This page was last updated on July 27, 2010.
Are Tea Partiers malcontents?; Betty Ann Bowser; Beaver County Times; July 27, 2010.
The only previous letter from Ms. Bowser I know about was entitled “‘Would Jesus be a Republican?’” (1/20/09). It’s no longer on the Times website and I did not critique it because was a collection of unconnected sentences.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“The Webster dictionary definition of malcontent is: marked by restless, moody or bitter dissatisfaction with the existing state of affairs, discontented, disaffected with an established order or government, rebellious.”
[RWC] Ms. Bowser described our Founding Fathers.
“- Does malcontent fit Tea Party participants?
“- To what extent can this movement grow and is it still growing?
“- How many diverse groups with hidden agendas have joined or exist today?
“- Does the Tea Party have a single philosophy, a defined productive purpose or is a destructive factor out to destroy the president?”
[RWC] There is no single “Tea Party,” but participants in the movement tend to believe in limited government, individual liberty, and fiscal responsibility as guiding principles. The mission statement of Tea Party Patriots is here.
“- Have such character flaws lain dormant in people and surfaced when a black man was elected president by a majority of white voters?”
[RWC] The not-so-subtle implication is if you oppose Mr. Obama’s leftist policies and programs you’re a bigot, racist, et cetera. How original. If skin color is the issue, perhaps Ms. Bowser can explain why blacks participate in the Tea Party movement.
As for “a black man was elected president by a majority of white voters,” not exactly. Politico.com (a Times-recommended data source), reported national exit polls indicated 43% of white voters voted for Mr. Obama. Who cares? The same story reported 96% of black voters voted for Mr. Obama.
“- John 13: 34-35 are golden nuggets for today: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.’
“Let us support and pray for our president.”
[RWC] Just as I do with all elected officials, I’ll support Mr. Obama when we agree on policy and oppose him when we don’t.
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