The 100 Most Hated People in America

Happy New Year America. If you think like me, you ranked #7* on the list of most hated Americans. What is #7? Why, the tea party of course! No one seems to get that “we” are an “ungroup,” and not a party at all. I accidentally stumbled upon it yesterday as I sat staring down the new year with total ambivalence, dreaming about winning the HGTV dream home in Stowe, Vermont as a way to erase the pain of having to face another year exactly in the same place we were one year ago. I am so unprepared for 2011 emotionally that I couldn’t even focus to write this blog yesterday, though I was determined to feel that I was doing something (anything) productive.

So back to my fantasy of imagining my new home awarded me by HGTV’s David Bromstad or Candice Olsen—I decided to google Stowe, Vermont to see if I would be living near Ben and Jerry or Clooney and Crosby. Before the word “conservative” tumbled off my keypad, I was quickly bombarded with enraged blog posts, article analysis and comments using language I had been taught that you never write lest you want to see it published on the front page of the New York Times. Where are Frank Capra and Irving Berlin when we need them?

The standards of decorum and a tendency toward kindness have all but disappeared in this country. For all of the writers I truly appreciate, there are thousands more who poison respectful discourse with a typing tongue that contradicts their very assertion that they operate from intelligent reason and I from irrational assumption. In fact, the many blog posts I scanned before throwing up my arms in frustration contained no substance at all and were filled with more expletives than college level words. The one thing these angry blogmobs lack is any specific argument to back up the justification for their rage. I find it so hard to believe that for all I watch and read that any of these folks could actually watch, read and truly know anything about the people they attack outside of what they hear from friends who tell them how to feel, believe and think.

Maybe next year, the Tea Party will be #1. I’ll consider the position at #1 a sure sign of “progress” in the right direction. As for 2012? My dream ticket taking today as a snapshot would be the three “Rs”—Ryan (#39), Rubio (#24) and Romney (#23) but only if he promises not to try that healthcare thing again. For press secretary, I’d love to see Michelle Malkin (#6) and when she is out sick, Dennis Miller (not on the list—yet!)

*to find the article, google “100 Americans the Left hates Most”

The Face of the Tea Party and Civil War II

I’ve said to myself, but not here until today, that we are going to have a civil war in this country.

I believe the shot heard ‘round the world came on the Monday after health"care" passed. Americans—including those who innocently trusted and believed that our president’s campaign promise to “fundamentally change America” meant that the “old” way of doing business, hiding things from the people, having lobbyists make policy, spending exhorbitant amounts of money and taxing unfairly and corruption—believed that things were going to change for the better. It was all so carefully packaged in a man who looked like the perfect candidate. The election of this dynamic handsome, married, young father of two who just happened to be black and was voted in not because of the color of his skin but because of his extraordinairy power to use the English language to at one time say exactly what he was going to do but make it look to the average American like it was all so moderate, was brilliantly executed. I did not vote for this president. But my no vote for him had nothing to do with the color of his skin. My no vote came from paying close attention to what he said along with his voting record and, for me, cemented in is relationships, of which there were far too many, to ever make me believe that he was the best choice for our country. I didn’t feel John McCain, was the best choice either. But as usual, when faced with only two choices in recent years, you go with the one that will do less harm to the country.

Before President Obama began systematically dismantling our republic a little more than one year ago, I held my children out of school on election day. I had no idea what was coming. But I accepted that if this is what the American people wanted, let’s give him a shot. And, regardless of disagreeing with his policies, I watched the entire inauguration with my children to show them the only good thing that I could say about the day. I told them, that with the election of this first black president, there will be no way that anyone can ever call America a racist nation. He was overwhelmingly elected by the American people. Of course, I was wrong—not about the legitimacy of his election. I was wrong that racism would end in America.

