Chamomile?
Green?
The sleepy bear night night tea my grandmother used to make me?
No, none of the sort. Today if you join me in raising a cup with your pinky out, we will enjoy the soft aroma of Chinese Brick Tea. This variety doesn’t come loose so I have to boil a big pot anyway, so I hope you’ll join me for a sip of this rare herbal treat. Of course, the celebration isn’t just about tea fellow kossacks. This is about what this tea represents.
Before telecom immunity, thumbs up for torture and the Patriot Act was ever drafted over Mojitos at Bohemian Grove, there was a different brand of injustice going on. Imagine in 1764 paying your everyday price of a few coins a cup for your delectable steaming herbal tea. After you leave the general store you head over to the post office and leave with a few stamps to write that letter to your sweetie across the pond. Life doesn’t get any better than this, right?
Fast forward to 1768 and all hell has broken loose? Prices for tea has forced you to boil hot, herbless water only left with the faint memory of tea leaves for taste. You haven’t written your loved one in months because the price of stamps are out of this world! What has happened to my colonial America?! Something must be done!
Protest! That must be the answer right? Bringing in our own tea? Hancock did that and got the severest pinch possible right on the arm. In 1773, the British Government gave a no bid contract to the East India Company to sell tea to us directly, how’s that for a tax break? They undercut the smugglers and lobbyists made good money off the backs of hard working colonists. Where is our representation? Who will speak for us?! We’re being mistreated and abused by these legislators and we have...nothing!
Thank god for the terrorists...I mean patriots Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty. By organizing direct protests that would impact the East India Company, the loud mobs grew and grew to a climatic Thursday December 16th 1773 when the Sons of Liberty took action and tossed 45 tons of tea into the Boston Harbor. While I’m sure the harbor smelled beautiful, that did very little to curtail the anger from the Brits at this deliberate act of civil disobedience.
The terrorists...I mean...there I go again...PATRIOTS made their point. They were being taken advantage of in their wallet, bullied on their land and misrepresented in their Parliament. Yet through it all, they had the courage to stand forward and do something about it.
I bet the tea tasted splendid after that day. I bet it tasted even better on July 2nd 1776 after the Declaration of Independence was written, or on July 4th when it was declared or July 9th when the equestrian statue of George III in Bowling Green was toppled. Who would’ve thought civil disobedience would have such a nutty aftertaste.
I feel there are many fundamental lessons we can learn from our founding fathers. When terrorism wasn’t used as a pawn or when freedom meant the actual right to say what is on your mind. We’re often pushed into voting certain ways to please our conservative founding fathers, but when it comes to making those in power own up to their grievances in the same manner, our cries fall on deaf ears. We’re being charged an abhorrent amount of money from oil companies as they record profits in the billions and our government stands by and allows it as politicians rake in the donations from big oil. We’re being charged outrageous amounts of money on our communications bills...only to be handcuffed if we want to sue a company for violating our rights to privacy?!
Oh, and lets not forget our dear President who says he’ll veto anything that doesn’t have anything to do with military spending, torture or immunity for Roger Clemens. What a complete disgrace this nation has become. We’re walking around a mostly misrepresented bunch of patsies lining up and ready to be let down yet again by a new class of congresspersons who will continue to act defenseless against the executive branch and it’s powers that are supposed to be limited.
I believe now is the time we take a good hard look at our past before we proceed to the polls this November. Now, I’m not asking for you to overturn oil tankers or anything like that in the name of progress, that might get a little messy. But I am asking for a substantive response toward the inaction of this Democratic Congress that we’ve elected. I am asking for a substantive response to these weakened centrist Presidential nominees we’re left with. I am begging for a new beginning.
We need to take back this country. Instead of voting for more and better democrats to take over capital hill, how about more and better individuals. We need to cleanse our nation’s capitol of it’s partisan politics and it’s lobbyist legislature. I don’t want my next State of the Union address to be sponsored by Monsato. I want justice.
I want to wake up in the morning and hope people aren’t being chastised for talking straight up and praised for sidestepping logic. I’m ready for my cup of tea now. I’m ready for my Sons of Liberty moment. Yet instead of smuggling tea, we need to do what’s best for you or me. Hold these congressional criminals responsible for violating our trust.
No taxation without representation, remember? Congress, it’s time to represent.
If you ever nod affirmative to drill ANWR, I’ll make sure you leave office in disgrace. And I’ll have a cup of tea in your honor and damn will it be sweet.