The TEA Party movement has indeed had an impact on politics locally and nationally. And individuals have joined together to form activist, coalition groups to attempt a center right realignment of the government to the people.

The notice taken of the TEA Partiers by the press is due primarily to the novelty of the movement; ordinary citizens taking their grievances to elected officials in huge numbers objecting vociferously to the accelerating erosion of our rights and loss of our economic destiny.

Still, the movement struggles with activities beyond the en masse rallies. Sure there are some initiatives to push legislation addressing the health care take over and the rapid response phone calls, emails, and letters to legislators to halt pending legislation but how does the movement sustain itself over the long run? It will take years of constant pressure to effect the changes required to return government to a manageable level. It will take years of organizing and getting involved in, yes, party politics.

The activist, coalition groups organizing today have a common cause: limited government; a return to constitutional principles. But, and here’s the question staring at us, do the members of the movement admit to their responsibility for the present state of affairs and take responsibility for it? Attend a rally or meetings and you will hear a diffident admission to a tacit responsibility. Mention the name of a politician however, and the air fills with scorn directed at not only members of the opposition party but even more at those in the party whose values most closely align with the movement members.

“Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?”

“A Republic, if you can keep it.” The response is attributed to Benjamin Franklin.

Have we kept it in the manner the founders intended? For decades we’ve made very comfortable lives for ourselves. It may have been that we believed establishing a comfortable living was all that was necessary to keep the republic and to a large degree it is necessary. But not sufficient. We sustained many of the social institutions necessary to keep the republic: churches, charities, benevolent associations and others. We ignored government. Turned our attention away from it expecting those we elect to at once keep the republic and also to satisfy the myriad concerns we didn’t want to deal with. Mostly mutually exclusive endeavors. You cannot grant government the authority to do something while maintaining your individual rights.

We seem surprised that the movement was able to affect legislation, if only temporarily at the national level, more so at the state level. But what’s the surprise? Politicians do listen. Granted the administration, the state and local governments we have today have turned deaf ears but only because of years of neglect on our part. They have learned that our attention is temporary and short-lived. Let’s go see a movie. What’s on the TV?

It is more than disconcerting to hear the people in the movement blame the politicians for their governing but hold themselves to a much lesser degree of responsibility. A recent newsletter pointed to a retired politician as one who represented the old politics. Well, will those in the movement represent the new politics by staying active in politics for the duration; to the end time? History has proven otherwise. And unless we in the movement stop blaming those who represent us and keep in constant touch with them through the party mechanisms or other persistent methods, we will not “keep the republic”.

Bottom line: Unless we take full responsibility for this mess, little will change. For, as that great philosopher Pogo said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us”.