The NAACP and the Tea Party

Last night, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed a resolution against the "racist elements" of the Tea Party movement. NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous said in a written statement that they have no problem with the organization itself, just its tolerance for racism and bigotry.

This comes on the heels of a billboard in Iowa created by a local tea party group which pictured Adolf Hitler, Barack Obama, and Vladamir Lenin, with the words "Radical leaders prey on the fearful & naive" underneath. The group admitted that in hindsight, the billboard did not accurately portray the message they were going for, and other tea party groups have voiced their disagreement with the billboard.

Where both the NAACP and the Iowa incident get it wrong, is that the tea party is not a national organization. It is a conglomeration of local groups who believe in a common cause. There is no national organizing structure or leader, nor is there a set code of conduct or platform. Yes, there have been groups who have claimed to be in charge and who have organized tea party conventions and conferences, but they are mistaken. It is a grassroots movement.

And that is the point of the tea party- people who get together on their own because they share a concern and love of their country. I have attended three tea party events in two cities and interviewed dozens of tea party members. I have seen everyone form grandparents to toddlers at the events. I have even interviewed tea party opponents and protestors. And in no instance on either side have I seen any act of violence, bigotry or racism. Yes, there may be individuals with those beliefs in the tea party, but that is not the point of the group. The group is about opposing out of control government spending and the overreach of government authority, not about bashing blacks or gays. If it was, I would not call myself a member of the organization.

Yes, I consider myself a member of the tea party. I also consider myself a libertarian, and supporter of gay rights. But i consider myself first and foremost a journalist. I have never attended a tea party event as a participant, only as a reporter. I do not support the actions of the group in Iowa, nor do I believe it can or should represent the group as a whole. Maybe those who claim to know what the group is about and how dangerous and racist it is should attend a meeting, rally, or simply do some research.