Cream & Sugar to Kill the Bitterness...

Some come bearing Colonial-Era garb, others come waving hand lettered signs. Tea Parties—the grassroots protests against Obama’s bigger government—have gained a lot of media attention, especially recently.

Columnist Leonard Pitts described Tea Parties and racist, while Rod Watson raised eyebrows around Buffalo last Thrusday (and gave WBEN's Sandy Beach plenty of talking points) with a column describing more of the same. 

As legislators made their way to Capitol Hill to make health care history last month, many were nailed with racial slurs and other derogatory epithets. Here in Western New York, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D), had a brick tossed through an office window. Politicians around the country experienced similar vandalisms.

Then in comes the Coffee Party. Making headlines on NPR’s "Saturday Edition" last month, this grassroots movement also seeks to address people’s perceived lack of representation in government. Only there’s a twist: Coffee partyers like to define themselves as getting together for “…real political dialogue with substance and compassion.”

In other words, the Coffee Party seeks to create a platform where people can discuss their political opinions, woes, and ideas in a respectful, civilized format. While some of the energy that the Tea Parties draw from the original Boston Tea Party in all its rebellious glory is sure to be lost, these are no longer Colonial days. Our government and Constitution are firmly established. The rules of tolerance, acceptance, and civility in culture have been rewritten.

On a quick aside, the Coffee Party was birthed largely out of Facebook. It’s another fine example of the power of social networks in the Internet Age.

I like the idea of both Coffee and Tea Parties. Seeing people effect positive change is one of the pillars that make America great. The Colonial dress, the wigs—it’s all good theater and publicity stunt work. But vandalism? That’s never appropriate.  Nor is racism.  Pitts is a reverse racist, and this is especially true in his Tea-Party pooping. 

I’d love to attend a Tea Party gathering—there is much that concerns me about the current administration in Washington. I wouldn’t mind visiting a Coffee Party either. What I wish I understood is why does the vocal minority (i.e. vandals & hatemongers) often seem to trump the voice of the silent majority? Perhaps these caffeine-fueled parties will be just the thing to let silent civilians speak up on a new level.

Espresso syrup kills the bitterness too.  I always knew this odd shot, at the Venetian Las Vegas, would come in handy one day.