My Dad, the Brownshirt Mob Member

My Dad is in his mid-70's. He's a quiet, hard-working, church-going, live what you preach kinda guy. He's never been to a protest and frowns on that kind of thing. He doesn't call radio stations or get excited about things. He's the guy that feeds the neighbors dogs and picks up their mail when they go out of town. He's the guy everyone calls to help build a new room on the house or when they need a tool.

He goes to church every Sunday, volunteers a couple of days a week at Habitat for Humanity and makes sure that he tithes. He'd give the shirt off his back to help someone in need. He is a wonderful, down-to-earth, practical and thrifty man.

I called July 3rd to let him know what time we'd be up for the annual "do" at the house. All the kids get together for a cookout, homemade ice cream and fun at my parents'.

I had planned on being there around 11.

My Dad, who's never written a letter of complaint, never organized a protest, never yelled at anyone, told me he wouldn't be home until later as he was going to their local Tea Party.

Pin drop silence, jaw drop shock.

I actually shook my head thinking I must have heard wrong. I briefly wondered if I was living in some alternate reality.

My Dad at a Tea Party? I'm still surprised.

He even dug out Mama's camera and took a few photos for me!

He guessed that roughly 500 people showed up in their little north Georgia town of Greenville.

When I think of my Dad feeling the need to take part in a Tea Party that to me is the best barometer of the seriousness of where we are in America. We are in deep doo-doo.

Now I hear that, according to Pelosi, Boxer, Obama and their ilk, people like my Dad are swastika carrying brown-shirt mob members.

Obama and friends are trying to minimize my father's voice. My voice. My concerns. Your voice. Your concerns.

If we did 1/10th of what "they" did to vilify, distort and trash Bush and his fellow Republicans during the past 6 plus years, we'd be in jail given the current climate where we're being asked to snitch on those who don't walk the liberal party line.

Middle-class America is rising up and we're saying what we believe. They're trying to shut us up. It's going to backfire. More and more people like my mild-mannered, strong back boned father are standing up for what they know and believe.

This country was built by people who had strong values who'd finally had enough. They stood up for what they believed and fought for their freedoms. We're still here. We will stand up and be counted. Our voices matter and the more Obama's crowd dumps on us, the louder and stronger we will become.

Mr. President, I'd suggest you listen rather than belittle.