Oppressive tax hikes, runaway federal spending, and a spiraling national debt that will burden generations to come were among the most frequently cited worries of the700,000 or more people who turned out April 15 for the Tea Party Protests held in more than 750 cities across the country. But as important as those three issues are, a statement published Friday by the Examiner from a national coordinating group of the nascent movement points to an even more fundamental concern. It speaks to the essential condition for the survival of a republic – the preservation of comity between the people and their representatives in government.
The dictionary defines comity as: “Mildness and suavity of manners; courtesy between equals; friendly civility; as, comity of manners; the comity of States.” The key element here is the reference to courtesy between equals. When that aspect of comity is lacking in the public discourse of a republic, its future health is thrown in doubt. The precipitous decline in the public’s respect for key federal institutions – especially Congress but notably excepting the U.S. military – has continued apace during the past decade under both major political parties. Unfortunately, the response to the Tea Party movement from President Obama and leading congressional Democrats only worsens the situation. That House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for example, would be less than welcoming to the Tea Party protestors is no surprise and not worthy of criticism. But Pelosi went beyond the pale to question the legitimacy of the protesters themselves, dismissing them as participants in an “astro-turfing initiative” covertly funded by a few powerful people seeking to preserve their wealth and privilege.
President Obama and aides went even further in attempting to marginalize and ridicule the Tea Party protestors and their issues. On the morning of the protests, Obama was said to be unaware of them. Then later in the day, Obama pointedly dismissed them as a bunch of “people waving tea bags around.” A few days later, Obama disdainfully promised to cut a whopping $100 million of wasteful spending from his 2010 federal budget, an amount equal to 0.007 percent of the projected $1.4 trillion deficit for the year. Obama’s condescension insulted his fellow citizens and demeaned the Oval Office. Obama, Pelosi, and other scoffers in Washington’s political establishment should heed the protestors’ warning that “mocking and demeaning well-intentioned, peaceful Tea Party Patriots who love their country is the height of arrogance, and a terrible mistake. The American people deserve better from their elected representatives, and are beginning to demand it.”
