Here are some old links that mention the tea party activities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Tea_Party_%28political_party%29

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkZ8rSyXuI4

http://housingpanic.blogspot.com/2007/12/ron-paul-december-16th-tea-party-money.html

http://mp3.wtprn.com/Albrecht/0801/20080111_Fri_Albrecht.m3u

MSM finally started reporting on the tea party movement near the election and chose to spin it as an anti-Obama movement. It is unquestionable that some bitter Republicans and their faux followers are trying to take over the tea party movement, but to say that the goal was anti-Obama/democratic party is wrong.

According to the the article, the original Tea Party was about anti-corporatism. While that may have been part of the movement, it was also about the colonist against the British Parliament and ‘no taxation without representation’.

But this is something I struggle with. Talking about race with gamers is like talking to a wall at times. When RE5 came out and there were charges of racism, alot of things you brought up were often in the conversation, in a way to make it whitewash the situation and drown out opinions. It tends to make it difficult to have these conversations.

But “saving” is too optimistic a term.

I also see the teacher and social worker characters representing institutions. Granted, these are institutions that we can and should be critical towards… but at least the film has the belief that they can offer support. I think we all agree that education and government are important allies… and that they have largely failed people in environments like the one we see in Precious.

My worry while watching the film, though, is how are white people going to see this? And especially conservatives? Are they going to see this as representative of “black life”? And is Precious going to serve as “lift yourself up by your bootstraps” model, highlighting the idea that if you’re not making it, it’s because you aren’t working hard enough?

I felt like my experience might not be the same as other viewers’ experience. (Some arrogance there, yes. And of course our experiences wouldn’t be the same.)

Then I also realized that not many white people will even go and see a movie about black people. We’re much more comfortable with The Blind Side.

Final point about colorism in the film. Does it help or hurt that the film is aware of it? The Precious character is constantly making reference to it. I saw it as part of the devaluing of herself. It seemed like one of the ways that she was made to feel like she was somehow worthless and ugly. It was part of her self-awareness, and so she was intensely aware of the color of those around her.

“This reminds me of the “endangered species” anti-abortion arguments.”

You wonder why “pro lifers” are often advocates of capital punishment and war. Minor detail. Just goes to show how proficient the right wing think tank is at manipulating rhetoric. And the notion that immigrants are solely responsible for environmental degradation? Ludicrous.

Of course, I’d rather poke my eyes out with a dull stick than watch one of those shows in the first place.

It looks like Facebook has already taken it back.

But are they going to explain or apologize?

That article wasn’t worth reading. A graph with no values; assertions that the country’s already above its carrying capacity; the idea that nobody’s thought of this before (hello, Malthus?); basically, the stupid – it burns!

The problem is, Facebook can pretty much do whatever they want, right? I mean, I suppose you could always ask for your money back (or, less, sarcastically, set up a ning or Drupal site to host the group).

There’s so little actual public space left these days (malls are private property, community sites are corporations, etc., etc.) that I’m starting to wonder to what extent owners of spaces that are quasi-public ought to be required to allow full freedom of speech – or at least full-er.

Remember Clinton? He wasn’t exactly a leftist liberal, but opposition was fierce. I think that we’re now in a political era where anyone even slightly left of center is going to face massive and ignorant opposition.

I think that race is helping to galvanize many people, and it’s making them more afraid… but I don’t see it as the only factor.

As if revealing your race is some sort of full disclosure that you’re obligated to report in writing criticism. When would a white critic EVER have to do this? It’s unimaginable.

And it’s another way to dismiss the criticism. It’s a way of just saying, “Well, he’s black, so now you can see why he’s being so critical.” As if the critic’s race somehow excuses the play’s content and makes it free from criticism.

Disgusting.

Does anyone buy into this stuff?

Meanwhile, they continue to support individuals and organizations that continue to craft pro-corporate policies that allow the same environmental destruction that they’re against… when it’s illegal aliens doing it.

Yeah, Mexicans crossing the border are responsible for all the environmental ills of the world. So easy to blame someone else.

Enough already.

But anyway, today is St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish holiday. I wonder how many of these xenophobic HYPOCRITES are celebriting that today.

These people are high on something.