Concerned Women for America - A New Kind of Tea Party

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Thursday, March 18, 2010

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A New Kind of Tea Party 7/17/2009
By Rebekah Ries

Women have been holding tea parties for thousands of years. From Asia to Europe to the Americas, women have gathered with friends and neighbors to discuss the events of the day over a good cup of tea.

While fine china and lace gloves were noticeably absent, this year Concerned Women for America (CWA) members continued in that grand tradition by participating in a new kind of tea party.

CWA members across the nation celebrated Independence Day by declaring they had been “Taxed Enough Already” (TEA). They joined thousands of concerned citizens across the nation to send Washington the same message the citizens of Boston sent to Parliament two hundred years ago: No more taxes! With the 2009 federal budget deficit approaching 1.8 trillion dollars and Congress rolling out new spending schemes every day, the message couldn’t be timelier.

CWA of Texas State Director Ann Hettinger attended a TEA party held at the Historic Rockwall County Courthouse. Ann and the CWA of Texas members heard from several speakers at the event, including Governor Rick Perry. “We’re not here to preach rebellion, or subversion, or insurrection,” Perry said. “We are here today to express our love of this country, the greatest country on the earth, and discuss ways to make sure it doesn’t run off the cliff.” He continued, “The shenanigans in Washington are not just some misguided attempt at social engineering, but are legitimate threats to our freedom, our finances, and our future.” Perry thanked the patriotic supporters for taking a stand for liberty and for declaring to Congress, “We are not going to allow for our pockets to be picked anymore, our children’s future to be mortgaged away, [or] our rights to be taken away.”

Further east, in the Sunshine State, CWA of Florida members gathered at a TEA Party in Orlando. CWA of Florida State Director Terri Johannessen used the event to spread the word about CWA. “The Orlando TEA Party was a great success for CWA,” Terri says, “we witnessed so many women and men asking ‘What can we do?’” Over 40 concerned citizens signed up for more information about becoming members of CWA.

Charla Bansley, State Director of CWA of Maine, was one of the featured speakers at her local TEA Party in Augusta. Charla reminded the crowd that conservative fiscal policy starts with conservative social policy. “You cannot be socially liberal AND fiscally conservative,” Charla said. “Social policies directly impact fiscal policies.” Charla drew attention to the staggering monetary costs of liberal social policy. “We know that the basis of any economy is its population,” Charla said. “Yet 50 million children have been lost through abortion since Roe v. Wade. That is 50 million fewer producers, consumers, scholars, workers, taxpayers, entrepreneurs, and homebuyers.”

CWA members in Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, and Washington State also participated in their local TEA parties on Independence Day. CWA of New Hampshire State Director Elaine Driscoll attended a TEA party in Concord, New Hampshire, on July 11.

The TEA parties were held for the first time on “Tax Day” this year, April 15, 2009. Since then, the grassroots movement has grown dramatically and spread around the country. A culminating national event is planned for September 12, 2009, in Washington, D.C.

For more information or to find TEA party events in your area, please visit www.cwfa.org/teaparty.asp. Grab some friends, make yourselves a cup of tea, and let your Congressmen know that you’ve been Taxed Enough Already. Don’t forget the cucumber sandwiches.

To find other CWA events in your state, visit states.cwfa.org/states/.