Hopes and Aspirations of the Utah Tea Party

I posted a note on Facebook about my answer to an elderly American with concerns about the directions our country is heading. From there, it continued to spread and Larry Jensen copied my response, duly credited it, as the hopes and aspirations of the Utah Tea Party. I wanted to share it with my Blogland friends as well.

(This is a letter from Utah Tea Party activist Candace Salima to an elderly woman by the name of Dora. It's a good summary of the aspirations of the movement).

Dora,

You do have every right to be concerned about America, no question. But two years ago an awakening began in America. On April 15, 2009 the first nationwide tea party, reminiscent of those patriots who threw the Boston tea party in 1773, was thrown. On that date, just shy of a million people showed up at different locations around America, including me.

Over the course of those two years, people began reading again, studying the Constitution thoroughly. They began studying American history for themselves, and not through the prism of progressive education. They began blogging, emailing, calling their congressmen, senators and the White House. They became familiar with and begin dialogues with local legislators. Townhall meetings began and they caught fire. They spread across the nation and those who could motivate others to action began speaking everywhere. I personally answered hundreds of emails a day, questions posted on my FB and Twitter pages as well as my blog. My phone rang incessantly and all asked questions about America, the government, the Congress, how things work, etc. Oh yeah, I found School House Rock again and started showing it to all the kids. Amazing how much was taught through music back then.

The wave grew greater and greater, until one year later on April 15, 2010 what had become known as the "tea party movement," was reported on national news as being over 39 million strong, and that was before Obamacare was signed into law. Our numbers have only continued to grow.

Scores of Utah Tea Party members attended the Restore America rally in August 2010. Between 400,000 and 500, 000 attended the event.

The left has attacked the tea party movement as a bunch of right wing extremists who hate our president because he is black. Not so. The tea party movement is comprised of housewives, farmers, ranchers, businessmen and women, doctors, lawyers, and Americans who punch a time clock every day of the week. We believe a Republic form of government is far superior to a pure democracy, socialism or communism. We believe the U.S. Constitution to be divinely inspired and the greatest document in the history of the world. We believe in free enterprise, no deficit spending - balanced federal budget, states' rights and so much more that fosters a free, responsible society. In other words, we believe in the resiliency of the American spirit, to the fullest.

Why do I tell you all this, Dora? Because all of this effort, education and active Americans standing up for their nation resulted in November 2, 2010 where Republicans retook the House of Representatives majority, over 230 elected to the House that day. In the Senate Republicans gained 6 more seats. Across the nation 687 seats were turned over to Republicans. 37 of out 50 governors are Republican. And in all these races, in most cases, most winners were not the status-quo Republicans. Americans began demanding stringent requirements of their candidates. Those who voted for TARP, OMNIBUS, etc. were gone. Those who had continued to vote for big federal government and ever shrinking states rights, were gone. In other words, in large part, we sent a whole new breed of politician, statesmen if you will, back to Washington, D.C.

State Delegates to the Republican Convention including many from the Utah Tea Party elected Mike Lee over long time incumbent Bob Bennett in 2010. The point? Elect leaders who walk the talk of fiscal responsibility and limited government.

This is a whole new electorate and political climate for elected officials. No longer can they function in the shadow with a trusting public. Americans are demanding complete transparency because of the rabid abuses of the government. We use several sites to track legislation, although my favorite is http://opencongress.org and I always double-check with the government sites (www.house.gov and http://senate.gov,) to keep track of what they are up to. My senators and congressmen, as well as my local legislators, know me by name, have my number in their cellphones and theirs in mine. I don't abuse the constituent/elected official relationship, but I contact them on key issues and legislation letting them know how I feel and what I want them to do. Dora, I am not the only one. There are millions of Americans across the nation doing the same. We are educating our children to the rights, privileges and responsibilities of being an American. We fly our American flags proudly. We make sure to keep ourselves educated so we are able to answer the questions of those who don't have the time to follow everything.

In other words, America is fighting back and we are winning. The new House of Representatives, to be sworn in on January 20th, will work with the Democrat controlled, barely, Senate to restore Constitutional government to Washington, D.C. and we once again have a president who actually loves America and wants to restore her to her former strength, we will begin that long journey back. Don't give up hope, we are fighting this war and have just won a major battle on November 2nd. Everyone elected knows they are going to be watched like hawks.

