August 21 Recess Rally at Gabrielle Giffords’ Office
August 7, 2009 by Robert Mayer
Filed under Events
The Tucson Tea Party will be participating in the Nationwide Recess Rally in front of Giffords’ office. While the nationwide rally will be at noon on Saturday, August 22, we believe there are significant disadvantages to that time including the heat, lack of traffic, no news media on hand, and nobody present at Giffords’ office.
Therefore, The Tucson Tea Party rally will take place on Friday, August 21 between 4 - 7 p.m. at Gabrielle Giffords’ office on Pima and Swan! The last rally on July 17 had 500 people attend. Let’s make this one 1000 at least!
WHAT: Nationwide Recess Rally Against Socialized Medicine
WHO: Tucson Tea Party and allied organizations
WHERE: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ Office (D-AZ), 1661 N. Swan, Suite 112. Tucson, AZ 85712 (map)
WHEN: August 21 from 4 - 7 p.m.
Letter sent to Tea Party Members on August 16th
Hello everyone,
Just another reminder that we will be meeting at 4:00 on Friday the 21st in front of Representative Gabrielle Gifford’s office on the corner of Pima and Swan. We hope to have people there until 7:00, so if you get off work at 5:00, there should still be plenty of time to meet up with everyone else. I believe that there are other groups that are arranging for a place to go after the event is over for food, drinks, and conversation.
One thing we want to do is to have everyone that plans on coming call at least 3 other people and invite them. Additionally, we hope to make some phone calls to those which we have telephone numbers on record.
It has been a long couple of weeks and it has been discouraging at times to hear our elected leaders continually disparage our message, methods, and character. Quite frankly it is inexcusable to pass off an unwillingness to discuss specifics of the Health Care Bill as personal intimidation. It has also been discouraging to hear our press pass along these unsubstantiated and outright false claims along without investigation. We have been covered by just about every media outlet in the area, they have met you, and quite frankly, they know better.
That being said, your work and persistence has actually forced a debate on the issue. That is a victory of itself. Representatives Giffords and Grijalva have been forced to confront specific bits of policy they would have rather avoided. Giffords has ducked every meeting where she may be asked a substantive question, and Grijalva has flown to Denver to escape the “heat.” Many are noticing that their airbrushed ads and tightly-controlled press interviews have offered nothing in the way of clarity or explanation, and people are simply not buying into the fluff.
Now is the time to intensify the pressure. It is vital that we continue to the end and not consider our work finished. It is imperative that we send a message Friday evening, that the issue is not fading with the visibility of our “representation.” We have a chance to entirely turn the tide of the local debate on Friday, and we shouldn’t let the moment go unanswered.
Everyone will be watching. That being said, it is important that we continue to act in the calm, restrained, yet persistent manner that has hallmarked all of our previous events. I have no doubt that there will be agitators that will attempt to make us all behave in a manner that could be made to look bad. We will not take the bait. Additionally, it is also important that we take special care to keep our signage clear, on message, and uncontroversial. If the meaning needs to be explained to someone not familiar with the issues, it is probably best to go with a different slogan.
All in all, I have no worries. We will continue to behave in the manner that has guaranteed our credibility, and will continue to win the battle for helping America understand the truth.
In conclusion The Arizona Tea Party Network is promoting a protest at Raul Grijalva’s office located at 810 East 22nd Street on Saturday August 22nd from 9 to 11 a.m. Although the Tucson Tea Party is not organizing this protest it would be another opportunity to express concerns to elected officials.
Thank you for your support and participation. We will see you on Friday.
Trent Humphries
Organizer, Tucson Tea Party
This is a email I sent back to Trent Humphries
The law was used against Sarah Palin ( ethics complaints ) While we still have the law Let US Use It!
Yes I understand the time required to launch a recall, BUT That is not my intent, Just the appearance of such a thing spread across 18 states would send a shock wave through the nation, we need recognition to get more of the fence sitters engaged. If there is a way to just file, to start the process then, perhaps the major news media will wake up that we are not a fringe group. If you think of it like the art of war, or chess or poker, if you will some times just the appearance of a BIG STICK is enough to get a result (Regan Diplomacy).
