Read platform before ranting

I would be willing to bet a large amount of dollars that 99.9 percent of those who rant about the Tea Party have never read their platform. The Tea Party is an all-inclusive American grassroots movement and deserves an equal opportunity to assemble as guaranteed by the Constitution.

No one is excluded from the Tea Party movement, these are their goals:

1. Eliminate excessive taxes.

2. Eliminate the national debt.

3. Eliminate deficit spending.

4. Protect free markets.

“You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.”

5. Abide by the Constitution of the United States.

6. Promote civic responsibility , citizen involvement at the grassroots level allows the people to be heard.

7. Reduce the overall size of the government . A bloated bureaucracy creates wasteful spending.

8. Believe in the people . The American people will thrive in an atmosphere which allows to strive toward great achievements, innovations and efficiency.

9. Avoid the pitfalls of politics. The Tea Party is seen as a threat to the establishment and is the target of smear campaigns and misrepresentation of its ideals. We choose to disavow any and all hate speech, and all violence as well as the insinuation of extremist that bring discredit to the movement.

10. Maintain local independence. The strength of a grassroots movement allows us to determine our own platforms and agendas free from an overriding central authority.

Jeff Crocker

Lake Stevens

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