JULY 2, 2009 ISSUE
Tea Party Freedom Rally Thursday
“We want citizens of all political persuasions to come out and let their voices be heard,” said Sanda Cooper, co-organizer of the Freedom Rally.
The Tea Party Freedom Rally will take place on Thursday, July 2, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Golden Corral parking lot, located at 187 Watauga Village Drive in Boone.
“This rally will be a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of our country and the freedom we all hold dear,” said Pat Mace, an event co-organizer.
Patterned after the original Boston Tea Party held in 1773 to protest taxes levied on the colonists, the freedom rally is a grassroots movement to allow citizens to raise their personal concerns over current government policies.
“It’s mainly about the fiscal policy the administration is engaged in and people’s concerns over healthcare, the recently passed energy bill, the tax bill and government incursion into people’s lives,” Cooper said.
According to organizers, the purpose of the event is to keep pressure on elected representatives to reel in the unprecedented growth in government spending. The first such rally, the Tax Day Tea Party held on April 15, drew a crowd that generated over 300 signatures on a petition that was sent to state and national leaders. The weather was cold and windy April 15, so Cooper hopes the nicer weather anticipated for this rally, along with the after-work hours, will bring more people to the event.
The freedom rally is not a negative demonstration. It is more “people expressing their ideas on the direction we should take to solve [current problems],” Cooper said.
Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes and best signs, and the event also features patriotic music, balloons and a variety of local speakers.
“We must continue to raise our voices and work at the grassroots level to protest the current policies in Washington,” Mace said. “We must let our representatives know where we stand on crucial issues that will define the future of our nation. We must let them know that we believe in the fundamental ideals of individual freedom, personal responsibility and small government.
“We must let our voices be heard that we’re against government takeover of private industry and of our healthcare system. We don’t want unelected federal czars who are unaccountable to the electorate. We’re against corporate bailouts and intrusive regulation of our private lives. And perhaps most of all, we’re against making apologies abroad for America and the American way. Our Founding Fathers left us with a precious gift—the Constitution. It is every American’s duty to help protect it.”
For more information about the rally, call Sanda Cooper at 828-264-7385.
Want To Go?
Date: Thursday, July 2
Time: 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Location: Golden Corral parking lot, Boone
Cost: Free
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