Tea Partiers want to be left alone – government kept from faith and speech, guns and books. Government restrained from taking property – house or wallet. Anyone who thinks those beliefs don’t have legs isn’t getting my phone calls – the tea party candidate’s supporters in the primary fill the answering machine and from my husband’s relatives fill our in-box. It has legs because this is who we are, or at least want to be: responsible adults, autonomous. Equivalence with the Occupiers misses core differences; Occupiers want what they fantasize the 1% have. We are human – we covet. But Americans haven’t taken to OWS because we aren’t proud of our envy; we prefer grandeur to pettiness.
The Tea Party has roots – aware that restraint of power is difficult, but has a proud American history. Washington’s greatness lay not only in his victories but also his restraint – he refused (as few have) to abuse his power – restraint gained him respect, gave him another kind of power. Respect for flag and country characterizes the tea party; it is respect for a greatness defined by its restraint – recognizing the limits of government when it bumps against man’s intrinsic rights.
