April 21, 2009 — Recently, several thousand Americans, many of whom had never before been politically involved, left their homes and gathered in public spaces to openly state their opposition to the President’s plans, positions, and politics. I am, of course, referring to Barack Obama supporters who gathered across this nation during his campaign to become president. Television and newspaper reporters regaled their audiences with stories about the groundswell of grassroots support for the historical candidacy of the man who has become President Obama.

Even more recently, several thousand Americans, many of whom had never before been politically involved, left their homes and gathered in public spaces to openly state their opposition to the President’s plans, positions, and politics. This time I am referencing the nationwide tea parties that occurred in large cities and small towns across this nation last Wednesday, tax day 2009. Strangely, reporters didn’t read these crowds in quite the same way. The clip of CNN reporter Susan Roesgen’s clearly biased report from the Chicago tea party has gone viral online.

And even here in Claremore, controversy has erupted over the Progress’ coverage of the event, centering mostly on an audio report posted to the Progress’ Web site by managing editor, Randy Cowling, and staff writer, Krystal Carman, wherein their interviewed each other about what they had seen at the tea party the day before.

Carman reported seeing angry protesters who were in the intersection and being a distraction to passing motorists. Both Progress staffers reported numbers lower than others’ estimates, and they also adopted a tone that clearly revealed they were being less than objective, which has even been noted by commenters on my blog who do not share my political views. I have dealt with this at length online, so I will not rehash it here. Suffice it to say, I think the Progress’ got the story wrong, and as managing editor, Randy Cowling, has expressed, there are varying perspectives of the same events, so here is mine:

The notion that any citizen has the right to publicly express her displeasure at the government of her country is relatively new as the history of the world goes, and it will still get you killed in some countries. But not here. America has a long tradition of vocal and public dissent, which runs from the original tea party in Boston’s harbor to anti-Vietnam demonstrations to the most recent tax day tea parties. Very often, it is the public expression of frustration with our government that turns the tide of public opinion and crystallizes broad national support for a change in direction politically.

As one who was at the morning Claremore tea party, both as a supporter of its cause and as a citizen journalist, let me share with you my perspective of the event. What I saw, and who I talked with, are people who are concerned about not so much their own futures, but those of their kids and grandchildren. The administration of this country, with broad support in Congress, is spending money the government does not have on programs that will not work to do things that are not its responsibility to expand control it should not have. And we think that is wrong.

Tea partiers are not anti-government anarchists. We are limited government federalists. We don’t want no government; we want government in its proper place. We know there is amendment in the Bill of Rights that says, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” And we expect the federal government to respect this amendment as much as the other twenty-six.

We have grown tired of the federal government sapping the productivity and initiative of Americans by taking an ever-larger portion of their hard-earned income to (mis)use on programs and schemes that don’t work, are filled with corruption and fraud, cost more than they should, and give the federal government more power over individuals’ lives. And yes, we were opposed when President Bush oversaw it, too.

In just a few short months, our economy has gone from being the envy of the world to being considered a bad investment by the Chinese communists. There is a solution, but it’s not the one the government is selling.

One natural resource we have no shortage of in America is individual initiative. America is a better place for everyone to live when individuals are free to be all God has made them to be. Americans are the most productive, hardest working, and most charitable people on this planet when the chokehold of taxation and regulation doesn’t render us unconscious. If the government would free us up by taking less of what we produce, spending less of what we have yet to produce, and, in general, getting out of the way, we will defeat this economic downturn in short order. It’s all a question of who you have more faith in: Government or people? Central planning or private enterprise? Congress or the citizenry? I’m a people, private enterprise, and citizenry kind of guy, and so are most tea partiers. That’s why we were there.

The tea parties will be meaningless unless they are followed by action. I, for one, favor the Fair Tax plan, which would replace all federal income and payroll taxes (on what you earn) with a federal retail sales tax (on what you spend). It’s just one of the many ideas being advanced. This time of likeminded patriots coming together to demand restraint by the government so that better ideas can emerge is invaluable to our future, and I am thrilled I was able to participate and share my perspective.

• Tyson Wynn is a business owner and bi-vocational pastor living in Claremore. Access his blog and podcast at www.tysonwynn.com.