[Peace-discuss] Anti-war presence at (Boston) Tea Party rally

[C. G. Estabrook]

[This account of a Tea Party rally in Boston was sent to me by a Catholic Worker 
email list <National-CW-E-mail-List at googlegroups.com>.  --CGE]

Catholic Workers at A Tea Party

On Wednesday, April 14, 2010, Ken Hannaford-Ricardi, Julia Skjerli,
and Scott Schaeffer-Duffy of the Saints Francis & Therese Catholic
Worker in Worcester, Massachusetts went to the Boston Common where a
Tea Party rally addressed by Sarah Palin was held. At the edge of a
crowd of about 4,000 Tea Party supporters, the Catholic Workers held
signs and distributed almost 500 leaflets. Ken held a sign which read,
“A Tea Party the US Needs Now.” It depicted colonists throwing boxes
labeled “WAR” into Boston Harbor. Julia held a sign which read, “Cut
Government Spending, End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Now.” Scott
wore a tri-corner hat and colonial garb. He rang a bell and quoted
James Madison and Patrick Henry on the evils of a standing army.

(Text of leaflet below.)

Many of the Tea Party participants stopped to talk with the Catholic
Workers. Some were open to their call for disarmament, while others
expressed support for the military and the wars. One called the
Catholic Workers “trouble makers.” Most took the leaflets without
comment from the colonial-costumed Schaeffer-Duffy.

Many Tea Party participants held signs. One read, “This small business
woman is pissed. I pay $ while Congress plays.” Another quoted Thomas
Jefferson, “When injustice becomes law, Resistance becomes Duty.” One
read, “Obama care makes me sick!”

About 200 Tea Party critics came in groups or as individuals. One
person held a sign which read, “Dump Sarah Palin in Boston Harbor.”
Another sign said, “The Tea Party is Racist.” Three college students,
dressed in Harry Potter Quiditch uniforms, held a sign reading,
“Palin/Voldemort.” One person held a sign which read, “Obama Unites,
Palin Divides.” A group of Black and Latino union members marched and
chanted, “Racist, sexist, anti-gay. Tea Party bigots go away” A group
of religious people stood in silence with banners proclaiming love and
tolerance for gay marriage and immigrant rights. Another group dressed
as characters from Alice in Wonderland holding their own tea party.
The Queen of Hearts held a sign which read, “Not playing with a full
deck.”

A thoughtful bystander commented about how little the Tea Party crowd
seemed to know about the actual ideas of colonial patriots. He said,
“Symbols are up for grabs today.” He also said that one could not
ignore the economic and political frustration which many of the
attendees experienced. He worried that their concerns were being
manipulated by right-wing political opportunists. He felt that
presence of many signs and buttons accusing President Obama of being a
socialist were indicative of the group’s confusion.

Sarah Palin addressed the cheering crowd for about 30 minutes and did
her best to stoke their anger and win their support, while GOP leaders
from Massachusetts, including Senator Scott Brown and GOP
gubernatorial hopeful Charles Baker did not attend the rally.

Saints Francis & Therese Catholic Worker in Worcester
52 Mason St., Worcester, MA 01610
Phone: (508) 753-3588
E-mail: theresecw at gmail.com

--------------------

Text of Leaflet:

Cut the Most Wasteful Government Spending!

Since 2002, one portion of federal spending has grown from $329
billion to $663.7 billion with little oversight, no appreciable
benefit to US citizens, and a great deal of harm to the rest of the
world. That wasteful spending went to the Pentagon. The US now spends
more than the next 40 highest spending countries combined, ten times
more than Russia and 98 times more than Iran. The US military consumes
more than $13,000 every second, much of that on unpopular and
fruitless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where thousands of American
soldiers and hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed.

Meanwhile, the Central Intelligence Agency reports that the United
States has the 44th worst infant mortality rate and 45th worst life
expectancy rate. US News and World Report says that the US is 16th in
college education. Growing numbers of Americans cannot meet their
basic needs.

As members of the Catholic Worker movement, whose 150 houses of
hospitality shelter and feed the homeless (without tax exemption or
government aid) we call upon the Tea Party movement to join in calling
for an immediate end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, followed by
massive cuts in military spending. Then taxes can be cut and education
and healthcare restored.

------------------

Attached photos of Ken, Scott, and Julia on the Common appeared in the
April 20, 2010 Boston Globe.

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