Margaret Earnest, Cottonwood
Pledge to serve all of the people
The tea party movement became active back in 2009 on the premise that government should be kept out of the lives of citizens, at least that is how I understood it. Of course we also all know the tea party Medicare recipients want to be certain their benefits continue. That is hypocrisy to my way of thinking, but that seems to be their opinion.
Now the local Bostonian Tea Party and perhaps tea party groups across the country are asking candidates to sign a pledge. This pledge allows the tea party to decide whether the individual has done anything the tea party deems outside of the tea party’s scope of constitutional understanding. Unbelievable!
I don’t think I am a minority when I state I am amazed that elected Republicans have evidently willingly signed a pact with Grover Norquist regarding taxes. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised the local group is also requiring a pledge. Where is the trust in the individual? Does not elected officials take a pledge at their swearing in that they will work for the betterment of the people? And who is the tea party that they feel their opinion is so sacrosanct they can decide whether the elected person should be considered for re-election?
We don’t elect folks to the tea party. We elect people to govern and represent all the people. I think our Constitution tells us just that. I don’t think I want to support anyone who has such a poor opinion of their abilities that they sign a pledge to be beholden to the tea party or any organization.