[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10322]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, when the British Crown initially 
ignored the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and regarded the participants as 
rabble, authorities thought nothing would come of the protest. They, of 
course, were wrong. Early Americans were objecting to the British 
government for not responding to the concerns of the people.
  Now, this year, TEA parties, which means taxed enough already, were 
held throughout the country where citizens exercised the absolute right 
under the first amendment ``to peaceably assemble and petition 
government for redress of grievances.'' Most people seemed to be 
protesting spending and taxation.
  The critics said no one would show up. They, of course, were wrong. 
Many in the media didn't want to cover the events because, frankly, 
they were politically opposed to the idea, so they responded by calling 
the protesters kooks and extremists, sort of like the British calling 
the colonists rabble and troublemakers.
  But thousands of Americans, normal taxpayers who work for a living 
and not beholden to government giveaway programs showed up to let 
government know that citizens don't like the government spending so 
much of their money, borrowing money from China and taxing citizens out 
of existence. Government would do well to listen.
  And that's just the way it is.

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