New Orleans This is a gentle reminder to my friends among the Tea-people. History is a funny thing, comrades, in case you missed this part of high school, it’s based on facts, rather than opinions and in fact you need to base your opinions on facts.
I am reminded of this in looking at the daily screeds among the right wing, professional blogging class. This is no chattering class, but more of a shouting mass that has to somehow push some kind of garbage out by the curb of the internet highway, sometimes several times per day. A popular theme over the last week involving yours truly has been to comment on my warning to all that would listen that Congressman Darrell Issa’s elevation to the head of the House Investigations’ Committee would be bad news for anyone who still believes in freedom of association and freedom of speech.
Although it looks like I might qualify as a soothsayer by the right’s lights, since Issa immediately ran his mouth off about wanting to investigate ACORN as high on his list in order to “keep anything like” such an organization ever being organized again, which seemed more to me like a preemptive strike against all things progressive rather than a real “investigation” of any sort. I wasn’t alone for long either since an editorial in the Times laid out the same concern and a handicapper in last Sunday’s op-ed page on the Times placed an ACORN investigation, particularly of the ACORN Housing Corporation and its programs over the years, to “show” in 3rd place on the most likely list.
All of which brings me back to the lesson in history or legend of the great Paul Revere’s ride warning “that the British were coming” after the real Tea Party in Boston Harbor. As every school child knows, as Revere rode at night through Concord and Lexington spreading the warning, the watchwords were “One if by land, and two if by sea,” giving the lantern signals for preparation to citizens throughout the land.
Revere’s ride was a warning, not a retreat in fear. Look it up.
My warning of the abuses of power by Issa and the fruitlessness of his self-centered escapades paid for by the taxpayers in frivolous and defamatory witch-hunts is just that: a warning. There’s absolutely nothing to fear from his mess anymore than there was anything to fear from the several ridiculous and error ridden reports he has already issued about the same subjects. We’ve all already been there, done that, and read his press clippings. There was nada. Nothing there! I already have a tie picked out, given to me by my friends in British Columbia and handmade by one of the native tribes in the northern part of the province. It’s gray and black and beautiful, and frankly kind of fierce looking. I’m going to have to fix hole in my books, but there’s plenty of time.
But, I’m still riding and warning others that they need to “Be Prepared” (hey, I was an Eagle Scout so I know what this is about and, parenthetically, let me note how proud I have been to read that Keith Richards of the world’s greatest band, The Rolling Stones, was also well trained by the Scouts over there) and get ready, and this time people and groups need to band together rather than just watching by the sidelines like they did when ACORN was under assault.
Eventually, people and their organizations have to stand and fight. Issa keeps picking a fight like a school yard bully. Me and Paul Revere think it’s time for “one from the hand, and two to make him see!”Paul