Coquetting Tarradiddles

Tea Parties Are For Little Girls

After enjoying a recent Facebook-powered mini-debate over the Tea Party movement, I decided to write up a short and jagged little rehash of stuff I’ve already said. It should come as no surprise to regular visitors to my little corner of the Internet that I loathe the Tea Party movement, but what is probably less obvious is the fact that I don’t actually hate the teabaggers themselves. Not really. (Yes, it’s a derogatory term. No, I’m not using it like you think I’m using it – but more on that in a minute.) The problem with the Tea Party movement isn’t that it’s a bad idea. As anyone who has ever spoken with me on more than a cursory level knows, I’m all for protesting injustice, however one defines it. However, I’m in favor of true protesting, where consequence and reward are balanced on the razor-thin line of risk, where those so inclined to rage against the machine actually possess the courage of their convictions. Mailing tea bags to congressmen isn’t exactly a risky sort of behavior, and neither is gathering together with like-minded folk to stand around, chanting battle cries and waving semi-clever, homemade signs in the air. Those sorts of things may be part of an overall awareness campaign, but as a form of protest that expects real change, it is both anemic and absurd. Read More