Freedom and Liberty! ...But Not For All

Since the Tea Party was "born" from Rick Santelli's yap and Freedom Works' wallet, we've all heard the rants of less government, taking my country back, less government spending and my personal favorite, "keep your government hands off my Medicare."

But ask the same people what they are for, and they really can't give you specific answers. They certainly know what they're against, but I've never heard them articulate how to achieve what they are for. Take our country back from whom? Less government in what respects? Politicians? Public services like highways or parks?

Steve Benen makes some great points in his latest post because he points out that, sure, we're all for liberty, freedoms and rights. And so is the Tea Party crowd... that is except if you're "different."

This is about "freedom."

Well, I'm certainly pro-freedom, and as far as I can tell, the anti-freedom crowd struggles to win votes on Election Day. But can they be a little more specific? How about the freedom for same-sex couples to get married? No, we're told, not that kind of freedom.

This is about a fight for American "liberties."

That sounds great, too. Who's against American "liberties"? But I'm still looking for some details. Might this include law-abiding American Muslims exercising their liberties and converting a closed-down clothing store into a community center? No, we're told, not those kinds of liberties...

...Labor unions created a movement. Women's suffrage was a movement. The fight for civil rights is a movement. The ongoing struggle for equality for gays and lesbians is a movement. In each case, the grievance was as clear as the solution. There was no mystery as to what these patriots were fighting for. Their struggles and successes made the nation stronger, better, and more perfect. 

The folks who gathered in D.C. [on August 28th] were awfully excited about something. The fact that it's not altogether obvious what that might be probably isn't a good sign.