A return to D.C.

Yes, I did manage to make it up to D.C. for the tea party rallies held on the 15th. No, it wasn't as big as I had hoped. It was what I should by now expect: largely a group of conservatives flying the banner of smaller government and less taxes while insisting on the support of conservative versions of big government. There was even a speaker who advocated the populist position of forcing big company executives to fork over money to pay for social programs. At least that's what little I could glean from his meandering speech and failed rallying cry.

I suppose the one thing I did learn from this excursion is that I have been, and remain, an isolated voice in the sea of the disenfranchised. While my "Libertarian Thought Criminal" t-shirt drew several complements, the vast majority of the people were there to push for a return to the burdensome social agenda of the right. This is not likely something they'd admit to, but my anecdotal observations lead me to that sole conclusion.

I had a woman speak to me about how individual rights are granted by god, not by the government. I agreed with her that the government does not grant rights to the individual that aren't already possessed by that individual by virtue of their inclusion in this human race. However, informing her that I did not belong to the club known as Christians, I found our conversation strained and shortened from that point forward. It appears that even common ground doesn't provide enough purchase to maintain civil discourse, at least to some.

The most humorous event occurred when some counter-protesters arrived with signs thanking our president for providing 95% of tax payers with a tax cut. At first I thought this to be an example of the degree to which our government schools are failing us. However, it turns out that Mr. Obama himself had made this claim. I must admit that I marvel at our president's considerable cheek. His distortions, exaggerations and lies continue to outpace the lengthening of his nose. Even if he were referring to tax credits, which are in fact a delay in tax payment rather than a cut, he certainly hasn't provided this "benefit" to 95% of the people. He may have bought into the Orwellian idea that "he who controls the past controls the future," but he doesn't yet maintain absolute control over the information at the disposal of the people.