By Coleen Lickiss, Marquette Heights, IL
Knowing the momentum American Tea Partiers were gaining, I, a Republican senior, personally wanted to see and hear what really transpired at the Peoria Tea Party April 15 along the riverfront at the end of Liberty Street.
The first description of the fun, friendly educational event on a hot, sunny day was that everyone was remarkably and admirably well-behaved. Most of the theme was educating new members about the constitution, congress, the importance of the census, wasteful spending and “taxation without representation” and their motto, “We are madder than hell and we aren’t going to take it anymore!”
Abundant was an atmosphere of congeniality, compassion and common sense values. I found it interesting that almost everyone who introduced themselves to me used only their first names. I had to ask for their surnames.
I saw no mean, vicious signs but a lot of humorous ones. An excerpt of signs that got the most spontaneous outpouring of support and appreciation was: if you are racist, threatening or planning to cause problems, you are neither invited nor welcome.
One sign that I thought borderline was, “Don’t pee on my shoes and tell me it is raining.” Why not just say, “Stop the deceptions.”
A sampling of the signs is: Obama’s healthcare makes me sick; Born free but taxed to death; The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates; Happy November; Ask for term limits, and Rally for our Republic.
Masters of Ceremony were Wayne Miller and Laurie Feld. Speakers included Brad Carter, a constitutional educator, Mark Stevens, Jody Kimbrull, and Greg Albright. Mel and Sheila Devall and Cathy Black performed emotional musical entertainment.
At the end of the event, everyone was asked to remove any debris. They did. After having spent three hours with Tea Partiers in Peoria, I now know that these people are not “a toxic stew of political extremists” but they are hard-working, politically astute, educated, patriotic Americans who are making history and plan to continue even after the 2012 elections with a dedication to preserve their beloved Republic with a Democratic form of government based on our Constitution.