Americans can argue what taxing unfairly is and we can argue what things NEED to be kept from the public to protect our national security—such as our military strategy, but any American this week, who cannot now see what our president meant to do to our country, is not colorblind, they are just blind.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American hero. If I were alive during his time, I would have joined hands and walked with those who supported him. I would have not eaten in a restaurant that didn’t allow a fellow American to join me in. I wouldn’t’ have taken a segregated bus. I have spent my whole life being respectful to people of all colors, all faiths, all beliefs, even when they differ from mine. However, when they differ from mine, I have asked “why?” Sometimes they can explain. Sometimes, they can’t. And sometimes, they just don’t respond at all. Today, when I ask or challenge anyone, I am called every name in the book. I never could have imagined that half a century later, the very beneficiaries of the civil rights movement would turn their ire towards people who believed in and who supported its original mission. People like me.

I never imagined in our “colorblind” society that it would be my family who would be fighting for the same civil rights Martin Luther King, Jr. championed. And worse, as we were fighting for them, be called the names from all of the groups I sought to uplift, help, support and respect my entire life.

I am a caucasion, blonde haired, blue eyed, married mother of four young boys. Recently, on Facebook, I came across one of my former entertainment industry associates, whom I admired, promoted, championed, praised, adored, respected and revered. He happens to look like me. Actually, he resembles and sounds like Anderson Cooper but without the white hair. I hadn’t seen his posts in quite a while. I gave up responding last year when I, as a brand new Facebook member, dared to get involved in a discussion about the town hall meetings and Joe Lieberman, etc. Within minutes, my comments were drawn and quartered and I was called the same tired names that pass as proper language in every circle but mine.

I folded and just began to take the safe route and talk about my son’s latest pair of shoes or talk about what movie I had just seen. After many months went on and I saw more and more discussions, I began to argue with facts again. Each time, I was usually the only voice of dissention. I was labeled a name caller for using political terms to label policy while their name calling focused on a presumed party, color of my skin, or worse a sexual practice I must engage in for having these views.

As I reflect on this tumultuous time we are living in, I see so clearly now what is going to happen in America. I can’t believe I’m going to say this. I can hear them calling me a white supremacist already—and by “they” I do not mean people of color. I mean they as the radicals of all colors, including mine, who seek to extinguish me, my family and my culture forever.

Because of the color of my skin, what I have to say about what is happening to my country is meritless, I have no civil rights. I have to prove every day that I am NOT a racist, NOT a homophobe, NOT a radical. Look at what the media does to the tea party? They show the overweight men and women with the oversized t-shirts and black socks. They show the handmade signs, with crudely written (and often misspelled) exclamations—which by the way should be used as proof of grass roots to counter Nancy Pelosi’s despicable “astroturf” slur. Most of these patriots, whether they be silly looking, dressed like Paul Revere, have bad hair or be sitting in a fold up chair, holding a constitution, are American patriots. They DO look like me, my mom and dad, But it isn’t the point. It shouldn’t MATTER what color any American’s skin is who seeks to have their voice heard. We are supposed to be living in the afterglow of Martin Luthur King’s dream . We are, in fact, living in a culturally divided nightmare. And it has been brought on by those who protest the loudes—the far left, who wants to “care” for the “meek” as long as the meek don’t say “NO” to the handouts.

It is one year after the historic tea party movement began. This movement continues to grow as more and more Americans see where our country is headed. Our first black president was duly elected by a majority of ALL Americans. The problem is, he wasn’t the RIGHT president for America. Perhaps our next president will be both conservative AND black. I don’t need to wonder how that victory would be celebrated. We all know. He would be labeled another pejorative term by the far left. They’ve called Oprah Winfrey, Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice and others the same name.

My argument prior to today when someone called the tea party “an all white group” would be to knee jerk defend against it. I have come to realize BECAUSE of what the left has done, that I was indoctrinated into becoming an apologist for the color of my own skin from the time I entered grade school until now. As a true colorblind American, I don’t count how many of each KIND of human beings are outraged at what is happening in our country. I’m just glad they’re outraged.

This disgusting assault on my culture, my race and my American heritage is not what Martin Luthur King wanted. The progressives on facebook today in my friends lists who have comment after comment applauded that literally CALL for me (meaning anyone in the tea party or who is conservative) to be killed, and at the same time talks about how violent I am is evil.

