There are many ways to communicate. Some can articulate facts and figures to demonstrate a point, convey a message, or reach an audience as we have seen done so eloquently by the speakers here today. Others, myself included, are better suited to the telling of stories, replete with imagery, metaphors, passion and emotion. So, if you will indulge me, let us begin.
It is safe to say that we really never know where life will take us. It was the transformative years of the 1960s. A time of profound change in America – the metamorphosis of the family-oriented innocence of the post war 50s – Ozzie & Harriet, Lucy, baseball and apple pie – America as that Shining City on the Hill, into an era of anti-establishment activism, sex, drugs and rock and roll, complete with all the demonstrations against The Viet Nam War, Nixon, and all the traditions and mores that had shaped America through the previous two centuries. It was a time that forged the future liberal activists, who honed their rhetorical skills, blamed America for the troubles of the world, and adopted the socialist leanings that were being fomented by those who sought the destruction of our society.
It was during this period, in a quiet Brooklyn neighborhood, that a group of teenagers came together, and through that unique set of circumstances that happens only once in a very long time, formed bonds that would last a lifetime.
My story involves two young men from that special group, both the products of well grounded families, complete with all the traditions of Italian-Americans growing up in New York. They hung out together, played together, and managed somehow, to avoid any real serious trouble in their adventures. Every Friday afternoon they would cut out of their college classes, drive up to Greenwood Lake, NY and party. Too much drinking, too much carousing, and thanks to a merciful God, every Monday they managed to arrive back home for another week of school and work in one piece.
They met their wives, started their families and went out to make their mark in the world. They shared the joys of children, comforted each other at the loss of a parent, and enjoyed the American Dream .
The shifting sand of American politics drew them both out of the quiet comfort of everyday life, and compelled them to become active in the current struggle to safeguard our freedoms from an overreaching government. And now, some 45 years after they met, the fates have decided that they should assume another role.
So today, on this 15th day of April, in the year of our Lord 2010, the year that will mark the most pivotal election in modern day America, my dear friend, Frank Santarpia, co-founder of the Staten Island Tea Party, will be speaking to the crowds at a Rally in New York, while I, his friend Nico, am honored to be speaking to all you patriots here on this historic Green, at the Crossroads of the Revolution. No, you really never know where life will lead you.
So, let me speak as a citizen who feels it deep in his gut that something, that many things are wrong. Let me speak with passion and resolve. Let me speak for the generations of Americans who played by the rules, loved and cherished their freedom, and preserved the life we all inherited. Let me speak for my grandparents, who came to this land of boundless opportunity, worked hard, invested in their new found country and left their children with a better life. Let me speak for my parents, who took that wonderful gift from their parents, nurtured it, sacrificed, and passed on a brighter future for me. Let me speak for my children who may yet see the dream perish during their lifetime and finally let me speak for my grandson, who entered this life 2 months ago, already straddled with a debt incurred by our politicians’ unconscionable spending, his future mortgaged for their selfish ambitions, and his generation in jeopardy of growing up in an America far different from the one we have all taken for granted for far too long.
I have one and only one reason to stand here today on this historic Green, and that is motivate you to action – to touch your heart and your mind – to inspire your spirit, your very being as an American patriot. If you are already engaged, find the time and energy to do more. If you are not involved with the rescue of our country – your country – get involved today - or get out of the way, because there is a tsunami of pent up anger, resentment, passion and resolve about to break on the political shore and it will surely change the landscape in Washington and all across the fruited plain.
In 1964 Bob Dylan released a song that struck a chord in the hearts and minds of a changing generation. “The Times They Are A Changin” was taken up as a theme against the establishment, a tome emblematic of the voice of the people, with lyrics meant to tell the older generation that they did not understand the younger generation. A warning to those in power that the established order was about to change:
Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’
The times were changing, and the seeds of radicalism planted back in the 60’s, and nurtured through the decades by the liberals who have controlled academia, manipulated the media, and now have a strangle hold on government, have now been harvested by an administration uncomfortable with the idea of American greatness, and determined to change the very fabric of our society.
We have all seen a constant erosion of our liberties over the decades, but the changes were incremental and we were all too busy raising our families and contributing to society to take notice, until this president decided that he was the Chosen One and he would complete the transformation of our capitalist, free market society into a socialist utopia in one felt swoop.
The only problem was that in his haste to undo two centuries of American history and culture, he awakened an electorate which will not stand idly by and see its freedom eviscerated by a regime of political hacks and thugs.
