What's In Your Tea

Some time ago I began a piece on the Republican Party’s Platform.  Sadly, I didn’t finish it but I made it far enough to illustrate my point.  And that is there are parts that I disagree with.

For example, I think the Republicans abandon Liberty when they spell out their plank on family:

Homosexual behavior is not the norm.. Public schools should not be used to teach children about homosexual behavior. Taxpayers should not fund benefit plans for unmarried partners. We support federal and state constitutional amendments to ensure that marriage is limited to the union of one man and one woman. We oppose adoption or foster parenting by same sex couples.

I mean, serious?

So, I went looking for similar such inconsistencies in any advertised platform that the Tea Party may have published.

This is what I found:

Vision:
NCFreedom’s member organizations will be the principle driving force to restore Liberty in our nation, and demonstrate pre-eminent leadership in our local and state resistance movement on a national scale. Through a variety of initiatives, we will redirect our elected representatives to support our values, beliefs, and principles which include:

  • The advancement of individual and constitutional liberties
  • The exercise of a “limited government” philosophy
  • The implementation of fiscally responsible government spending
  • The cessation of fraud & corruption in Raleigh and Washington, D.C

Pretty cool so far, huh?  I think that you’d be hard pressed to find anyone you know in America that doesn’t resonate with those 4 sections of the vision.
Let’s see what’s next:

Mission:
We seek to inject a non-partisan, proactive, persuasive and constructive voice of rational reasoning into our local, state and national political affairs; a strong citizen’s voice that represents our Founders’ values, beliefs and principles consistent with our unique American heritage and traditions, our constitutional rights, and the inspired wisdom of our founding fathers.

We seek to eradicate “Tyranny”, where tyranny is defined as the exercise of power over subjects and others with a rigor not authorized by law or justice, or not requisite for the purposes of government.

We seek to re-establish “Liberty”, where liberty is defined as having the freedom to think or act without being constrained by necessity or force.

Again, pretty powerful stuff.  Things like tyranny and Liberty are being talked about.  The calling out of constraint and force.  Freedom to think and to act.  All concepts that I think all American’s hold very dear.

And it just continues to get better and better:

Principles: Principles are defined as the fundamental doctrine regarding laws or facts of nature – rules or code of conduct.

1. An individual is the fundamental unit of human value, an individual owns himself without precondition, and social structure must respect the sovereignty of each individual.

2. The moral basis necessary for sovereign individuals to prosper together, in social structures, in peace, is completely defined by the “ideal laws for a civil society”:

  • Do not encroach upon others or their property.
  • Do all that you agreed to do.

The document continues to insert words that include moral and facts of nature.  Yet everywhere those words are backed up by the concept of “Do no wrong”.  The idea that the sovereignty of the individual is the supreme concern.  That individuals own themselves without precondition.

THIS set of visions is most consistent with Liberty.  With the a priori state of man.  It is THIS set of words that echos the cries of freedom from those 230 or so years ago.

You can say that Tea Party folks are racist, violent, ignorant and wing nuts.  But you’d be wrong.

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