Tea Party Racist? OMG...

When does this junk stop? Honestly.

This is some messed up logic that reveals more about the people making the charge than the Tea Party. OK, let's argue for a second that Tea Party folks do not want their taxes, their hard earned money, redistributed to black people. Why should they? If somebody were to approach me on the street and demand that I give them my money, am I suppose to like that? If that person was white or black would that make it different? For most people, I think the color of the robber is not the issue...the robbery is the issue.

So what if the robber were to turn around and give the money to someone else? Does that make it any less a crime? If the robber is government, does that change the reality? I don't think so. Wealth redistribution is, pure and simple, taking (stealing?) money from those who have it (usually the most productive) and giving to those who don't (generally the not-so-productive). I'm supposed to like that? The fatal flaw of redistributive thinking is that it completely ignores the fact that in most cases those that have more do so because they work harder. Is it true that black people suffer bias that makes it difficult to get ahead even if they work hard? Of course. It's also true that some conservative white Christians can't get into certain schools or jobs because they are conservative white Christians. Will redistribution and quotas fix either case? Uh...no.

The truth is that if you argue that the Tea Party is racist for not wanting their taxes to go to black people, you are admitting that you see taxes as redistributive and that you see black people as the primary beneficiaries of that redistribution. Perhaps even more telling, by denigrating those who would seek to block that redistribution, you are suggesting that you think such redistribution is appropriate and beneficial, which best I can tell makes you Marxist. Given that is the core of Black Liberation Theology, such a stance should not come as a surprise.


But here's the news flash...I seriously doubt that black or white or any other color enters the Tea Partier's mind when they start fussing about their money being taken. That their money has been taken by a government that shows such a contempt for them and spends it so poorly, should be enough to make anybody mad. Race issues need not factor in.

The truth is that there is only only true path to liberation for anyone of any color, and it isn't government redistribution. It begins with admitting that you need liberation and seeking it from the only one who can give it. His name is Jesus Christ...not Barack Obama.

By What Standard?

Dr. King longed for the day when a man would be judged by the content of his character rather than the color of his skin. Indeed. If we ever do come to color blindness, what is the standard by which we will judge one's character.

So how should we pick our heroes? Should they be people with virtues? People with talents? People with money? People with influence? Someone that can give a good speech?

Most would say virtues, and yeah, virtues are good. But what is character? Integrity? Honesty? Generosity? Patience? Courtesy? Selflessness? Are those virtues that we would consider heroic?

The JetBlue flight attendant that recently popped his cork is described by some as a hero. Really? Why? Because he lacked self control? Because he lost his patience? Because he was offended? Because he was selfish? He was all of those things. No, those things aren't heroic and he wasn't a hero. Some have labeled him as a hero for being bold enough to do what we have all dreamed of doing. That's wrong too. Dead wrong. Real heroism is selfless and about others. He was just scratching his own itch.

Yes, we should stand up for injustice...but is there really any injustice on an airliner? Come on, really? You pay some money and get on a plane to go somewhere. Sometimes it is unpleasant. You don't like a particular airline? Fly on another airline. You don't like the security? Take the train. The point is that flying is a privilege, not a right. You don't like it? Don't do it. Not liking it and flamboyantly expressing that isn't heroic, it's stupid.

Is it heroic to take from one an give to another? Was Robin Hood a hero? Is the federal government heroic? Really? I don't think so. Fighting injustice? There's a fine line there. For most of the world living safely and warm and having enough to eat is a luxury. Ironically, most of the poorest people in America are also the most overweight. They have clothes. They have cars. They have cell phones. And yet we still take from the most successful to give the unsuccessful even more. They do need more, but not more stuff.

They need self-esteem. They need focus. They need discipline. They need guidance. They need character. They don't need a hand-out. They don't need free heath care. They don't need tax credits. They don't need pity. They need someone to believe in them strongly enough to expect more from them.

So who are the truly heroic? Who are those whose character has the content that Dr. King would have celebrated? You may disagree, but I think it is those that quietly earn a living, take care of their families, know right from wrong and teach it to their kids, donate to those less fortunate...not out of compulsion or guilt, but out of compassion, do the right thing when no one is looking, control their tongue, and care enough about others to expect more from them.

You want character? Expect more from yourself, and lift others up by expecting more from them, too.