We've Got (hate) Mail!
Somebody decided to send me a postcard. Unsigned and no return address, of course!
On the back, was this message (click on it to enlarge; and yes, I removed my home address from the image):
Let me be clear here: I had barely heard of Glenn Beck before his name came up as a suggestion of someone we should approach as a speaker. Here's what actually happened, as best I can put it together:
Joni Schmidt, who put together the 1,200-strong Boerne Tax Day Tea Party, actually held the first Tea Party at the Alamo Plaza on February 27th. She organized it via Facebook. I heard about the rally afterward, found Joni and the Facebook group through a Google search, and joined Facebook to be a part of it. We realized not everyone is willing to sign up for Facebook and the movement needed a publicly available web site, so I created TheyThinkYouAreStupid.com.
Discussions progressed via email and Facebook, and on 17 March, Joni decided to handle Boerne and asked me to take over the San Antonio planning. We discovered the Alamo Plaza was reserved by the Fiesta Commission, so that was out. We first met in person at the Lighthouse Cafe's patio on 21 March. There were just six of us, and we wondered how we could manage to get a few hundred folks out for a protest. Eric Adam told us then that he was working on a video.
I posted the notes from the meeting on the web site and things began to happen. On Thursday, 26 March, Eric Adam got his now famous video posted on the 9/12 Project website. The next day, 27 March, Glenn Beck played Eric's video on his Fox News show and commented on wanting to be at the Alamo. That Sunday, members of the newly-formed Executive committee (about 14 people) met with two folks from the Texas 9/12 project, then went to the publicly advertised organizational meeting. We were meeting at the patio of a restaurant that was closed on Sunday and what a surprise we got. Over 120 people showed up, from all walks of life! We spent the next week trying to get a good venue and even reserved a park. One man, Matt Perdue, just walked in to ask the Fiesta Commission for permission to use Alamo Plaza. He says it took less than sixty seconds to get to “yes.” At about the same time, Glenn Beck surprised us by saying he was coming to do his show here and would be at our Tea Party.
THAT was the point at which we started coordinating with Fox News. (Yes, Glenn Beck eventually helped us. He sent the folks from Premiere Speakers Bureau to help us and then we paid for their expenses. Yes, he agreed to do the fund-raising luncheon for us and that was our biggest source of money--but all that money all came from the citizens of San Antonio (and wonderful people who came here from all over America!) who wanted to both hear Glenn and help us.)
That Sunday, we filled the 160-person capacity room at the Magic Time Machine. A week and a half after that, there were 20,000 people in front of the Alamo.
What help did Fox News provide? ZIP, ZERO, and NADA. They were adamant in not allowing us to use their resources. As Matt Perdue put it: "They wouldn't even let us use an extension cord!" They had their stage and we had ours. We let them use our stage and our jumbotrons. But when Glenn Beck's show was done, they packed up their equipment. That's when we discovered the people between our stage and the Alamo couldn't hear very well. They'd been listening to the Fox News audio system all day and ours didn't cover that area.
We cannot help it that Fox News decided to bill four of the Tax Day Tea Parties as "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties." This was the first I've heard of it.
Now, to answer the question "How stupid do you think we are?" That depends. If you really believe that these Tea Parties were not a spontaneous outburst of anger by those who are horrified at the implications of bail outs by the Trillions, a budget deficit that's over four times the previous record, and the imminent doubling of a debt that's already at $11 Trillion, then you aren't stupid--YOU'RE NUTS! If you believe that these Tea Parties are a spontaneous thing but want to continue to accuse us of Astroturfing, then you're not at all stupid--you're just someone who puts his party before the country and shame on you! If you just don't care if these Tea Parties are a spontaneous thing, THEN you are stupid!
BUT -- If you believe that these Tea Parties are a spontaneous thing and you want to make a rational argument as to why you think we're wrong, then you aren't nuts and you aren't stupid--you we can talk with! By the way, you can save the 27-cents and contact us through the web site's "Contact Us!" page next time.
