‘No longer silent’

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Shawn Green of Union, with a Gadsden flag, got involved in the local tea party movement in April when he attended the Crystal Lake demonstration. He said the movement had helped spark his interest in running for local Republican committeeman for Coral Township Precinct 3 in the February 2010 primary. (H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@nwhearld.com)

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Although they’ve been relatively quiet lately, they’re here – and they can be loud and clear.

Hundreds of McHenry County residents have gathered at various times and locations in the past year to protest their government officials.

And, as the federal debate over health care and other hot topics rages, they might gain more followers by next spring.

“We’re all the people who have been called for years the silent majority,” said Shawn Green of Union. “We’re still the majority, but we’re no longer silent.”

Local Tea Party movement followers range from heavily involved organizers to the more behind-the-scenes figures. Some, such as Green, have decided to run for public office to better spread their message.

While Green already serves as school board president for District 158, he’s now a Republican candidate for Coral Township Precinct 3 committeeman. After attending an April demonstration in Crystal Lake, he said, his interest was further sparked in shaping political history.

“There’s a great Thomas Jefferson quote – ‘A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take away everything you have,’ ” Green said.

“That, for me personally, is at the heart of why I have become more vocal at what the federal government has been up to lately.”

According to the national Tea Party Patriots organization, the movement’s goals are to focus on excessive government spending and taxation, as well as promote public policy outlining fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free markets. They are ideals that many Americans – regardless of party – can rally around, movement activists say.

Bryan Javor, chairman of the McHenry County Young Republicans, said he has seen people of all backgrounds come together to stand up against taxes and the national deficit.

Most importantly, Javor said, the Tea Party movement has helped create other opportunities for public engagement, such as town hall meetings. Instead of complaining to friends and neighbors, Javor saw more locals inclined to address their legislators directly.

“It got people used to talking and speaking out, and that’s something we’ve been missing for a long time,” Javor added. “If [the movement] hadn’t happened, it would be a huge loss because it has accomplished so much and gotten so many people involved.”

However, not all believe that the Tea Party on a national scale has been nonpartisan – or entirely effective.

“It’s a good political tactic, but it can also generate hateful society and hateful social interactions,” said Daniel Galvin, assistant professor of political science at Northwestern University.

“The idea is just a recurring theme in American politics,” he added. “People defining a conflict in us-versus-them terms, arguing that our nation is on the precipice of disaster. That unless something is done now, the ‘others’ will drive our country off the cliff.”

Galvin said that although many Tea Party protesters have valid points about government problems, some forget that they aren’t all new to the Obama administration. Attracting others to the cause also might be more about politics than policy, even if some participants vocally engage in heated discussions on the issues.

“You’re going to get people who really believe they’re going to change things in Washington, but I don’t know how realistic that is,” Galvin said.

But government leaders are listening, argued Rich Carter, spokesman for Republican U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo.

“We’ve never seen anything like we saw this summer with the health care issue at the town halls that we hosted across northern Illinois,” Carter said. “Between the bailouts, the stimulus bill, the cap and trade bill and the health care bill. ... People are concerned with a lot of things going on with the administration.”

Carter also subscribes to power in numbers.

“I think any time you see large numbers of people doing anything, the leaders take notice,” he said.

James Thompson of Crystal Lake saw large numbers himself, a surprise after coordinating the April Tea Party protest in Crystal Lake. Information on demonstrations travels by word of mouth, so there’s no guarantee who will show up.

“I was amazed at the huge turnout because we really didn’t have any organization,” Thompson said, noting a few hundred appeared in just that one location. “It was like lighting a match with kerosene on the floor. It was absolutely, totally grassroots.”

Yet, Green and Thompson agree that the real test will come if and when Tea Party participants turn in their ballots at local primaries and elections next year.

“Overall, I think it’s going to affect the way people vote,” Thompson said. “It’s going to be mentioned.”

On the Net

For information on how to get involved in local Tea Party movements, visit www.teapartypatriots.org and click on “Groups” to find Illinois-area events and contacts.

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