If you listen to the rhetoric coming out of the Tea Party movement, you would believe that this was a grassroots movement. You would believe that it was beyond partisanship between Republicans and Democrats, and that they just want to “Throw all the bums out.” And you will hear the common cry that “We Want Our Country Back!” But this is the surface of it. This is the public face of what has become quite a bit a political force in this country. But right underneath the surface of the public faces and rhetoric that they convey is a racial current not much different from the attitudes of those who were opposed to integration during the 1960’s.

Let’s deal with the reality of it. No matter how much they say they are above the fray and aren’t tied to any political party. Virtually ALL of the Tea Party candidates ran in Republican primaries. Which to any person with common sense would conclude that the Tea Party is just a wing of the Republican Party. If they really wanted to be seen as an independent and new movement, why not try to become a legitimate 3rd party? Which would not only give the movement more credibility to those on the outside looking in. But would actually give your “party” a legitimate political independent base. Those on the outside now have a hard time distinguishing the difference between the Tea Party and the Republican Party, because basically they are on in the same.

The Republican Party, and some in the Tea Party like to remind African-Americans that it was under a Republican Administration that the slaves were freed with Abraham Lincoln in the White House. But they conveniently forget the attitude that Lincoln actually held about black people. Like the fact that he wanted to deport all blacks from this country, and that he didn’t think that blacks should be able to hold any type of political office, and that he also held the beliefs that the white man and black man were fundamentally different and that the white man was superior to the black man. In fact, here’s a video I did about that exact topic.

But not only that, when you go to a Tea Party event, although you may see 2 or 3 blacks up on the stage touting the conservative agenda, the fact remains that there are more people in the crowd who wouldn’t even shake the hands of those blacks who for the most part agree with them. Many of them have made their hatred of President Obama known. They question his citizenship, they question his religion, they question his political acumen, and above all they question the legitimacy of the first African-American to reside in the White House. Don’t take my word for it, here are a few examples.

I mean I could go on and on with videos but I think you get the idea. (I didn’t even include the one I did. LOL) Tea Partiers like to say “We Want Our Country Back!” but back from whom exactly? Ask a Tea Partier who currently has control of the country, and these are the answers you are likely to get. The Czars! The Commies! The Socialist! Forgetting that “Czars” are just political advisers that were actually expanded under the George W. Bush administration. The “commies”who are all democratically elected officials, and the “Socialist”. Let’s talk about the socialist if we may. How many of these people are willing to give up their Social Security? How bout their Medicare and Medicaid? How many of these people don’t want the government actually helping put their child through college? These are all socialized programs that have helped a tremendous number of people, even some of those protesting in the Tea Party Rallies time and time again.

These are some of their political arguments, now I know you think I’ve veered off, but this is about to come full circle.  Because the Tea Party doesn’t have a true leadership base, and because the Tea Party doesn’t come out and denounce the many racist that show up at their events, with racist slogans and signs to boot, it is hard for people to distinguish the racist from those who have legitimate policy disagreements from this current government. They simply haven’t separated themselves from the racist rhetoric.  Just recently Tea Party Republican Senate Candidate Rand Paul came under fire for his criticism of the 1964 Civil Rights Bill. His contention is that the government went to far by telling businesses that is against the law to deny service against a certain segment of the American public. And that a restaurant should be able to deny black people or any other people of color from patronizing that establishment.  Here is the interview that got him in trouble.

The Tea Party has a problem to address if they expect more than 3 or 4% support from the African-American and Latino American communities. They seem to come off as a Party of people who are used to being the overwhelming majority in this country to slowly becoming the minority. And it is there where you will find the cry of “I Want My Country Back!” most sincere.