So those lyrics, so appropriate in 1964, still ring true today, for once again, as the pendulum begins its long arc back, The Times They Are a Changin.
It is safe to say that we really never know where life will take us. It was the transformative years of the 1960s. A time of profound change in America – the metamorphosis of the family-oriented innocence of the post war 50s – Ozzie & Harriet, Lucy, baseball and apple pie – America as that Shining City on the Hill, into an era of anti-establishment activism, sex, drugs and rock and roll, complete with all the demonstrations against The Viet Nam War, Nixon, and all the traditions and mores that had shaped America through the previous two centuries. It was a time that forged the future liberal activists, who honed their rhetorical skills, blamed America for the troubles of the world, and adopted the socialist leanings that were being fomented by those who sought the destruction of our society.
It was during this period, in a quiet Brooklyn neighborhood, that a group of teenagers came together, and through that unique set of circumstances that happens only once in a very long time, formed bonds that would last a lifetime.
My story involves two young men from that special group, both the products of well grounded families, complete with all the traditions of Italian-Americans growing up in New York. They hung out together, played together, and managed somehow, to avoid any real serious trouble in their adventures. Every Friday afternoon they would cut out of their college classes, drive up to Greenwood Lake, NY and party. Too much drinking, too much carousing, and thanks to a merciful God, every Monday they managed to arrive back home for another week of school and work in one piece.
They met their wives, started their families and went out to make their mark in the world. They shared the joys of children, comforted each other at the loss of a parent, and enjoyed the American Dream .
The shifting sand of American politics drew them both out of the quiet comfort of everyday life, and compelled them to become active in the current struggle to safeguard our freedoms from an overreaching government. And now, some 45 years after they met, the fates have decided that they should assume another role.
So today, on this 15th day of April, in the year of our Lord 2010, the year that will mark the most pivotal election in modern day America, my dear friend, Frank Santarpia, co-founder of the Staten Island Tea Party, will be speaking to the crowds at a Rally in New York, while I, his friend Nico, am honored to be speaking to all you patriots here on this historic Green, at the Crossroads of the Revolution. No, you really never know where life will lead you.
So, let me speak as a citizen who feels it deep in his gut that something, that many things are wrong. Let me speak with passion and resolve. Let me speak for the generations of Americans who played by the rules, loved and cherished their freedom, and preserved the life we all inherited. Let me speak for my grandparents, who came to this land of boundless opportunity, worked hard, invested in their new found country and left their children with a better life. Let me speak for my parents, who took that wonderful gift from their parents, nurtured it, sacrificed, and passed on a brighter future for me. Let me speak for my children who may yet see the dream perish during their lifetime and finally let me speak for my grandson, who entered this life 2 months ago, already straddled with a debt incurred by our politicians’ unconscionable spending, his future mortgaged for their selfish ambitions, and his generation in jeopardy of growing up in an America far different from the one we have all taken for granted for far too long.
I have one and only one reason to stand here today on this historic Green, and that is motivate you to action – to touch your heart and your mind – to inspire your spirit, your very being as an American patriot. If you are already engaged, find the time and energy to do more. If you are not involved with the rescue of our country – your country – get involved today - or get out of the way, because there is a tsunami of pent up anger, resentment, passion and resolve about to break on the political shore and it will surely change the landscape in Washington and all across the fruited plain.
In 1964 Bob Dylan released a song that struck a chord in the hearts and minds of a changing generation. “The Times They Are A Changin” was taken up as a theme against the establishment, a tome emblematic of the voice of the people, with lyrics meant to tell the older generation that they did not understand the younger generation. A warning to those in power that the established order was about to change:
Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’
The times were changing, and the seeds of radicalism planted back in the 60’s, and nurtured through the decades by the liberals who have controlled academia, manipulated the media, and now have a strangle hold on government, have now been harvested by an administration uncomfortable with the idea of American greatness, and determined to change the very fabric of our society.
We have all seen a constant erosion of our liberties over the decades, but the changes were incremental and we were all too busy raising our families and contributing to society to take notice, until this president decided that he was the Chosen One and he would complete the transformation of our capitalist, free market society into a socialist utopia in one felt swoop.
The only problem was that in his haste to undo two centuries of American history and culture, he awakened an electorate which will not stand idly by and see its freedom eviscerated by a regime of political hacks and thugs.
So those lyrics, so appropriate in 1964, still ring true today, for once again, as the pendulum begins its long arc back, The Times They Are a Changin.
