Tea Party Express Tour Stopping in Sparks

No matter where you graze in the political pasture, publicly expressing your position is a fundamental right in the United States. This morning, a group of people were doing just that in the heart of downtown Reno, displaying signs with their slogans, waving flags, and engaging passers by in conversation. They were obviously from the right side of the fence and none too pleased with what is happening on the left side. While all this is fine and dandy, I don't think some of the rhetoric I heard from the demonstrators was very helpful - President Obama is an oppressor, you are a communist if you don't agree with us. Come on, is that supposed to stimulate reasoned debate?

According to one participant I spoke with, today's demonstration was a prelude to the main event - a stop by the Tea Party Express tour bus in Sparks on Friday. I have seen two different times for the gathering (3 p.m. in the Reno Gazette-Journal and 5:30 p.m. on the Tea Party Express website), but only one location - the Windsor Inn, 60 E. Victorian Avenue. While the stated goal of the rallies is to speak out against excessive spending and intrusion into personal affairs by the federal government (stimulus, health care, etc.), the Nevada events have an additional purpose - defeating Senator Harry Reid's re-election bid in 2010.

Another fundamental right in the United States is voting, which is how the current political wind blew into town. If enough people don't like it, they can start reversing course in 2010. Meanwhile, it sure would be helpful to keep the conversation civil.

Sources: Tea Party Express and Country Deserves Better PAC websites, Reno Gazette-Journal.

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