Chicago Tax Day TEA Party Protest... "But, to be honest, I found the whole thing harmless."

You have Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck and a whole host of others playing on the fear and ignorance of their listeners talking about bogey men that don't exist and laughing all the way to the bank at their expense.

These people afraid, confused, being used, conned and exploited by those that will use that fear, confusion, personal anger and frustration, and ignorance to their own personal financial gain I'm African American and the way I see it is that Shawn Hannity, Rush, Sarah Palin, Glen Beck are the white Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Louis Farrakhan and these Tea Party folks don’t have enough common sense to see it.

Brian T. Apr 17, 2010, 1:24pm EDT
You have Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck and a whole host of others playing on the fear and ignorance of their listeners talking about bogey men that don't exist and laughing all the way to the bank at their expense. These people afraid, confused, being used, conned and exploited by those that will use that fear, confusion, personal anger and frustration, and ignorance to their own personal financial gain I'm African American and the way I see it is that Shawn Hannity, Rush, Sarah Palin, Glen Beck are the white Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Louis Farrakhan and these Tea Party folks don’t have enough common sense to see it.

Maybe you are African American and maybe you aren't. But I don't know a single African American who would agree with you and I know of some white Iowan farmers and relatives of freed hostages who would specifically take issue with your thoughtless denigration of and reduction of Jesse Jackson for example, to being a chocolate version of Sarah Palin. Jackson, as one example, can and does read and is not--I repeat--is NOT in it for the money which he could have had a lot more of (without the attendant life threats from Civil Rights activism) by simply staying in the pulpit and black church big business. I also don't think black President Obama agrees with you either as he has met with Rev. Sharpton in the white house. I don't know that he will ever "dignify" Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck in that way.

I am African American and am considered a liberal but I call it like I see it. I'm from Chicago the home of both Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan and I personally would go anywhere in the area of their head quarters at night with the crime and drugs and out of concern for my personal safety.

If they really want to make things better they can start in their own front yard. What are they now doing to fight drugs, encourage kids to stay in school and get the community to working- little or nothing. The game changers are the little league coaches, the folks that tutor kids, parents that get up to school to meet with their kids teachers, people who mentor these inner city kids on how to dress for a job interview or write a resume those are the folks making it happen. They are the play makers and game changers.

The African American unemployment rate is close to double the national average and Farrakhan, Jackson and Sharpton are still talking what they did 25 years ago. It's the flip side of the same exact coin of Palin, Hannity and Beck fanning the flames and profiting of those who feel disenfranchised- exploitation for personal gain.

Clearly, that is not their focus and you might as well be pounding sand as to rationalize a policy issues with them!

If anyone money around here deserve and can use a few bucks it's the Jackie Robinson Little League in Chicago who work with inner city kids and teaches them the life lessons of team work, effort and discipline through baseball. That's a lot more than the Tea Party or Jesse Jacksons or Al Sharpton's can offer.

The kid on this team today may be the same kid that won't pick up a gun and rob or kill someone 10 years from now.

BTW 4/24/10 is team picture day at the Jackie Robinson Little League in Chicago.

Brian,

If I wanted to criticize some black folks for “doing nothing” Sharpton and Jackson and frankly Farrakhan wouldn’t make the list. I’m comfortable giving credit and blame where I see due. And by the way, I’m tired of African Americans expecting “leaders” to come rescue them from themselves. It’s not Jackson’s or Sharpton’s or Farrakhan’s or Obama’s responsibility in my opinion.

And I’m tired of trifling African American males having phallus swinging contests amongst themselves and simply piling on whatever black male is at the top because they think it empowers them. Tavis Smiley needs to shut up. He doesn’t have credential one to criticize Barack Obama. Michael Steele is 3 years old--no offense to children--and is so jealous of Obama he can’t see straight. These small men are pathetic. One rapper has to kill another because there couldn’t POSSIBLY be enough money in America for both of them. Black men's egos are sick and stupid, and particularly out-of-sync with their general station in the U.S.

I readily hand out blame to Jackson---for example for his asanine comment about Obama “talking down” to black people. And to Farrakhan who “didn’t disagree” with Malcolm X’s assassination. Good lord.

But my real criticism would start with the cesspool that doubles as the black church which is the biggest pimp and gutter in the black community supassing prison. At least you can learn a trade in prison. The black church is an abomination. Worse than liquor. And nobody in the black community takes them to task at all, never mind in proportion to the damage they cause and arguable responsibility they hold.

And I like how Sharpton criticizes it and how Jackson works outside of it. I give them credit for that.

Facts are facts: Jesse Jackson in 1983 led a voter-registration drive in Chicago that helped elect its first African American mayor, Harold Washington. That’s not selfish---that’s using his brand to do real power generating, not window dressing. He agitates Wall Street to hire more minorities and that’s not window dressing. No place on the earth is whiter, more classist, more homogeneous or more financially powerful. Who else is taking on the financial sector from the top.

Agitation and agitators have their place and I don’t care if they get rich along the way, not that they have—what is this stuff about you have to be poor and raggedy in order to be doing something sincerely or valuable. If your toils in advocacy buy you a nice house, I couldn’t care less. Who has T.D. Jakes or Creflo I-have-a-private-jet Dollar registered to vote/ brought home from the Middle East / lobbied to diversify hiring/ raised attention to win a new criminal trial ---among other things.