Let me continue with the words Dylan penned so many years ago.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’
It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’
As we move forward, we have to realize that elections have consequences. In the last presidential election we allowed a smooth talking charlatan to mesmerize the young, well intentioned voters, and to buy off the ever increasing masses who have been taught to do as their political masters ask in return for a handout. They all forfeited a piece of their liberties, in fact a piece of all our liberties, for a nebulous promise of change. The consequences are all too many and all too clear:
We have seen government takeover of the auto, banking, and health sectors of our economy in a blatant attempt to dismantle our free market economy
We have seen government takeover of the education system via the total control of student loans. Can we doubt that bureaucracies who control the purse strings of student loans will determine which schools are favored, which professions are encouraged and which others are discouraged, which groups will receive more favorable terms and which will bear the burden of repayment? What better way to control the future than to steer jobs away from the private sector and into government positions, to determine which professions are politically correct and which grants are approved or disapproved?
We have seen government trampling of contract law in favor of union payoffs for their political patronage.
We have seen Czars determining appropriate pay scales, benefits, and profits in lieu of traditional meritocracy and market forces.
We have seen undisciplined spending that has mortgaged our children’s and our grandchildren’s future and made us beholden to foreign nations who have purchased our debt.
So many consequences, so much damage, and all for one misguided election. Let us vow here today that we will always remain vigilant and never allow such a travesty to ever happen again.
Let me make one point before I proceed. I’m going to be making some strong remarks and use some metaphors about getting rid of some of our elected officials. Understand that I am speaking of ending their political careers and doing so via the law and the vote. Do not for a minute translate what I say as condoning violence or any other illegal or inappropriate activity. We are a nation of laws, and if you are here today, you surely understand and respect that basic fact.
If you’re not quite sure that we need to change the face of congress, let’s just take a look at the whole Health Reform fiasco and how it played out before our very eyes.
Now, speaking of the Health Care legislation, let me start by asking you, “How does it feel to be screwed by your government?” Not wined and dined, not softly caressed – but assaulted. They promised us we would like it once we got it, so now that they have had their way with us, what do you think? Tell me, was it good for you?
Oh they tried to seduce us early on, but we weren’t buying any of it, and we felt secure behind the age old walls of protections built by our Founding Fathers and meticulously maintained from generation to generation by the vigilance and blood of our forefathers. We had elected gatekeepers who represented us and who would bar the gates against these lust-hungry brigands who would do us harm. Finally we had our rule of law, our constitution, and the time honored traditions that have made America great.
But they would not be placated unless they satisfied their passion for power so they plotted on. Little by little they dismantled the wall of protection, a piece here, then a section there. They bribed the gatekeepers, trampled the Constitution and battered down the doors on a lazy Sunday evening.
Wild with desire they pounced on the American people. No soft music, no pretentions of love, just the pillage of the American citizen. They had their way with us, vile and cruel, intent only upon their own self- satisfaction, leaving us battered and bruised, but not broken. So here we sit, mending our wounds while they revel in ecstasy over their new found power. What are we to do?
If we remain here, placid and docile we know what awaits. Having experienced this lustful high, they will be back - these barbaric pillagers of the Republic masquerading as statesman. They will abuse us again and again, bleed us dry, and when they’re done with us they’ll go after our children, our families, our friends.
We have only one choice. Rise up and regroup. Turn the tables – let the hunter be the hunted. Now is our time to hunt them down like the dogs that they are and end their political careers. We’ll hunt them collectively across the country and we’ll hunt them in packs in every state, in every county, in every district and town. Vigilante gangs? - wild mobs? – Oh, they’ll call us all that and more, but they set the terms, they trampled the law, they set the rules of engagement and until now, they did it with impunity.
Don’t tread lightly, don’t hide in shadows – take this fight out into the light of day. Let them know they are being stalked, they are being hunted, and that the date on which their political careers will be terminated has been set as November 2, 2010.
America has been fundamentally changed as promised. All we can do is pick up the pieces and begin the rebuilding, but for that to happen the elected class of our country must be rounded up, branded as traitors and villains, and run out of politics forever, and not just those who supported this destruction of our country, but likewise all those who stood idly by and allowed it to happen.
It is the people that make America great, not the political class. We would do well to start over with the blueprint laid out by the founders and with a new, dedicated, humble group of individuals who are willing to come to Washington to serve the American people for a limited term, and then to return home to their families, their work and their obligations as citizens.
Our resolve must be steadfast, our need for revenge insatiable, and our hunt relentless. The beast is loose. It has tasted blood and craves more. The taxpaying citizens are its prey and it is coming. We must be vigilant, we must make whatever sacrifices are required, and we must stop this beast, once and for all, lest its ravenous hunger devour all that we love.
