110 W. New York Ave., DeLand, FL
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BEACON PHOTO/JEN HORTON
Lesson in democracy — McCulley Jones urges government spenders not to indebt her before she’s even old enough to earn money. She was excused from Stetson Baptist Christian School to accompany her grandmother to DeLand’s Tax Day Tea Party April 15.
BEACON PHOTO/MARSHA MCLAUGHLIN
Tax Day protest draws hundreds — Doug Littleton rallies the crowd at DeLand’s Tax Day Tea Party.
Many agendas, one voice
By Jen Horton
posted Apr 15, 2009 - 4:25:03pm
Hundreds of people filled the DeLand City Hall courtyard for the Tax Day Tea Party protest April 15.
There were many agendas. Some think President Barack Obama is a foreign national, others feel the country is becoming a socialist nation, and some want politicians to get off their high horses and serve their constituents.
Almost all of them want lower taxes and less government.
While the agendas varied, those attending had a common goal: to have a voice, to be heard.
Signs waved, horns honked, tea bags were glued and stapled to just about anything that didn't move, and people of all ages, from all walks of life, converged at the Tax Day rally.
Regina Gibson of Port Orange summed it up.
"Enough is enough," Gibson said. "I don't think I have a voice. That's what it all boils down to; we don't feel we have a voice — Congress certainly isn't speaking on my behalf."
Brian Hill of Brian's BBQ served pulled pork and tea side-by-side with Lake Helen City Commissioner Ann Robbins. The concept was the only good pork comes on a plate, not in a governmental budget.
John and Pat James of Pierson said they love their country. Both served in the U.S. Air Force, Pat for three years and John for six. Pat James held a sign advertising pitchforks and tar and feathers.
"I want to see the politicians as afraid of me as they want me to be of them," Pat James said. "They're calling me a terrorist because I'm a Christian and I own a gun."
"We're both veterans," John James said. "We love our country, and we are disgusted by our politicians."
Rudy Treml, a district director for the FairTax movement, was resplendent in a Thomas Jefferson outfit. His organization promotes eliminating all forms of personal taxation and substituting a fair sales tax on all goods and services.
"We're not here to protest," Treml said. "We're here to advocate the solution to taxation."
Collin Korf came from Lake Mary. He handed out slips of paper with a Web site address on it.
"This is a petition to see Barack Obama's birth certificate," Korf said. "A lot of people believe he's a foreign national. If he has nothing to hide, then why can't he just provide the proof?"
Sharon Chevren of Deltona was raising interest on the corner of Florida Avenue and New York Avenue. She hollered to passing motorists, "Honk your horn if you support us."
The drivers of school buses, utility trucks, 18-wheelers, and every make and model of automobile did just that.
McCulley Jones of DeLand also stood on the corner. She held up a sign beseeching politicians to not use her money. Jones is 7 years old.
A student at Stetson Baptist Christian School in DeLand, she was excused from class to attend the rally.
Her grandmother Ellen Clark explained.
"You have to teach children right from wrong from at a young age," she said. "She is here to learn how to protest things that are wrong. And to learn about the First Amendment, which is the most important right we have."
Handing out voter-registration cards, Shirley Patterson was thrilled by the turnout.
"I've been here 30-some-odd years, and this is the largest gathering I've ever seen," she said.
Watch video of the Tax Day Tea Party.
Reader Comments
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Projection on your part... Actually during a nationwide protest against the transgressions of our government. No cars were overturned or burned. No riot police were called out to disperse the crowd. No stores were looted and set afire. No politicians were burned in effigy. The after protest cleanup was almost not needed. Most cleaned up after themselves.
This is in stark contrast to a Code Pink, ELF, HSUS, ACORN, AFL-CIO, HUFFPO, KOSKIDDIES protest.
You should take a long hard look into the mirror. I don't believe you will like what you see.
Dr.Duke: "These people don't care about putting debt on their grandchildren; they couldn't care less. It's all just a disgruntled Republican pity party."
Actually they do care about their grandchildren. Read the balanced and fair article written by the News-Journal. Stop believing the propaganda of the political parties. Both Dem and Rep.
Dr.Duke:"The government is not spending their money - it's the Chinese's ."
That defies basic econ 101. Go back to class good Dr.. The government is spending our children and grandchildren's LABOR. Our government will indenture our progeny to the amount of FOUR QUADRILLION DOLLARS(that is 4 thousand trillions) by 2060 according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Mr. Greenjeans: Spewing hatred and vitriol is the weapon of the truly ignorant. Educate yourself. Learn how to discriminate between the reality you perceive and what truly is reality.
more incommon than different,
How true your statement is. Power on my friend.
If we could work on those for a while maybe the rest would work itself out. No more negative comments about Bush or paying attention to the color of Barracks skin. Oh, 1 more thing, go do something nice for someone you don't know,we're all under a tremendous amount of stress these days and it's scaring your kids! It will work it's way back to you some day.
I see that Volusia County hasn't changed though -- this article takes me back to the good old days in Deland, when bags of uncounted presidential ballots ended up in a dumpster in downtown Deland.......Tea parties....using little kids as political pawns...... claiming that Obama is a foreign national....
Sheesh! How ignorant can people get?
Difference between USSR Communist media and USA "mainstream media"
In Russia government make media say what they want - even if lie.
In USA "mainstream media" try make government what they want - even if lie..
.....eventually they become same thing?!
I Igor produce Obama Birth Certificate at www.igormarxo.org
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