To close this topic today, I want to go on record with a very sincere statement. I watch Glenn Beck almost daily. I wish I had every one of his broadcasts on dvd. They are a history lesson and I am so thankful that he is alive to be the Paul Revere of broadcasting. He is a modern day hero to me. He has helped wake people up to what is happening with facts, data, history lessons, documentaries and whenever he can, the very words for all of us to SEE uttered and used by those who work in and around our government., and most notably, the White House. People who don’t watch Glenn Beck don’t have the faintest idea who he is and how brave he is. The burden he must be under in doing what he does every day is tremendous. I cannot imagine being so articulate and passionate with so little anger day in and day out with what he must go through off the air, May I not hear the words “fairness doctrine” ever again. God bless Glenn Beck and keep him safe so he may continue to remind us who we are.

And to my president. Barack Obama. I did not vote for you. But I do not hate you. You are an intelligent, handsome, well spoken, unflappable man with an unbelievable smile. You have a beautiful wife, a loving mother in law and two beautiful daughters. You are an example to the black community of fidelity and good parenting from everything I have seen. I commend you for all of these things. The first lady, regardless of her views, has also exhibited grace and dignity in office. I believe you are both sincere. But as an American, I also believe that through your own actions and because of those who have influenced you and continue to surround you, that your views are the antithesis of American ideals and that your desire is to erode and eventually extinguish the constitution upon which our nation was founded. It makes me extremely sad for I was filled with hope too. I was hoping that you might do what the majority of people who elected you thought you would do—change Washington—not the country. You will be an important part of American history. You will be remembered but it won’t be for the healthcare bill. You will be remembered as the president who took America too far left and became the very catalyst for our need to restore the republic and drastically reform the government. I sincerely wish that you and your family are safe from harm. My fear is that those who want to harm you will come not from the right as the far left media would like to perpetuate but actually from the left who feel you haven’t gone far enough. Editors Note: As I publish this blog today, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow, in an extensive promo campaign that seeks to compare the tea party movement to Timothy McVeigh, is airing this week on April 19th—it is just one example in a long line of disgusting attempts to frighten peaceful, liberty loving, fiscally conservative people into staying inside and shutting up. It will fail.

Finally, I know that it is the desire of the far left in this country to either incite and or orchestrate someone on the right to commit an act of violence. This would discredit the angry electorate and create the very “crisis” government needs to push for total control of America. And for that, my prayers are with the people. Don’t fall for it. Don’t do it. Think of Martin Luthur King, Jr. Think of Abraham Lincoln. Think of Ghandi. Weather permitting, I will attend my 2^nd tea party demonstration today on the capitol steps in Austin, Texas. I am proud to attend with my husband and children as we watch freedom loving people get off of the couch, and stand up to the endless bullying we have faced since the silent, tolerant majority said loudly “Enough” and “Don’t tread on me!”

Glenn Beck Rocks CPAC!

There is nothing I can write that will articulate how completely gratifying it was to just watch Glenn Beck nail Republicans to the wall with his CPAC speech. I was on the edge of my seat for the full hour—no teleprompter—no lags—no rhetoric. Beck laid out the facts as skillfully as Indiana Jones evading the rolling ball. I had just flopped on the bed, turned on the tube and he walked onto the CPAC stage—talk about perfect timing! I wish I'd had the presence of mind to record it—hopefully Fox News will replay it tonight! Every American child would do well to watch it.

I have felt since discovering Beck on CNN (the only show I could bring myself to watch on that network anymore) that he is the BEST history teacher I never had in college. Thank you Glenn Beck for having the courage to use the CPAC platform to lecture the Republicans on the same things that millions of us who watch him and/or listen to you daily already know. I am confident that those who "hate Glenn Beck" but have NEVER heard this true patriot speak, are scratching their heads tonight because he made so much sense. Yes, he is always that good. Yes, he knows his history. Yes, he backs up all of his books with outstanding bibliographies. Yes, I am a "Beck head." (But if you think I'm a "blind" devotee, read my criticism of how he handled Debra Medina of Texas on his radio show in an earlier blog.)