Candace

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved by Candace E. Salima.

America Has Spoken

This was quite an historic moment in the history of the United States of America. At the conclusion of two years of the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress ignoring the American people and shoving socialism down our throats, the American voter issued a referendum on their agenda. That was a huge resounding HELL NO!

The Republicans retook the House of Representatives and gained six more seats in the U.S. Senate. The American people sent the message that we wanted the federal government to return to the U.S. Constitution, cut spending, be fiscally responsible, balance the budget, and remain within the limits of Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, where the powers of the federal government are enumerated.

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

We want personal responsibility, free enterprise and capitalism. We want Obamacare repealed, defunded and then repealed again when we don't have a wanna-be king in the White House. We want our Republic back and socialism/communism stopped dead cold in its tracks.

The message was VERY clear. It was screamed at the top of our lungs. It was restated over and over at tea parties, on blogs, editorials, letters to the editors, phone calls/faxes/emails to Congress and the White House. The American people worked day and night to make sure Congress knew we were dead set against everything they were doing, and they went ahead anyway.

Hence the "shellacking" Obama and the Democrats took on Tuesday. And still, they don't get it. They really think, the Democrats and the liberals, that they just weren't clear enough in explaining to the "stupid" American people about why what they did was "good for us." So let me say it one more time:

We know exactly what you were doing. We actually read all the legislation even though you didn't. We know you were trying co-opt free enterprise and replace it with communist principles with your "redistribution of wealth" (thank you, Karl Marx and Barack Obama.) WE DO NOT WANT IT! Plain and simple. I don't know how to put it any more plainly than that. And if you still don't get the message, you don't belong in the White House, the Congress or working in the federal government. Because you're just too damn stupid to see what is staring you right in the face in mile-high, bold, red letters. WE WANT WHAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS GAVE US...NOT THIS COMMUNIST CRAP!

I believe in the American spirit of resilience, innovation, courage, strength and independence. I believe Americans can handle their own problems and we don't need the federal government poking its nose in our lives, our businesses or our states. 

So the Republican House of Representatives of the 112th Congress is going to dig in and get to work. First on the agenda, the extending of the Bush Tax Cuts in order to foster growth in the private sector. Second, the repeal of Obamacare, and then when the president vetoes it, the defunding of it until the U.S. Supreme Court rules it unconstitutional or we've replaced the wanna-be king with a real president. So please call your new Senators and Congressmen, as well as the ones who managed to be re-elected and tell them you support the repeal of Obamacare in its entirety. That is first on the agenda.

Next week, call and remind them about extending the Bush Tax Cuts, Obamacare and tell them you are adamantly opposed to Cap & Trade AND Obama's planned end run around Congress in regulating it through the EPA instead. I've contacted Speaker John Boehner and asked about legislation that will bring all of Obama's czars under the control of the U.S. Congress and the halting of anything the EPA tries that is under the direct responsibility of the U.S. Congress and not the EPA. 

In the third week, call and remind them about the Bush Tax Cuts, Obamacare, Cap & Trade, and demand a balanced budget and the end of deficit spending.

Then take a couple of weeks and enjoy Thanksgiving. And then the first of December, repeat the process. This is how we will stop Obama cold in his tracks, support free enterprise and best of all, keep the fire lit under the fit of the outgoing 111th Congress and the incoming 112th Congress.

Good luck to Senator-elect Mike Lee and all the other conservatives who were voted into office. We stand with you and will fight you to bring this nation back to the principles upon which she was founded. We will call or email your offices often, and when you need the American people to back the legislation we've asked for, call on us and we will give you all the support you need from us. Betray us and take to heart the words "Hell hath no fury..." and if you think a woman scorned is something to be worried about, betray the American people and you will find something that will promptly end your political careers. Mark my words, we will no longer Congress and the White House to operate independently of the American people. We have awakened, and we shall remain awakened.

Candace E. Salima

American Patriot

Tea Partier

Television Talk Show Host

Publisher

Author

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved by Candace E. Salima.