Many of you have heard the sexual epithet (here) to describe the Tea Party Patriots who have pushed back on the biggest spending government the world has ever seen. Who have called for, what Professor Victor Davis Hansen calls a “return to civic virtue.” And how do the one party rulers respond? By calling us a sexual epithet. (See Dave Hunt’s email exchange with a constinuent after the jump; it’s extraordinary)
We can do better than these hacks and that’s what really bugs them. They lay down their future careers on spending more of the taxpayers’ dollars so that the Democrats can use the government as charity. Controlling what we earn is the way to control our own freedom and liberty. The Tea Party Patriots call for less government and for more control over the fruits of our own labors and they call us names.
From: B A*** [mailto:b*********@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 1:09 PM
To: Rep Hunt
Subject: I am offended
Dear Mr. Hunt:
I am writing to inform you that the terms “tea bagger” and tea bagging” are highly offensive to supporters of the Tea Party movement. We do not self identify as such, nor do we appreciate your use of the terms.
I am not so stupid as to believe you do not know that these terms are sexual innuendos. Nor that these are terms of derision used by liberal/”progressive” commentators such as Rachael MadCow. I also know your constituents think it is funny to refer to Tea Partiers as such.
Consider yourself informed. You now have no excuse to use these terms again, unless you intend to be insulting.
Looking forward to the Conservative trsunami in Nov.,B. A. A****
Salem, OR
From: Rep Hunt.rep@state.or.us>
Subject: RE: I am offended
To: “‘B***A****'”
Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 1:44 PM
******@yahoo.com>Mr. A****:Thanks for that information. I have heard anti-tax, anti-government activists refer to themselves as teabaggers, so perhaps there is a difference of opinion within that “movement”.Dave HuntFrom: B**** A**** [b********@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 3:06 PM
To: Rep Hunt
Subject: RE: I am offended
That’s a bit like saying “I’ve heard black people use the N word. Some of them really don’t mind it.” I know you know better.PS. There was no need to put movement in quotes. Go ahead, whistle past the graveyard.
Then Hunt pulls out the final, definitive authority for such things, the anybody can edit, change of the moment wikipedia:
From: Rep Hunt
.rep@state.or.us>
Subject: RE: I am offended
To: “B**** A****”
Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 10:18 PM
*********@yahoo.com>
The Wikipedia definition of “Teabagger”:“The verb to “tea bag”, hence “tea bagger”, to describe these protesters has been used by several pundits and journalists after it appeared self-referentially on signs at Tea Party rallies, distributed by “FReeRepublic.Com”….The term’s growth in the political arena earned attention by the Oxford American Dictionary, and the word “teabagger” achieved finalist status for the OAD Word of the Year.[15]“Dave Hunt
Dave Hunt: please see this bona fide dictionary definition of what we fight against.
On KPAM’s Hugh Hewitt show this morning, I heard a wonderful exchange between the host and scholar, columnist and classicist Professor Victor Davis Hansen on what motivates the Tea Party Patriots. The exchange produced this one observation that I believe is the nub of the movement:
Tea Party Patriots demand a return to civic virtue
This is what Hansen believes must be done to lead:
…this new Tea Party movement, and the Republican renaissance, it’s not going to go anywhere unless there’s some kind of updated compact with America. And that contract with America, it’s got to be something like we’re not going to talk about deficits in terms of GDP. We’re going to talk about balanced budgets in real dollars. And we’re going to not just balance the budget, we’re going to create surpluses and pay down this debt for our children. We’re going to have zero tolerance for Congressional corruption, and when we’re going to get in wars, we’re going to win them.
…They have to be virtuous, and they have to say that conservatism means traditional values. But it also means that we are immune from the enticements and the corruption in Washington. And that will get these people who are in the Tea Party to join them.
It’s classical virtue. It’s classical virtue. It’s not specific to any particular religion, but it’s common sense natural law, if you will, that we don’t spend things we don’t have. We don’t speak, we don’t say A is something when we know B is true, just because we can get away with it. We want the media to be honest. We don’t believe the New York Times anymore. It’s a very holistic movement, and you’re right. It’s about classical, middle class values, and it’s aimed at elites.