On the back, was this message (click on it to enlarge; and yes, I removed my home address from the image):
Let me be clear here: I had barely heard of Glenn Beck before his name came up as a suggestion of someone we should approach as a speaker. Here's what actually happened, as best I can put it together:
Joni Schmidt, who put together the 1,200-strong Boerne Tax Day Tea Party, actually held the first Tea Party at the Alamo Plaza on February 27th. She organized it via Facebook. I heard about the rally afterward, found Joni and the Facebook group through a Google search, and joined Facebook to be a part of it. We realized not everyone is willing to sign up for Facebook and the movement needed a publicly available web site, so I created TheyThinkYouAreStupid.com.
Discussions progressed via email and Facebook, and on 17 March, Joni decided to handle Boerne and asked me to take over the San Antonio planning. We discovered the Alamo Plaza was reserved by the Fiesta Commission, so that was out. We first met in person at the Lighthouse Cafe's patio on 21 March. There were just six of us, and we wondered how we could manage to get a few hundred folks out for a protest. Eric Adam told us then that he was working on a video.
I posted the notes from the meeting on the web site and things began to happen. On Thursday, 26 March, Eric Adam got his now famous video posted on the 9/12 Project website. The next day, 27 March, Glenn Beck played Eric's video on his Fox News show and commented on wanting to be at the Alamo. That Sunday, members of the newly-formed Executive committee (about 14 people) met with two folks from the Texas 9/12 project, then went to the publicly advertised organizational meeting. We were meeting at the patio of a restaurant that was closed on Sunday and what a surprise we got. Over 120 people showed up, from all walks of life! We spent the next week trying to get a good venue and even reserved a park. One man, Matt Perdue, just walked in to ask the Fiesta Commission for permission to use Alamo Plaza. He says it took less than sixty seconds to get to “yes.” At about the same time, Glenn Beck surprised us by saying he was coming to do his show here and would be at our Tea Party.
THAT was the point at which we started coordinating with Fox News. (Yes, Glenn Beck eventually helped us. He sent the folks from Premiere Speakers Bureau to help us and then we paid for their expenses. Yes, he agreed to do the fund-raising luncheon for us and that was our biggest source of money--but all that money all came from the citizens of San Antonio (and wonderful people who came here from all over America!) who wanted to both hear Glenn and help us.)
That Sunday, we filled the 160-person capacity room at the Magic Time Machine. A week and a half after that, there were 20,000 people in front of the Alamo.
What help did Fox News provide? ZIP, ZERO, and NADA. They were adamant in not allowing us to use their resources. As Matt Perdue put it: "They wouldn't even let us use an extension cord!" They had their stage and we had ours. We let them use our stage and our jumbotrons. But when Glenn Beck's show was done, they packed up their equipment. That's when we discovered the people between our stage and the Alamo couldn't hear very well. They'd been listening to the Fox News audio system all day and ours didn't cover that area.
We cannot help it that Fox News decided to bill four of the Tax Day Tea Parties as "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties." This was the first I've heard of it.
Now, to answer the question "How stupid do you think we are?" That depends. If you really believe that these Tea Parties were not a spontaneous outburst of anger by those who are horrified at the implications of bail outs by the Trillions, a budget deficit that's over four times the previous record, and the imminent doubling of a debt that's already at $11 Trillion, then you aren't stupid--YOU'RE NUTS! If you believe that these Tea Parties are a spontaneous thing but want to continue to accuse us of Astroturfing, then you're not at all stupid--you're just someone who puts his party before the country and shame on you! If you just don't care if these Tea Parties are a spontaneous thing, THEN you are stupid!
BUT -- If you believe that these Tea Parties are a spontaneous thing and you want to make a rational argument as to why you think we're wrong, then you aren't nuts and you aren't stupid--you we can talk with! By the way, you can save the 27-cents and contact us through the web site's "Contact Us!" page next time.
--
Robin Juhl
San Antonio Tea Party
Chairman
(Published by permission of Gail; updated on 4 May as was promised by Jeanette)
posted by Ranten N. Raven at
1:31 PM
<< Home