Give Me Liberty, Not Debt!

Dallas TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party

We had a great opportunity to exercise our freedom of speech yesterday and express our unhappiness with the current financial policies of the government.  After Rusty got off work we joined others at the capital who were gathering to join in this effort.  The event was well attended with people coming and going all evening.  I'm so glad we went.  It feels so pointless to sit on the couch and complain where no one can here.  Although we can't change things just by protesting, at least I felt better about doing something and voicing my concerns with a group of like minded people.  As Edmund Burke said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." My favorite speaker at the event was a gentleman who had escaped from communist Cuba.  It was very inspiring to hear someone speak who really knows what it means to have freedom.  

The event also gave us a good opportunity to share with our kids how we feel about freedom. We talked about the Plymouth Colony and how they tried to live in a communal/socialist community for the first two years. We discussed the results of starvation, confusion, and discontentment.  We also talked about the changes that came about when they turned to private property and free enterprise.  We shared with them our concerns about government power and taxes and debt.  They've seen the School House Rock video "Tyrannosaurus Debt" so it wasn't hard to explain that to them. 

Of course most of it was beyond their understanding, but they all understood that in America we have the right to voice our opinions and change things peacefully.

After reading War and Peace and studying the various revolutions and wars in Europe I'm so grateful to live in a country where others have sacrificed so much to give us the freedom to make change peacefully.

We didn't have any supplies to make signs, but as people were leaving they gave us signs to hold. I had to laugh at the one Kate decided was hers.  Ben was entranced by the "Don't Tread on Me" Flag and Lauren and Dallin decided that the two part sign saying "You're Spending MY Money" and "Don't Make Me Pay for Your Mistakes" was their mantra.