Two political movements, the Tea Party and the Coffee Party, organize events and protests in support of each group's particular set of values. The Tea Party, which emerged first in response to government bailouts and stimulus packages, acts primarily from a conservative standpoint, whereas the Coffee Party offers an alternative viewpoint which encourages Americans to participate in the democratic process.
The Tea Party
The Tea Party gets its name from the historic Boston Tea Party of 1773, during which American colonists protested taxation by the British government through the direct action of throwing overboard and destroying a shipment of tea. The present Tea Party uses the slogan, "Taxed Enough Already," an acronym of TEA.
The Tea Party promotes constitutionally-limited government and fiscal conservatism supported by libertarian and conservative viewpoints. The Tea Party movement began with organized protests in response to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, also known as bank bailouts, as well as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as stimulus packages.
The first official Tea Party protest took place on February 10, 2009, organized by Mary Rakovich in Fort Myers, Florida (Bennett, George. "Woman's Year-Ago Protest Launched Tea Party Movement in Florida." Palm Beach Post, February 10, 2010). On Presidents Day, February 16, 2009, Seattle blogger and conservative activist Keli Carender organized a Tea Party-style anti-stimulus protest which she called a "Porkulus Protest" (KIRO TV. "Dozens Gather at 'Porkulus Protest'." February 16, 2009).
The official Tea Party website can be found at Tea Party Patriots, with the opening statement: "A community committed to standing together, shoulder to shoulder, to protect our country and the Constitution upon which we were founded!"
The Coffee Party
The Coffee Party encourages supporters to "Wake Up and Stand Up." The movement works to promote respectful and civil engagement with government and remove corporate influence from politics. Documentary filmmakers Annabel Park and Eric Byler founded the party in January 2009. The Coffee Party established a three-step process to promote participatory democracy:
- Create public space for open, civil dialogue;
- Participate in collective deliberation; and
- Implement decisions.
The official Coffee Party website can be found at Coffee Party USA, with the mission statement: "The Coffee Party Movement gives voice to Americans who want to see cooperation in government. We recognize that the federal government is not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will, and that we must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges that we face as Americans. As voters and grassroots volunteers, we will support leaders who work toward positive solutions, and hold accountable those who obstruct them."
The Tea Party movement stands against "big government" and "big spending." The Coffee Party stands for civic participation. Both movements encourage supporters to speak up and act for their values.
Sara McGrath - Sara is a veteran homeschool mom of three, Usborne consultant, and the author of Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning.
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