Glenn Beck is the epitome of the modern day, self made American man success story. He has his finger completely on the pulse of how average Americans are feeling. Oh, that one person in our government would speak as eloquently, plainly and forcefully with the conviction, consistency and passion of this first class, self educated, and home schooling dad broadcaster. Bravo to Beck and bravo to Fox News for hiring him so he could become the voice of real Americans from sea to shining sea. A very grateful and awake America is watching! I'm proud to be just one of those Americans.

Glenn Beck deserves criticism today for Medina Interview

I've had a few days of not being motivated to write. Yep, I know Iran is nuclear, president Clinton and Alec Baldwin were rushed to area hospitals today—I wish them both well BUT Glenn Beck (and I cannot believe I am writing this) was completely and totally OUT OF LINE today on a radio interview with the third (and relatively unknown) third party republican candidate for governor of Texas, Debra Medina.

I had written to both Sarah Palin's facebook and on my blog in earlier posts last week asking why Sarah Palin was not supporting Medina (who was said to be an 'independent minded" "Scott Brown" "tea party" type of candidate.) It was a sincere question—it was not posed because I am a supporter of Medina. I, as a new Texas voter in this primary, am eagerly trying to discern WHO would be the best choice for Texas going forward. I have ruled out Hutchison because I can SEE she is "big" Washington government and I don't want anyone tainted by an association there in the past 10-12 years bringing their big spending to Texas. I heard 10 minutes of the democrat governor's debate and after they refused to answer "yes or no" to vouchers, I became so infuriated at the double speak, I turned the debate off—more spending, more money into the failing schools. The democrats are done. I already LIKE Rick Perry. In fact, if I was "not" engaged in seeking out more info, I would vote for him without even looking into Medina. Why? Because I am a Nuevo Texan.

Rick Perry's governorship of this state is precisely why people like me are fleeing California for the lone star state. We moved her just 3 years ago. In many ways, I find that my husband and I appreciate living here and see the wonderful differences in Texas culture so clearly because of what we saw happen to our state. Rick Perry has been governor for the past 10 years, since George W. Bush (another VERY popular governor) ran this state. Austin, Texas is simply a GREAT place to live. There are no potholes in the streets. There is no litter. Wonderful zoning rules keep restaurants and businesses next to the highways, where you can easily see (and frequent) them and puts the homes in the beautiful hillsides of Austin. The air is clean and beautiful here. We have 5 world class universities and colleges within driving distance of the capitol. There are oak trees for miles, longhorns, farms, wineries, antique stores, parks, lakes and trails galore. Connected to all of this natural beauty is the city—yes, a growing city, with the local hippies resisting the new high-rise condos and the poor folks east of the 35 highway, where a regentrification is under way posting cardboard signs that read "rich yuppies' moving here. Here, we have the usual problems with saving some form of wildlife (like a blind salamander) so the roads don't go through to accommodate the growth—thereby releasing exhaust fumes into the "clean" air instead—as motorists and families bringing more business to all of these hippies and tree huggers protest. You know—they want to live here but they don't want YOU to live here. Texas is a LOT like California in this regard and that is NOT a good thing.

However, with a fiercely independent streak and a desire to be responsible in growth, both sides seem to be working together (most of the time) to keep Texas from turning into California while welcoming the growth that is bringing jobs, an entrepreneurial spirit and college students from all over the country to study here. Rick Perry's proposal to lower "out of state" tuition to encourage that people come get educated and STAY here is a SMART one. He also supports the military, scouting, and in fact wrote a great book called On My Honor in praise of the organization, is married to his "starter" and only wife, Anita (don't think there are any former interns or mistresses anywhere), is and has also raised an Eagle Scout son and supports ALL forms of education, including vouchers and home school programs. Now where have you seen a public official support both public and private education before?

