they REPRESENT US, and it’s not the other way around!! I’ll bet there are many people who voted this administration into power, because they were sick of politics as usual. But we didn’t expect to end up with BIG GOVT who would threaten to take away from individual liberties and incomes of those who are willing and able to “carry the water” to give to those who simply want to “drink the water”!! It just doesn’t make sense!!

WE THE PEOPLE will continue to voice our opinions in these rallies and cannot wait to get the voting booths next year to OUST the RADICALS in Washington who only do THEIR will, instead of the WILL OF THE PEOPLE… AND BY THE PEOPLE!! We are a peaceful, sane nation. We do not take our fight to the streets, but to the voting booths. We can’t sit these elections out anymore, folks, because our silence is interpreted as approval or apathy.

Now, I’m hanging up my “right-wing radical extremist cap” and going back to focusing on my family. These last three weeks have been very “taxing” on them!

But you can bet your Sweet and Low, that I will continue to exercise my First Amendment right and my right to vote, and something tells me thousands of other “TEA totelers” will do the same!!! (FYI: If you are interested in finding out more information about the TEA Parties and their turnout numbers/documentaries, go to teapartyday.com.)

May God bless you and may He continue to Bless America!(…oops, there I go again, talking like a radical-terrorist!)
Mary Koss
Abilene, TX

I see the point behind the rally but it seems to be more reactive then proactive. We as American people, especially Christians are so quick to say my money but the fact is it’s not your money. We are stewards of those things in which God has placed us over and unfortunately Americans have been bad stewards; thus, we are paying for it. No, we don’t want to be taxed more and as a student I don’t like it when
tuition keeps raising but what can you do? If it is going to possibly fix the problem, I say shut up and give it a chance; anything is better than nothing. Many people signed the petition but did anybody come up with a better solution? Don’t just react; be proactive, come together and brain storm on what you believe the American people want as civilians and send Washington a plan of action.

Abilene to them is an insignificant ant on the ground that is easily expunged by stepping on it. Why should they listen to a bunch of small town folks? So when you are, you have to come tough or you’re looked over. This TEA party rally should be formed in many other cities to build strong numbers.

I am all for it but this rally should be more proactive in coming up with a better solution than what Washington has come up with