But, the question remains, How do we do this? What’s next?
The American people, especially those of us who espouse the conservative principles of personal responsibility, individual liberty, limited government and free markets are a patient people, busy contributing to society and to the economy, raising our families, paying our taxes and steering clear of the political arena, but through the actions of this president, his administration and a complicit congress, we now find ourselves pushed beyond the breaking point and our wrath, directed at our elected officials, for their arrogant rape of our economy, culture, tradition and our very way of life should be all consuming and unquenchable.
For anyone who thought that their vote didn’t matter, that their voice would not be heard, we need only look at the elections in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts, and despite the passage of the Health Reform legislation, which I just railed on about, we did make a difference. This legislation was supposed to breeze through congress last fall when the president had positive approval ratings and congress was not as despised as it is today. By constantly pushing back, the people forced the administration and congress to resort to blatant bribery, coercion, kickbacks and procedures so convoluted and despicable that the vast majority of American citizens were repulsed by what they saw. Tremendous political capital had to be expended, and approval ratings tanked by the time they carried this abomination over the finish line.
It was not moderate democrats, it was not republicans and it was not independents who stalled the tide of this liberal agenda. It was the voice of the people, as raised through the grassroots movement of the Tea Parties that has proven to be the only safeguard against this administration’s bankrupt agenda.
Back to the question “What can we do?”
TMTP has begun a program called the Small Groups. In its simplest terms we are encouraging people to begin to host small gatherings of friends, family, neighbors and co-workers in their homes to discuss issues, share ideas, and take action such as writing letters, making phone calls, researching candidates and becoming active participants in the primaries and mobilizing for the November elections. We are providing educational materials and resources, encouraging people to speak in groups, and providing moral support. Topics, decisions and actions are all determined by the individual groups; we are only encouraging citizens to explore different venues of action. I have been handling this program, meeting with the participants and helping them get started. We have groups forming throughout the area in Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Essex counties.
I encourage you to consider hosting or joining one of these groups. There is a tremendous synergy within each group, and the 50+ people who are now actively engaged in putting this together have formed unique bonds with people they didn’t even know a few weeks ago.
Please stop by the education booth and pick up a flyer for the Small Groups. There is contact information on the flyer.
I think we have all experienced the crippling effect that frustration and anger can have on our lives as we watch the daily exploits of the Obama regime. Let me share something with you to help you manage that pent up angst that we’ve all been experiencing over the past year. Follow me on this.
When you go home today, I’d like you to find a little jar, take it with you, and find a quiet spot where you can be alone. Then I want you to pick a topic – let’s use Health Reform for our example. Think back to how this came about. Think of how you felt when you heard about the breadth and depth of 2000+ pages of legislation. Think about the payoffs, the bribes – the Louisiana Purchase – the Cornhusker Kickback – sweetheart deals for unions while the rest of us get screwed. Think about “passing the bill without voting on the bill.” If you watched the final proceedings, think of that Sunday night and the hours leading up to the final vote. John Boehner’s impassioned speech against the bill. Nancy Pelosi, incapable of putting two coherent words together, giddy with excitement – telling us what a wonderful thing they were doing for the American people. Bart Stupak selling out the lives of unborn children for chump change and a worthless piece of paper from the most anti-life president who supports even the most heinous act of partial birth abortion.
Remember your elected officials celebrating their power and President Obama, arrogant and smug, contemplating his place in history, all at the expense of the American people.
Now, when you’re just about to scream - when the veins in your neck are ready to burst, open that jar and breathe all that anger, all that frustration into it and seal it up. Then place the jar on the kitchen counter where you’re sure to see it and get on with your life. But every Sunday evening go to your jar, open it and take a small breath of anger then seal it up again. Don’t inhale too much, it’s got to last until November. You don’t want to forget how angry you were. And along the way, when they bring up Cap & Trade, when they bring up amnesty for illegal immigrants so that they can add them to their voting block, when they continue to trample the constitution, when they continue to squander you children’s future, take that anger and put it in your jar. Don’t let it cripple you, don’t let it destroy your life - But let it be a reminder – don’t ever forget how you felt – don’t ever let this happen again.
I would be remiss if I didn’t relate a short story about our veterans that really had an impact on me, leaving me with tears in my eyes. A few months ago I attended a wake for someone who was a member of my Knights of Columbus Council. Jack was an older man, well into his 80s, and as is the custom in our council and in my faith, a number of Brother Knights gather beside the coffin to pray the rosary for Jack’s soul, and for the comfort of his family. It’s always a touching ceremony, and one we unfortunately have to perform too often.