I admire him for all of these things. Tea party patriots like myself understand that we cannot have a PERFECT candidate—he, like G.W. isn't really pursuing the border as far as I can tell, he supports toll roads, which I can't stand and there was a question on an improper execution that came up prior to this latest race—I'm guessing this is just pure politics. From what I have read, the guy was indeed guilty of murdering his family. Just another red herring for the left's usual tactic of painting conservatives as bloodthirsty, heartless killers of the innocent. As I had mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, I had watched the first republican governor's debate—Perry appeared unengaged, and like the smug "good old boy" he is portrayed to be by the liberal folks. He just didn't seem to really care about giving specifics on policy. He gave little substantive answers and just touted repeatedly how great it was to be in Texas. Debra Medina, on the other hand, who I had NEVER seen and knew nothing about, was awesome in that debate. She directly and concisely answered each question and I have already mentioned that when she said to eliminate property taxes, I becames intrigued. Our property taxes here are outrageous! Even though I LIKED Perry, I began to wonder about Medina. I searched Google but could not find any real history on her. I found no controversy, just that she was a home schooling mom, raised in Texas and carried a gun. Basically, she looked like a "Mrs. Smith" going to Washington—straight forward, direct, honest???

I missed the 2nd debate. I, to this day, haven't been able to find it on U-Tube to review. However, I understand Perry did rather well at the second debate. However, this brings me to Glenn Beck's most bizarre interview today.

I am a regular viewer of Glenn Beck's television show. I dvr it daily and if I could have the entire air-check of his television show, I would. I consider him to be the best history teacher I never had in college. MOST of his daily shows are AWESOME, a few are corny, and only rarely are they boring. He puts on a substantive show literally filled with facts, statistics, history lessons and is just an amazing broadcaster. His radio show, which I only found recently here in Austin on 98.9 has a distinctly different flavor. I don't really enjoy the two sidekicks who chime in and sometimes find the exchange between guests and him to border on "shock jock" in that he can go "off" on guests and take what people say and then rail on them without giving them a chance to complete their point of view—you know, talk radio. All hosts do this to some extent. But that opening song—I keep trying to find it! I love it. "Just Remember Who We Are, We Will Be The Key!"—Can't find it, don't know if it is a custom recording. It is awesome bumper music!

Okay, I digress—ADHD moment! Today, I was REALLY REALLY excited because Glenn Beck was going to have Debra Medina on his show—originally I thought it was going to be his TELEVISION show but it was his radio show instead. Finally, I was going to hear him ask "Why do you think Sarah Palin is supporting Governor Perry over you?" That question was never asked.

Instead, the interview with Medina barely lasted one segment. He asked her "who she was" and when she gave the 30 second commerical on "wife, mother, nurse..." as all politicians do when you ask them that question, he insulted her right off the bat and said "that wasn't what I asked you," as though she was evading the question. She was not. And so she repeated it and tried to expand more into her positions. I was immediately surprised by his confrontational nature upon beginning the interview. His tone was adversarial. They had a few more exchanges and then he stated that there were rumors swirling around that she was a 9/11 "truther" (the crazy folks who believe George Bush collapsed the twin towers and killed our fellow Americans). She said she had heard that and didn't know where it was coming from. She then went on to say that she did not know all of the evidence and that she wasn't going to take a position. After she said this, he went completely off on her, began laughing with his co-horts and essentially dismissed her off the air after going back and forth on the question. And the interview abruptly ended. Now if she is indeed a truther, I get it! She's got a serious screw loose, a hidden agenda—game over.

Here's where I believe Beck deserves criticism though. And let me be clear so everyone knows where I stand—people who believe that our former president and/or our government melted the steel on the twin towers to go to war in Iraq are CRAZY. Willie Nelson (Austin's favorite son) is crazy! I went to a concert at The Backyard because he is an Austin institution and I had to tell my friend that it was against my better judgment to go because of how I feel about his hatred of America. If Debra Medina is a truther, she's not getting my vote, now or ever. BUT, after Beck essentially "hung up" on her, he said this. "I never liked her anyway." This bothered me very much. He did not extend to Medina a chance to express her views so we, the audience could make the call, in exactly the same way that Sarah Palin was ambushed and made to look stupid by Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson.

