The story is that Diogenes the Cynic once roamed the streets of ancient Greece, carrying a lantern and looking for an honest man. It wasn’t easy then, and it would be impossible today if he walked among politicians.
We saw that once again this week at the first Tea Party convention in Nashville.
We are badly in need of a true third party in this country to battle the Democrats and Republicans who have prostituted themselves for self-gain. But developing that party is nearly impossible because of human nature.
The Tea Party started as a grass-roots movement across the nation. While there were people who joined because of ulterior motives, such as racism or bigotry, there were many people who honestly were concerned about the direction of this country.
But the party isn’t even a year old and many of the leaders wouldn’t even get a second look from Diogenes.
While the party was supposed to be the party of the common man, they were informed that to attend the Tea Party Convention, it would cost them $549 for a ticket at Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. That’s on top of travel and transportation.
And then comes the news that they are going to pay $100,000 to Sarah Palin to speak. Palin? If I’m not mistaken, she helped kill the Republican Party’s chances in the presidential race just over a year ago.
If you truly are seeking to be a new party of the people, why would you bring in Palin? Although she may be good for comic relief.
Therefore the Tea Party is falling apart before it even gets going. According to reports, some activist groups as well as high-profile speakers have canceled their appearances.
This is a blow to the independent tea party groups that have sprung up around the country. And it’s a shame. Because if the Tea Party could somehow actually become the party of the common man, there would be hope for survival and national impact.
On top of that, there reportedly will be no Pledge of Allegiance to open the convention. That in itself is scary and an indication that the betterment of this country isn’t really an issue for the top Tea Party heads.
No matter how you feel about the state of the union at this time, people since the Revolutionary War have given their lives for that flag and what it represents.
It’s sad. The Tea Party has been in existence for less than a year and already the leaders have joined our Democrats and Republicans in Washington as forgetting what is truly important about the United States of America — the common man.
According to reports, Diogenes chose to be a beggar, walked around wearing a barrel and lived outside in a tub. I don’t know if he ever found an honest man, but the way things are going in this country a lot of us might soon be living the same way.
The Herald’s Lynn Saternow writes this column each Saturday for the Opinion page.
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