When we were done I took a seat and noticed a group of elderly gentlemen enter the room. They were all in their 80s and you could see that many needed help just walking up to the coffin. Then I noticed the VFW caps and watched the transformation as the leader of the group called them to attention before the flag-drapped coffin. No longer were these old men who could hardly walk. They came to attention, ramrod straight, with honor and dignity to pay respect to a fellow American to whom they were bonded by a love of country and a commitment to the dream that is America.
I could not imagine any one of them apologizing for this country. I could not imagine any one of them asking for a handout, an entitlement, or for someone else to carry their load. These are real Americans and if, God willing, there is still enough of their good stock and lineage in today’s citizens, there is indeed hope for our republic.
You know, when I think of great men and women like those veterans at Jack’s wake, and when I think of the words “duty and honor” and “love of country”, I wonder why it is that we who are here, exercising our civic duty, raising our voices, participating in our political process as the Founders would have hoped for, are so demonized by the Left and their propaganda machine, the media.
As I stand here at this podium today I don’t see the angry mobs, the rabble, the racist, xenophobic, gun-toting, religious, right wing extremists I was told would be here. I see no white hoods, no burning crosses, no pitchforks and no militia.
What I do see are proud citizens who will not watch their liberties be taken from them by the very people we elected to safeguard those liberties. I see brave people as we have always seen throughout the ages. I see the Spartans at Thermopylae, facing certain death, yet forming the last line of defense against Xerxes Persian army. I see William Wallace standing against the King of England to protect his people’s freedom. I see boatloads of oppressed people crossing the ocean to come to a strange land where they would be left alone, to practice their faith without oppression.
I see colonists at Lexington and Concord, in Boston Harbor, and throughout the New World standing tall against the British Army. I see wave upon wave of Americans who so value liberty that they storm the beaches at Normandy, battle their way onto Okinawa and mass in a desert to bring freedom to strangers around the globe. And finally I see our brothers in sisters in New York, with their unshakable spirit and their boundless bravado, rising from the ashes to rebuild their beloved city, inspire their country and reclaim their lives, while spitting in the faces of the terrorists who despise the very liberty that makes us Americans. Stand proud my friends – If the Left didn’t think we were making a difference they would not bother with the vile and vitriol that they heap upon us. Take every insult and wear it as a badge of honor.
Now, Let’s get real – if you’re here, you’re interested and concerned for your country. As I said in the beginning, if you’re involved, get more involved – if you’re not, what are you waiting for? Look into this Small Groups Program – it’s an excellent way to keep abreast of what’s happening, have the support of other like minded individuals, and at least feel that you’re doing something. Don’t leave this to the next guy – take a chance – consider it your civic duty.
If you feel uneasy or uncomfortable about this, and that’s perfectly natural, let me ask you this: If you knew someone was going to do something that would make the life of your child or grandchild more difficult – if you knew they were trying to rob your child or grandchild of the American dream that your parents and grandparents protected and nurtured for you, is there anything that you would not do to stop that from happening? Well guess what? They are out there right now – your elected officials – those people to whom we have entrusted the stewardship of our constitution, our republic, our liberties, our very way of life, and they are squandering the inheritance of your children and grandchildren.
If you do nothing you can’t complain. If you try, if you do everything that you can, then no matter what the outcome, you will be able to look future generations in the eye and say “Damn it, I tried! I did everything I could possibly do.”
The time is now. This election cycle will determine the face of America for decades to come. Will we remain the beacon of liberty? Will we continue to exist as a capitalist, free market society where opportunity abounds and everyman can achieve whatever it is he is willing to work for? Or will we become another European Socialist nanny state – giving up our freedoms, our opportunities, our future to a state that promises, equality at the lowest common denominator, equality of misery, and equality of servitude.
The stakes here are extremely high. We have all been blessed to be here, in this great country, with all of our God-given rights and liberties guaranteed by a sacred document penned by our Founding Fathers – brilliant men – brave men – patriots and activists who put everything on the line for an idea that would become America. Generations before us have stepped forward to safeguard these rights, both for us here at home, and for strangers across the globe.
Now it’s our time to act – to give just a little bit of our time and step a little bit out of our comfort zone. The choice here is simple. If not you, then who? So, please, pick up the gauntlet and stand up and be counted. We have been given our republic – now let’s prove that we can keep it. Thank you.
May God Bless America.
Nico