Think and pray on it, get some others to discuss it, I really think that this will work , if you really wish to UP the ante this is the next best step! We could show up with 2000 people out side her office, it may help with awareness locally but we need to get the 60% of the nation to wake the hell up!! Getting behind a candidate 1.5 years from now does not help the cause next mouth, at the rate that O-but-head is pass and changing things we may not get a chance to vote again !!
Thomas D Young
Thanks for the response good to know someone out there is listening.
I will be willing to fund the start of a recall process to shake the ground under her feet a bit.
I will sign the petition. With great gusto. A “representative” that runs in fear of actually finding out what those who voted for her think now, lacks the guts to stand up for us in the face of some strange pressures that seem to be put on members of congress by someone.
I don’t know what is going on in this country but the way things are happening is like they did in contries that we went to war to defeat. This is frightning.
Yes, the recall process needs to start. Sure it will take time and be difficult, but if anyone can do it, we can. We are capitalists, we are not afraid of a little hard work. Let’s get started NOW.
We NEED a HUGE turnout on the 21st. It’s time to start telling your family, friends,coworkers and neighbors. I want the sidewalk filled for a 1/4 mile in all four directions. Let’s do this.
I am all for the recall process. It’s the legal and appropriate way to get results. My husband and I talked it over and realized that we needed more information, so we did a little research. I’ve provided a link. Give it a read and let’s hear your thoughts.
Considering Giffords’ reluctance to address serious issues facing her constituents, she has a very good chance of losing the election in 2010 if she’s challenged by a good candidate. Let’s make sure that happens.
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Arizona_Recall_Constitutional_articles
Thanks for the link Phyllis.
You may not believe it as I am so vocal here, but I am a very private man. I have many hobbies and don’t have much time to maintain a lot of personal friendships. I feel very awkward asking friends and neighbors to join me at events like this, but I realize how important it is. I have been reaching out lately and I believe I have convinced at least two friends, maybe more to attend the protest next Friday. Two might seem like a very small number, but it’s a huge number for a socially private person like me. We all need to be doing the same, engage friends and neighbors in a respectful manner. Explain that this is a constitutional movement and has nothing to do with the Republican party. Ask them to come along, but don’t be too pushy. Give them the info and allow them to make up their own mind.
We NEED a HUGE turnout this time in order to battle the mounting forces of the opposition. Get over your shyness, speak to your friends and neighbors. We can make history!
Your point about a HUGE turnout is a good one. At the last rally in front of Giffords’ office, we got 4 of our friends to come, plus one son (early Saturday morning? this was an accomplishment!) My husband’s method of encouraging friends to join us was to remind everyone that if we agree but don’t support the effort, those who organized the event will begin to feel that it’s not worthwhile. We can’t have anyone giving up now. Our collective voice is being heard in Washington whether we have concrete evidence or not.
One of our friends commented, “I never protested in the 60s, so I’ll protest now in my 60s.” We hope to bring all our voting-age kids (all five of them) this time. If everyone brings just one or two more folks, the support will undeniable. Further, if everyone continues to behave in the respectful, appropriate manner they have at the events I’ve attended, there will be no reason to worry about violence. Make your signs. Bring water and your concerns, plus a sense of humor. But be there. August 21, 4-7 p.m. Pima and Swan.
We agree that voices heard from a huge turnout will speak volumes BOLDLY, and our continued tenacity to hold on to our truths, and question this healthcare reform with boldness FREELY and hold up our signs without fear are important components of our God given rights under our present constitution. Let’s move forward too to recall Giffords under the constitution and elect a person who understands we the people are fed up with the current condition of our government. We have increased the number of people we’ve bought for every tea party we atttended.
GOD BLESS all of you that share in our passion for continued freedoms!
Umm…
Let’s leave our rifles at home please.
As much as I support our 2nd amendment rights, I don’t see how rifles have anything to do with health care. This just scares off some that would otherwise support our cause or join us at the protests.
Love to be there on the 21st, but employment takes precedence. My spirit will be there, though!
As it is, I’ve been hammering the phones and emails. If Gabby doesn’t get the message, then hopefully she’ll be looking for a new job in the not-to-distant future.
Time to get our swarm on! See you there!
I didn’t learn about your demonstration until too late Friday evening. But keep up the good work. Sooner or later, Representative Giffords will have to believe that we represent the real people of So. Arizona. Good on ya’.