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Previously apolitical Americans who have become involved with the unexpected uprising known as the Tea Party movement have been subjected to a virulent and sustained assault by the political class, the media elite, academia and the entertainment industry.

Those who still trust these corrupted institutions are misled into believing this textbook application of the people’s First Amendment rights to free speech, assembly and petition is motivated by racism, targeting America’s first black President.

As a veteran, family man and law-abiding citizen, I am angry at these institutions for impugning my neighbors and friends.

As a black man who knows real racism when he sees it, I am furious at their trivialization of the word for political gain. The people who gave President Obama approval ratings in the mid-80’s at the beginning of his term didn’t become racists overnight. It’s not his skin color, but his policies that mobilized the silent majority into action.

Regular folks are angry because the institutions we trusted in the past have failed us. Our elected officials are supposed to work for us, not demean and disregard us. 

The media is supposed to inform us without an agenda, to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable” regardless of ideology.

Our schools are supposed to impart information to our children and develop their critical thinking skills, not spout propaganda and promote groupthink.

Our entertainers, whose careers depend on the millions of ordinary Americans who adore them, are supposed to amuse or inspire us, not deride us for our beliefs and lifestyles, which they deem less enlightened than their own.

Obama, who promised to transcend our divisions, instead exacerbates them. He represents all the people, but openly mocks those of us who object to his vision of America as people who are not just wrong, but stupid and easily misled. This open display of condescension toward ordinary Americans by our own president is unprecedented in my lifetime.

We expect the people in the political arena to take shots at one another. We don’t expect our elected officials, whose salaries we pay and whose respect we are owed due to the power we accorded them, to attack us and mobilize their allies against us.

We are not the enemy.

We believe in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

We believe true compassion is a personal, voluntary act of love taken by individuals acting alone or collectively, not the confiscation and redistribution of our wealth by government.

We believe government serves the people, not the other way around, and should be our protector and enforcer, but not our provider. We know the price of government meeting our needs is the loss of our liberty and prosperity.

If you share our beliefs, regardless of race, you are welcome here – I guarantee it.

For me, the face of the Tea Party movement is the woman in her 90’s who attended a rally in March 2009 at which I was the master of ceremonies. As I knelt down to thank her for coming, she said to me, “I’ve never done anything like this my entire life, but I’m angry and I have to do something.”

These are the people for whom I served my country. These are my people, and insults don’t frighten us, they just make us angrier and more determined. The vile practitioners of racial politics and the arrogant elites of the culture will not silence us. We know who we are, and we know what we must do.

Ron Miller is executive director of Regular Folks United, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and education of liberty.

Way to go, Ron!

>> Administrator

Thursday, April 8, 2010, 10:37 am

You speak for so many of us and so eloquently cover the salient points. We must prevail.

>> bearcatak

Friday, April 9, 2010, 10:33 am

Ron, this is an excellent article that says so much about what most of us here are about and says it well. I'm a bit disappointed that there are only three comments here but it's still early.

>> Donald

Friday, April 9, 2010, 11:09 am

Well said and right on. Semper Fi

>> Eldon Hoerschelman

Friday, April 9, 2010, 12:09 pm

"Previously apolitical Americans who have become involved with the unexpected uprising known as the Tea Party movement have been subjected to a virulent and sustained assault by the political class, the media elite, academia and the entertainment industry." That's the problem. It's OK for the Obama crowd to rant and rave, but when others do it, free speech does not apply.

>> JohnnyB

Friday, April 9, 2010, 2:04 pm

Excellent, Mr Miller! I agree with JohhnyB--the leftists only champion free speech when they have something to say. The tide is turning and momentum is on our side.

>> Black-bag Bobby

Friday, April 9, 2010, 2:08 pm

Way to go Ron. If I had my way, you would become the RNC Chairman. We all need to be saying these things Loudly and Often. The reason that Obama and his minions in the congress, the media, and Hollywood are Trashing Us, is that We Are Telling the Truth, and The Truth Will Set You Free. Truth is the Only Answer to a Serial Lying President, Congress, Hollywood and MSM. We will not be Silenced, and We Will Not Be Stopped. Somebody has to Stand Up For America, and We Real Americans are Doing It. Keep Up The Good Work Americans!!!

>> greyhawk

Saturday, April 10, 2010, 7:34 am

Powerful stuff Ron! You have crystallized what I and others could not articulate.

>> Digital Publius

Saturday, April 10, 2010, 8:32 am

Ron, exceptional writing and maybe the best you have ever written! Also two thumbs up to all previous commenters. I sometimes get pretty down with our current misguided corrupt political machine but articles like yours Ron let me know there is hope.

>> jackjr60

Saturday, April 10, 2010, 8:26 pm

Ron, thanks for all that you do! Folks--look for Ron on stage at the DC Tea Party on April 15!

>> Lori Roman

Saturday, April 10, 2010, 10:31 pm

The Tea Parties are far from the first grassroots political movement this country has ever seen and it won’t be the last. The establishment went after the abolitionists, the suffragettes, and the civil rights folks as well. Those political movements that stick with the founding principles upon which our country was founded have always managed to succeed regardless. I say we are in good company. Let the establishment attack us. That only means we are being effective.

>> El Cid

Sunday, April 11, 2010, 4:52 pm

You are so right, El Cid! Truth will prevail. And Ron, I've now read this three times and I love it more every time. AMEN AMEN AMEN!

>> Lori Roman

Sunday, April 11, 2010, 8:14 pm

I wholeheartedly agree with these comments! I said to myself after reading Ron's article, "Fabulous, Ron!" I work so much & get to enjoy these 'conversations' so little that I truly relish & am rejuvinated by being in such good company with 'RegularFolksUnited'; Ron, you're doing us regular folks some good! This truly is the essence of freedom - & to the Tea Party Bashers, even the freedom to disagree!

>> tohonor

Monday, April 12, 2010, 1:42 am

Thank you for writing this article. I, too, am one who has never been involved in activism, but the situation in America today is absolutely unacceptable to me. I thank you because I am not a racist and your speaking out as a black man for the movement is important. It is wrong for PATRIOTS to be called racist and uncle tom because we want America to function as the republic that it is and with our constitutional rights held intact as they have been for these 234 years.

>> Stefani

Monday, April 12, 2010, 10:03 am