Hey, America, Are You Listening?

Thousands of protesters gathered at the state Capitol on Wednesday, standing up for lower taxes, smaller government, a stop to bailouts, and an end to Doyle's term. The showing, as estimated by local police, was somewhere between 2,500 and 3,500, some people coming from hundreds of miles to show their support for a check on the Federal Government. The showing was really quite impressive, especially for the "unorganized" right.

But, in my opinion, many of the protesters missed the point. Calling for the removal of Doyle is a pointless action, as no one expects him to take it seriously, and throwing support towards Republicans who are no doubt similarly responsible for our catastrophic economic meltdown is just reverting to misguided political leadership. Many people just don't seem to realize that a return to the Rule of Law and reduced government is the solution that will be best for our country.

Thankfully, there were actually many that did. Some of my favorite signs included those that rejected the idea of over the top spending and bailouts and a few that declared, proudly, "End the Fed." The goal of these movements should not be to target leaders or claim that "Obama is the Anti-Christ," but rather to send a message loud and clear that we are paying attention and we are not going to tolerate this bloated spending anymore. America, are you listening?

My favorite seen from the tea party:

Please share your stories or links on here. I want to hear what your tea party experience was like.

Mommy, Am I a Terrorist?

I've been having an identity crisis lately. For some time I've considered myself to be a man of Freedom, arguing that perhaps the federal government should not have so much power, that maybe the states would be inclined to better serve the needs of their constituents. But apparently our elected (or not) "officials" have a different picture of me. According to the Washington Times, the Department of Homeland Security has recently released a nine page police report on the rising influence of right-wing extremism in the United States.

Normally, this would mean nothing to me, as I don't consider myself a right-wing extremist, or even right-wing for that matter, but there was one clause that concerned me. "Analysis defines 'rightwing extremism in the United States' as including not just racist or hate groups," reads the Times, "but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority." That's a scary thought. Perhaps we should define our founding fathers as being 'right-wing extremists' then.

Moreover, the warning continues, "It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration." Regardless of your opinion on these issues, is one not free to be dedicated to any cause they desire without being labeled a threat? When did it become dangerous to feel passionate about your opinion?

Add this to the recently recalled MIAC report, and I'm beginning to get a whole slew of titles: right-wing extremist, militia member, third party supporter (oh no! screams the man in Washington.) I know that I am not alone; after all, the MIAC report listed Campaign for Liberty and Ron Paul supporters as militia members, putting the total in, I don't know, hundreds of thousands! If that's really the case, the federal government better be scared.

And of course, were I to be a terrorist, the government would have the ability to tap my phones. Actually, they have that ability regardless of my political affiliation. As reported yesterday by Fox News, Obama seems to have changed his mind on that whole invasion of liberties thing. Once declaring that Bush's operation "undermined the Constitution," Obama is now using the same argument as his predecessor. This is terribly disappointing to me, as I saw candidate Obama as being far stronger on issues of personal liberty. But again, President Obama seems to be an entirely different person.

I have tried to make a habit of never declaring a title for myself. I was never content to call myself a Republican or a Democrat, Libertarian or Socialist. But there is one thing I can say without hesitation: I am no terrorist. Enjoy the Gadsden Flag, MIAC, it means more for our country than a police force ever will.

Tax Freedom Day

Since I began involvement with Young Americans for Liberty, I have had many people ask me if there is anyone who actually opposes Liberty. I think they find this analogous to a group that is against cancer or heart disease, as if there are none who would stand up and oppose Freedom because, well, everyone loves it. I always respond (quite to my enjoyment) with a simple "Yes, actually. They're called the International Socialist Organization." But my overwhelming wittiness aside, there are actually those out there who threaten our Freedoms on a daily basis, and we should know; we put them in office.

Of course you may not have necessarily voted for them, but our Congressional leaders have more control of our lives than the average American realizes. Take, for instance, that today is Tax Freedom Day. What does that mean? "Tax Freedom Day is defined as the day when the nation as a whole has theoretically earned enough income to fund its annual federal tax burden," says Dr. Ron Paul, as he adds quite appropriately, "For all of the days of the year before this day, you are a slave to government." In theory, this means that all the money that the US has made this year up to this day has gone to funding our government. Add in the massive deficit and the actual Tax Freedom Day falls in mid-May.

That is why I am urging everyone to attend a Tea Party or Tax Day Rally on Wednesday. These events, occurring at hundreds of locations throughout the nation, are a great way to get out there and stand up for your right to keep the sweat of your brow. Be warned, however, that simply standing amongst a group of people is not enough; in fact, it hardly accomplishes anything. This is just a starting point. Send a letter or talk to your representative in Congress, and explain why government spending is not the answer and taxing us more is not going to achieve anything. Do something to earn your Freedom.

You can find the video from our meeting last week here, showing our sign ideas that we will be presenting at the Tea Party at the steps of the Capital here in Madison.