I'm taking Ms. Medina at face value here. If indeed, she is a "grass roots" politician, then I can imagine how intimidating it would be to talk to someone like Glenn Beck—I would be intimidated and I agree with him. If he treated me that way because I was so nervous, I said something stupid or inarticulate, it would be like a punch in the stomach to have him treat me that way and dismiss me in just the first few sentences of an interview. I would feel betrayed, blindsided and flustered. He said he didn't like her because she said she was "just like him, a grass roots organizer..." and he dismissed her as someone who didn't have a clue who he was. In essence, Glenn Beck, the one who always seems to be on the side of the people, wrote off this person before she could make any other points, clarify why she couldn't emphatically say "the truther's are crazy" and instead, just cut her off and ended the interview. I suspect he muted her so she couldn't hear what they were saying before he calmly said "nice to talk with you" and then let her go.

I don't find Glenn Beck to be a rude or insensitive person. When a legitimately infuriating guest calls his radio show, he gives them a lot of rope before going off. But this appeared completely pre-meditated today. I saw him at The Alamo last year. He seemed very down to earth at the first tea party. People at his book signings have said "he is who he claims to be" when they shake his hand and have a few words with him. I have read all of his books and they are BRILLIANT. But today, he was out of line. His only interest was in discrediting Medina. The question I am left with is this. If Rick Perry or Kay Hutchison knew that Medina was a "truther," then why wasn't this question asked at the first debate? Surely someone would want to bring this up for political advantage, wouldn't they? Rick Perry was given a moment in which he could ask Debra Medina anything. I can't remember what that question was but I know it wasn't about this. So, where did Glenn Beck find this out? Why didn't anyone else discover it until now and why didn't Sarah Palin, in supporting Rick Perry, mention it so that people who follow her on Facebook would know definitively that Debra Medina had this view? This is a HUGE political advantage to Perry and/or Hutchison.

Something just doesn't seem right. If it is indeed true, then I'm glad it was revealed today. However, if it isn't true, then Glenn Beck may have seriously influenced a Texas election with false information that could hurt this candidate. I watch Fox because the "talent" there has class and never gets in the ditch with CNN and/or MSNBC in demeaning people. Glenn demeaned Medina. I think those of us in the 2nd largest state in the nation would have preferred a "we report, you decide" approach to this interview today. I know Beck's radio show is separate from Fox, but when you are now working with Palin, who supports Perry, it makes me wonder if an agenda was put forth to help Rick Perry remain the frontrunner—and the reason I can't believe I'm saying this is because I SUPPORT Rick Perry! But I want a fair and balanced presentation of all candidates so I can be sure I am making an informed decision.

Glenn, I still love you but you owe Ms. Medina and all of us listening today in anticipation of a great Beck interview, an apology. Yes, we hold you to a high standard. At 23 million a year, you are in a position of tremendous influence and even I couldn't defend you today against all of my "friends" (I use that term VERY loosely) on the left who want to pummel you. I have to say, for the first time, I wanted to pummel you too! Okay, back to making dinner for the brood! And dad? If you're feeling sick from the chemo, maybe reading the above will make you mad enough to forget the nausea.

The Eagle has Landed!

Well, after having been bottled up for years working in the entertainment industry and realizing just how far left most of my former co-workers were and still are, I am vent—uring out and starting my own blog. The name of this blog "No Tread Threads" was originally going to be the name of a personalized blue jean line that I wanted to market to the tea party movement. I came up with this idea after feeling that many Americans, such as myself, felt muted and silenced for having conservative/traditional values.

Let me back up a bit. Last year, I was "just" a stay-at-home mom living in Austin, raising 4 boys. I will never forget the day I said to my oldest son, after it became painfully clear that our new government was rapidly putting us on a path counter to what the republic stood for, that we were going to need to throw a "tea party." I said we needed to have an "Austin Tea Party." I never imagined that a few days later, Glenn Beck would announce the founding of the 9/12 network and state that "We Surround Them." He asked Americans to send in their photos and answer the core values to see if we agreed. Those photos are in a mosaic behind his desk. When he said those words, I finally felt that I was not alone.

