Posted by So excited my picture made the front page of the New Paltz Times, I barely noticed the article to go with the photograph, written by Mike Townshend. Thanks to Pam O’Dell of GardinersRight I addressed a tea party crowd on Tax Day last week and the New Paltz Times (or maybe I should say “Slimes”) covering the story, placed me left center with a nice caption:
“Raquel Okyay of Wallkill speaks passionately of her position on health care reform at last week’s tax day Tea Party in Gardiner”.
When I would later read the article completely, I realized that the niceties ended there. Townshend attempts to belittle the tea party movement, without shame, me and every other proud American who was there, by labeling us “tea baggers”. It is telling when the conservative forum FreeRepublic removed my post for its “offensive title” because at a second glance, the title itself implies ridicule: “Taxes get Tea Bagged.”
Wikipedia defines Teabagging as a “slang” term for a sexual act so the application is obviously inappropriate. With respect to the tea party, however, Wikipedia explains “Teabagging has become more prominent in the media, and the term is used to ridicule those in the Tea Party movement.”
In all fairness, New Paltz is a town that voted for Obama just about 4:1, so Townshend is appealing to his readers when he points out doggedly references to Hitler, racism, and indirect jabs at faith in God. Keep in mind; these references come from the pissant media, not the movement itself.
Townshend is right when he says the tea party is mostly “conservative” (our center-right Nation has awoken) but he assumes that the group is a fringe minority, when polls show that nearly half of tea party goers identify themselves as Republican, the other half is divided between Independents and Democrats.
Liberals love to discuss “death panels” especially if they can take a swipe at Sarah Palin, the popular former Governor they hate, they will. No, the ObamaCare law does not contain specific “death panel” language, but when the government makes healthcare decisions for you, your life or death is placed in their hands, yes, this is what the law determines with specificity.
James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal sums up the point with this pithy question:
What would you call governmental institutions that empower bureaucrats to decide when to deny medical treatment–panels, as it were, that have the authority to determine when a patient’s death is necessary for the health of the fisc?
These folks attack a construed version of the message (hateful anti-government), then the messenger (“tea baggers”), and hardly ever address the point (see message below). Any correlation between the tea party and “tea baggers” is childish and rude, there is no excuse, and its mention should be exposed.
My message to Mr. Townshend and other liberal-minded journalists:
The tea party consists of hard working, middle class, American citizens, who enjoy being American. We believe the US Constitution protects the individual from excessive and encroaching government. Today’s America is facing a President and Congress who ignore the very people that supported them. They push for policies that the people reject and we want it to stop.
Keep your eyes open Tea Party – sometimes you have to play defense.
The term, “Tea Baggers” became a bit more prominent when our lovely CNN reporter, Anderson Cooper, decided to use the term. It was debated briefly as inappropriate, but the MSM decided to ignore the fact that using the slang term might not be suitable to the average reader. It even spread to elected officials Sen Schumer and Sen John Kerry (both who should know better).
By danielnyc on Apr 23, 2010
I received a number of private responses expressing disgust with Townshend, particularly because of the nonchalant and inappropriate use of the disparaging term. They all should know better.
By Raquel on Apr 23, 2010
Hey, Raquel! Pic is great – never mind the standard smears by the lefty media, even this little dirtbag of a rag. We tea partiers, some of us, are taking the epithets as a badge of pride, which really sticks it in the eyes of the haters. We are using all this hate to motivate us, not to dissuade us! Everything the lefties do is pumping us up more.
By Peg C. on Apr 23, 2010
You look very hot, Raquel! Glenda is going to be jealous.
As far as the journalist, apparently you like me have given up on the Democratic Party press. The libels about the Tea Party flow freely on turkey farms like the New York Times and Huffington Post. It’s not surprising the mental mice at the New Paltz Times also feel the need to call us names.
Keep up the good work!
By Mitchell Langbert on Apr 23, 2010
Thanks Mitchell, you are the second man to publicly say that maybe it will catch on and I can enter the entertainment industry!! As for Glenda she’s “hot” in her own right.
By Raquel on Apr 23, 2010
The following letter has been sent to the NPT along with all the local newspapers:
The Tax Day tea party in Gardiner last week is the fourth such event in a year hosted by GardinersRight.org. While I appreciate press attention to patriotism, I find it unfortunate that the New Paltz Times chose to use a derogatory and homophobic term in this weeks article to describe what is simply a group of citizens expressing their first amendment rights to assemble peaceably, speak freely and petition the government. The paper may have been feeling clever about their headline, and trying to parrot other liberal media, but I find their method of bias both distasteful and childish. However, I am proud of the 150 or so citizens who came out to show their unabashed love and concern for their country. We will be sending the petitions signed at the event to our elected officials in D.C., where they will most likely be promptly round filed. No matter. We the people are not going away and will continue to speak with our voices and ballots in November.
By Pamela O'Dell on Apr 23, 2010
Dear Raquel,
Congrats on Your Front Page Photo!!
—–
FYI… New Video: IS YOUR PC RED?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOAaUKcFtkc
The Marxist Plot you weren’t expecting.
– C.B.
By CommieBlaster on Apr 24, 2010
First of all, congratulations on making the front page! You look great, lady, even when you’re yelling into a megaphone!
What’s funny about the use of the words “Tea Baggers” is that was Townshend so nonchalant in their usage that I didn’t even catch it the first time I read the article.
Both of the times he used it were very casual, as if “Tea Bagger” has become the popularly accepted term. (Which it apparently has amongst Townshend and his liberal ilk)
The left is obsessed with “Tea Bagging.” They get a bizarre sort of glee when using the term, dare I say a “tickle up the leg,” it just seems to make their eyes sparkle.
