8 Things about the Tea Party Movement most people don't know

1. What is a Tea Party?

A group of people who come together, just like the original Boston Tea Party, to protest problems in government.

In the winter/spring of 2009, people held rallies or "œtea parties" throughout the United States. Organizations were formed to host these rallies and have continued to evolve ever since.

2. How is the tea party movement organized?

There is no central leadership. Almost every group is an autonomous unit.

Within a council of leaders, like the Ohio Liberty Council, we share resources, strategy and many other things but do not control any individual group. Ohio has approximately 120 individual and sub-groups that host regular meetings and have regular activities.

I do not know a single group in Ohio that is not 100 percent self organized and self-funded. None of them takes money or direction from outside organizations, political parties or special interests.

3. What do tea parties do?

Most time is spent on educational events and content: constitutional classes, free-market speakers, teachers on principles of liberty, etc. There is a general consensus among most supporters that education to basic principles is key on getting things back on track.

Other time is spent engaging elected officials: candidate forums, letter campaigns, e-mail campaigns, phone campaigns, office visits, meetings, etc.

About 90 percent of the year is spent on something other than protests and rallies.

4. I read the tea party movement is filled with racists and extremists. Is this true?

Simply answered, no.

The average attendee of any given meeting or rally is a middle-class citizen who thinks both political parties are a mess, and is engaging for the first time to make a difference.

A diverse group, there are social moderates and conservatives with libertarians and social liberals "“ all being fiscally responsible and liberty-minded people. We focus on the core values alone "“ fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets, and stay away from social issues completely.

It's clear someone doesn't understand the movement when they pull a random sign or comment from someone who attended a rally and pretend to understand everything currently in motion. Labels of "racist," "extremist" or "ignorant" just don't apply.

For the record "“ we completely and thoroughly disavow and condemn any comments or supporters based in racism or violence of any kind. We have, and will continue, to ask all tea party supporters to act with passion not anger, conviction not fear, and truth rather than slander.

There is no room for ad-hominem attacks when arguments based in substance will suffice.

5. Why is there so much negativity about the tea party movement?

Opinion blogs and articles are being taken as record of the tea party movement. Media who attend the events skip the vast majority of the speakers and are content to focus on the three people in the crowd who have a completely inappropriate poster or shirt. They are missing the real story "“ the message at the event.

The "movement" is very clearly saying one thing on loud speakers to the crowd, and the "journalists" very clearly reporting another. The media take the crazy guy with hate speech about Obama and tie it into the event as a central theme.

There are lots of YouTube hit pieces where some random person is pulled out of crowd and interviewed. They very rarely post leaders' interviews when the same is done. Why? Because we just don't say that stuff. Our interviews are normally on point and rather articulate.

Irresponsible journalism happens on the right and left, so I'm not suggesting it's political. I am suggesting it's irresponsible.

6. What does the tea party movement believe?

A uniting force in Ohio is spelled out in the Ohio Liberty Council statement of principles http://www.ohiolibertycouncil.org/?page_id=113

Boiled down to its very core, we believe in the power of an individual and personal responsibility. We believe preserving personal liberty is the key to a prosperous society and nation.

If I could sum it up like this - we were a democratic republic built on commerce, we became prosperous, then we became comfortable. Our comfort created an entitlement that didn't previously exist, and now the last couple of generations have had a view that equal things, not equal rights, are most important.

People have sought to preserve equal things by chipping away at personal liberties. This is a bad thing.

7. What are your thoughts on the Republicans and Democrats?

Both parties have pursued varied versions of this basic agenda, with Republicans seeking to control the economy to manufacture prosperity and the Democrats seeking to control the masses by manufacturing equality. Both are wrong.

We support values that are necessary to preserving our rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. In practical terms, those values aren't possible without limited government, fiscal responsibility and free markets.

We see none of these things being preserved by either party.

8. Who is to blame for the current state of nation?

Both political parties are equally culpable for the current state of the union, but most to blame - more than anyone else is - us. Yes, you and me.

We sat around as this monstrosity was built by both parties. We were not the accountability function we should have been. The great uproar in 2009 was everyone knowing in his or her gut - this is enough!

I hope this movement is just the start of the great paradigm switch our country needs so badly.

Hopefully this was helpful and sheds some light on the tea party movement.

As an Ohio University graduate, long overdue for a pilgrimage to Athens, I would be happy to meet with any student groups or other organizations who have questions about the tea party movement.



Editor's note: Chris Littleton, an Ohio University graduate, is co-founder of the Ohio Liberty Council and president of the Cincinnati Tea Party.