I sent my picture and answered the 9/12 values questions at the website—no small feat because I don't even know how to do that sort of thing. Somehow I was successful. I must have been one of the first members of this historic group. I am very proud to be a member. I am also delighted that because I jumped at the chance to get involved, I was able to secure the name "LibertyMom" for my screen name. It says exactly how I feel. A few weeks later, people all over the country began joining the 9/12 project and then it was announced that REAL tea parties were actually going to take place across America. I couldn't believe it. I had NEVER ever been politically involved, engaged or otherwise even interested. Up until the 9/12 project, it seemed that everyone was asleep at the wheel. Americans were too busy being fed their daily dose of un-reality television. I was not. I was engaged and flipping eagerly between FOX, CNN, and trying to even stomach MSNBC which I could not BELIEVE was even considered a legitimate news network. I could see this so clearly. I began reading Common Sense and The 5,000 Year Leap. I started 1984 but got so depressed at how closely it fit what was happening now that I put it down. I ordered 25 pocket constitutions from The Heritage Foundation and gave them to my 4 children. I offered the rest to my neighbors and left a basket on my doorstep for two days. Not many took them so I gave them to a group I knew would appreciate them—the Boy Scouts of America.

Shortly after joining this group, actual tea party events began cropping up in major cities in America. I did not consider going until Glenn Beck announced that he would be at the Alamo. My husband's great great uncles fought and died at the Alamo and I felt that this would be a significant historic event. So on April 15th, my husband, myself and our four boys went to the Alamo for the first Tea Party. I was so nervous. I did not know what to expect. We had a room at the historic Menger Hotel. We got there as Ted Nugent walked in. Glenn Beck was there too. I wrote him a personal note and gave it to reception. Our room had a balcony overlooking the plaza. We made t-shirts that were bright orange with an image of Alice's Tea Party." None of our neighbors came. We felt that we might be "crazy." That is until we got there. Everyone wanted that shirt. The restaurants on the river walk served free iced tea in honor of the day's event and everyone was SO nice. There was a palpable energy in the air that something was beginning. All kinds of people were there. Everyone we talked to had NEVER been to a political demonstration before. The streets were FULL of ALL kinds of people, young, old, an international crowd but MOST were middle class families like ourselves. Everyone wanted our t-shirt. To watch that event live and then watch part of it from our balcony and see that CNN and MSNBC were not even COVERING it live was such an eye opener for us. Later, when Jeanine Garafalo made her unbelievable remarks about "racist, ignorant tea baggers" along with Nancy Pelosi's "astroturf" and "well funded corporate" comments, I knew I would never be asleep again.

So back to the jeans—after the year we had, and watching the health "care" and I use that term loosely, debate and the cap and trade and the lobbyists and the speeches and the spin, I said to my husband that I feel so unable to be HEARD. I was in Los Angeles. My dad was fighting cancer and a white van drives by with these words in large letters across the back window. "Pelosi, you're going down in 2010. Can you hear me now?" I couldn't believe someone in California had that kind of courage. I decided that something that ALL Americans could wear would be a really nice way for people of EVERY type to VOICE their opinion.

Since most conservatives don't shop at Barney's or Neiman's, I wanted to create an affordable blue jean with beautiful embroidery or bejeweling that had sayings on them relating to what Americans were feeling. For example, if a customer bought a jean that said "Don't tread on CA," the funds would be channeled into a PAC that was designed to help Californians elect people who would replace Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters and any other progressive radicals running the now bankrupt state. "Taxed Enough Already” would of course be a great jean to wear to a tea party. I wanted the proceeds to go to PACS across the country. My goal was going to be to market these jeans that were affordable to people who wanted to wear their feelings on their "sleeves" so to speak.

After several weeks of attempting to figure out the "how" of this great idea, I don't think I have the resources, and certainly not the funds to pull this off. The designs, I have. The sayings, oh, I have some GREAT ones. But, that little thing called distribution—that one eludes me. If anyone out there wants to help me make this happen, I could use a partner. Hmmm. I can bake! Maybe, I can make tea-cakes with sayings instead. Or maybe this little thing I call No Tread Threads will have to be my VOICE. Okay, for all of the experienced bloggers who are probably poised to slam me, yes, I am already aware that when you group the letters together for this blog, it spells Not Read Threads—yep, I get it. Hopefully, people will read. Even if they don't, if I don't begin putting my thoughts down somewhere to counter the vitriol espoused from the other side, I might really become the "nutjob" that I'm already apparently accused of being simply for having conservative, traditional values and views.