I don't think it was the black leaders or the democrats that pulled money from after school and evening programs that kept kids off the streets. When I was growing up we had Boy's clubs and Girl Clubs and Neighborhood houses in every community and that's where we spent our time. Cities saved MONEY by de-funding such things but are paying a much higher price because of it............the very lives of our young people!

Those gaterings do one thing. They let people know they are not alone in their disgust of government involvement in their lives. They build followers of like mind. Other than that they are kind of usless since politicians don't pay any attention to the cause.

The best way to protest is in the voting booth. That's where it counts.

Yes. Do our part to drive the party of NO as far away from power as possible. Hopefully replacing them with Dems who actually lean leftward instead of being . . . shall we say . . . supine?

Catt, Franklin is an admitted Communist.

Is the N word offensive to you Catt? Teabagger is offensive to TEA Party people. Is there a difference? Both are offensive.

Is there any point in using offensive language at all? It don't make friends, don't win arguments, don't get a point across. It does the opposite.

:o)

What are we supposed to call them if not teabaggers?

I said they were both offencive Catt. I did not say anything about history. Do you find being called a C**t offensive? That is more closely related to using the teabagger word. I find them both offensive as well as the N**er word.

I've never called you or anyone else a N**er or any other offensive words like that. You're too damn cute to do that so lets kiss and make up.

Not a thing wrong with TEA Partiers Leo, even though the TEA movement is not a political party of any other kind of party.

Oh, George...grow a pair and take that blue pill and enjoy being human!

I'm versatile Catt, you too J. as long as it's a female human.

What ya mean Jungle Fever Catt. You haven't seen a jungle in your life I'll bet.

And it sounds like you've never seen a certain Spike Lee film.

fag? That's a cigarette.

Then what would she call a "white" person who uses the term teabagger?

That would be a liberal Democrat. Maybe a Honkey? Maybe Pale Face if you are an Indian.

LOL That's a laugh riot. 1820s? I love old books.

The teabaggers are people who like to use Obamacare instead of healthcare reform. They also have a tendency to use marxist, socialist, radical, etc. when they run out of ideas, which is usually about two sentences in to any comment.

They're not interested in civil discourse, even though they whine about it. As long as they want to use Obamacare, I feel justified in calling them teabaggers.

Until 'teabagger' is added to the list of words that can't be said on air ....making stupid threats and demands about what someone can or can NOT say in a comment is just so much wingnut BS. The dipstick that deletes a comment for having the word whore in it but uses it herself, repeatedly by placing a w*ore in it tells ME I am totally free to use the word 'teabagger' and I MAY even decide to spell it 'Te*bagg*r' LOL
Guess we have St Ronnie to thank for the fact that 18 % of our people are walking around with SERIOUS mental disease that has been un treated since he saved the world by closing the facilities that could have helped them!

Once the political establishment has finished hijacking the movement it become another fairly ineffective partisan event.

Only when it was 'disorganized', without centralized leadership, were the politicians scared.

Yep, they're movin' right along... as things going downhill tend to do.

Seem to be giving them free rein around here to go thru their death throes at the expense of our sanity.................maybe we should see if they want to rename Gather to HOSPICE.COM for the dying teabagger MOVEMENT!

Lots of Libertarians pulling away from the TEA Party rallies precicely because of inviting Palin, Gingrich, etc...just to gain the votes of TEA Party members. They've been hi-jacked big time.

Let us see, they were here in Boston and claimed to have been egged, claimed 12K MA citizens appeared to lust over Palin, while they bussed in 4-5 K our data reports a group pf 5K, so 4K of them 1K of us = the hecklers from Boston trying hard to dissuade them from what ever they thought they were doing here!

Maybe you saw the results of the NYT poll that discovered that the teabaggers are mainly White, educated and have above-average incomes. These people want smaller government as long as YOU are giving up something. When they have to give up something, like their social security or medicare, then they think differently.

They are true to form so far, Ann. It is nice to find that there is still consistency. LOL

It's so good to see you back Ann. Your a smart cookie and nobodys fool! I've missed your commentarys and well thought out posts.

Our local news reported that the teabaggers make up about 18% of the population. Why is 18% getting so much attention? Watch them, yes, but cover their corporate-sponsored rallies, no.

Because their loud, and members of Congress (Republicans) have been playing to their rallies.

And this has been featured in Bumping Insanity because I'm sure the Mad Hatter is watching ;0)

Thanx... And a happy unbirthday to you!

I believe it is "A very merry unbirthday, to you..." But, chuck, we love you. Birthday or not. It's tea time somewhere, surely. Shirley!

Wilka

You're right...."a very merry unbirthday, to you" both ;0)

"...and if you go chasing rabbits..."

They are a mockery of what they want to stand for. They are mad as hell and they aren't going to take it anymore, but they will, whatever it is!

The teabaggers are protesting high taxes, but then this year its said that most people actually paid less taxes, so what are they really protesting? Nothing factual that's for sure.

Sheryl, I do believe they are protesting because Mr. Glenn said to protest.

BAA-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa

Thanks for posting this to 4 US, World News & Opinions.

That word 'bordom' is I feel what you are searching for Chuck

I cannot agree more!

"He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak."
~ Michel de Montaigne

If you'd pummel them with slightly less force, perhaps they wouldn't make so much noise--however, far be it from me to try and spoil your fun!

Bang away, Catt...Bang away, Do!

Catt................do NOT let up.......we will Crown you as the 1st 'MADE' Catt in our GANGSTER Government. There will be lemonade and cookies................ after the Ring kissing ceremonies! LOL

are they going to run any candidates, or are they just going to continue to flap their yaps.

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