“But some people involved in the demonstrations have carried signs showing President Obama dressed as Adolph Hitler or as Batman super villain The Joker.
Democrats and others, including former President Jimmy Carter, have publicly decried those signs as being racist.”
Were Mr. Townshend and President Carter under a rock on Mars with their fingers in their ears during the Bush administration? Comparing Bush to Hitler was practically an everyday occurrence. Try Googling “Bush Hitler” and “Obama Hitler.” There are 200,000 more results for Bush.
Moreover, how is comparing a Mulatto man to White men racist? Characterizing President Obama as a monkey could reasonably be construed as racist, but not comparing him to a White supremacist or a fictional (White) character.
The comparisons of Hitler and the Joker suggest that Obama’s policies are similar to those of the Third Reich and that he’s…well…a clown.
But to me, what President Carter and other Democrats are suggesting that any criticism of a non-white is based in racism, no matter what the substance of that criticism is.
“also parroted Sarah Palin, saying that the new health care reform law had created “death panels” and called the Democrats the “party of death.”
I find the use of the word “parroted” to be condescending and insulting. Mr. Townshend is suggesting that you do not take the time to understand and research the things you believe in, but merely repeat what our Fox News/Republican Party “Overlords” say.
Overall, thumbs down at Townshend’s poor attempt at writing an objective news piece.
He couldn’t help himself, he just HAD TO throw in “Tea Bagger” two times, bring up the whole “racist” meme, use disdainful vernacular and contexts, hoping that nobody would pick up on his distaste for the Tea Party movement.
Mr. Townshend is a lousy excuse for a journalist. A piece like this belongs in the opinion pages, not as front page news.
By Bay on Apr 25, 2010
Hi Bay Welcome!! Thanks for your comments, it’s a perspective I can agree with. The title and use of the phrase “tea baggers” is so inappropriate, it doesn’t even belong on the opinion pages!
By Raquel on Apr 25, 2010
I am so disgusted with how inappropriate many of our elected officials are! If you go on Barack Obama’s website, you will find a t-shirt that reads “Health Care: A BFD” If one of my students walked into school with that shirt on, I would have to tell him/her to take if off. And then they would tell me that they bought it off the President’s website. I know most people will say this is trivial, but these people are supposed to be the Youth of America’s role models? When our own vice president uses such foul language in ear shot of millions, why is anyone surprised that every one else in DC “should know better.”
By Nanette D on Apr 26, 2010
Notice Raquel’s right hand also shows that she is very PRO-2nd Amendment.
By danielnyc on Apr 27, 2010
UN-AMERICANS FIGHT FRANKLIN GRAHAM !
What kind of wine has Mikey Weinstein been drinking?
As an anti-Christian Jewish supremacist and as the president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, he’s doing all he can to create an anti-Jewish backlash and help bring about the predicted endtime Holocaust of Jews that’ll be worse than Hitler’s.
Neither Falwell, Hagee nor any other Christian initiated this prediction. But Weinstein’s ancient Hebrew prophets did.
In the 13th and 14th chapters of his Old Testament book, Zechariah predicted that after Israel’s rebirth ALL nations will eventually be against Israel and that TWO-THIRDS of all Jews will be killed!
Malachi revealed the reasons: “Judah hath dealt treacherously” and “the Lord will cut off the man that doeth this.”
Haven’t evangelicals generally been the best friends of Israel and persons perceived to be Jewish? Then please explain the hate-filled back-stabbing by David Letterman (and Sandra Bernhard, Larry David, Kathy Griffin, Bill Maher, Sarah Silverman etc.) against followers of Jesus such as Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann.
Weinstein wouldn’t dare assert that citizens on government property don’t have freedom of speech or press freedom or freedom to assemble or to petition the government.
But God-hater Weinstein maliciously wants to eliminate from government property the “free exercise” of religion – especially by evangelicals – a freedom found in the same First Amendment. Significantly, this freedom was purposely listed FIRST by America’s founders! (Not-so-subtle Weinstein has even authored a book which has “One Man’s War Against an Evangelical Coup” in its title!)
And Weinstein wouldn’t try to foist “separation of church and state” on strongly-Jewish Israel, but he does try to foist this non-Constitution-mentioned phrase on strongly-Christian America.
In light of Weinstein’s Jewish protectionism and violently anti-Christian obsession, Christians in these endtimes should be reminded of Jesus’ warning in Mark 13:9 (see also Luke 21:12) that “in the synagogues ye shall be beaten.”
Maybe it’s time for some modern Paul Reveres to saddle up and shout “The Yiddish are Coming!”
PS – Some, like Weinstein, are so treacherously anti-Christian they will even join hands at times with enemies, including Muslims, in order to silence evangelicals. It was Weinstein, BTW, who put pressure on the Pentagon to dis-invite Franklin Graham from speaking there on the National Day of Prayer!
PPS – Weinstein is an echo of the anti-Christian, anti-American Hollywood which for a century has dangled every known vice before young people. We seriously wonder how soon the lethal worldwide “flood of filth” (global harming!) that Hollywood has created will engulf and destroy itself and help to bring to power the endtime Antichrist (a.k.a. the Man of Sin and the Wicked One)!
By Betty on May 22, 2010
Frankly being offended over being labelled a tea bagger only illustrates your ignorance. If you are a tea bagger it means you are the person in the dominant position. In other words the liberals who call you a tea bagger are admitting as much that your position is the stronger one.
By Chance Haywood on Aug 9, 2010
Yes, I agree, my position is stronger, but I don’t need a liberal to tell me! Still, I appreciate your comment. Am I going to get to finally meet you in person at RLC-NYC function on the 17th??
By Raquel on Aug 9, 2010