Back to our roots
Dear editor:
My continuing theory that Americans seem to live in two separate alternative universes was again confirmed as I read Judith Zitko’s letter. As I read, “that our media in this country is so controlled that nearly half of the American public are brainwashed,” I was agreeing with her, since I was sure she was talking about the liberal mainstream media and the many Americans who know little about politics and national and world events. No, she was accusing Republicans and conservatives. Reality is, that outside of Fox News and Conservative Talk Radio, the vast majority of information people receive from the mainstream media is progressive and self-censored. It is unwilling to objectively report what our present government is doing and not doing to and for the American people. It covers up the deficiencies and the overreach of the present administration, while “brainwashing” the American public to their policies.
You claim to know who we are as tea party members. I’ll wager you get all your information from the media you watch and read, and yet have never attended a tea party meeting and have no personal knowledge of who we are. As chairman of the Garland County Tea Party, I can attest that some of our members are conservative or Libertarian or a combination of both. I don’t see any conflict since our basic beliefs have to do with liberty, freedom, less intrusive government, following the Constitution and that we all are Taxed Enough Already.
As to the ridiculous accusation that the tea party is wholly owned by the Koch brothers, give me a break! I have never spoken to a Koch brother, gotten a call or letter from one of them, been in any way influenced by them, and definitely not financially supported by them. If they are donating their money legally to support conservative candidates and causes ( as do wealthy supporters of liberal causes), then they are exercising their rights as Americans. You may not like it, but that’s part of what we (and the Supreme Court) call freedom of speech.
Finally, I think you showed your true ideological and political leanings when you closed your letter by saying, “it may well be too late to save this country without a full-scale military solution.” And then you wonder why some in the media vilify you and others as communist or terrorists. The tea party has never been violent or recommended armed political intervention. We desire to return America to its foundation, at the ballot box, as we exercise our fundamental constitutional rights as citizens. Jack Sternberg, M.D.
Hot Springs