Chattanooga area residents will travel to the state capitol on Saturday, Nov. 7, to join other Tennesseeans in what is being billed as the first ever statewide Tea Party. The rally is scheduled to occur at Legislative Plaza in Nashville from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Nov. 7, a date that holds significance because it marks approximately one year from the 2010 Congressional elections.
Organizers of the event are calling it a "One Year Notice" to Congress and will be inviting citizens to sign pink slips to send to their member of Congress, warning "if Congress continues to ignore the will of the people and the Constitution, they'll be fired."
Tennessee has been home to some of the highest Tea Party activity in the nation, including the April 15 tax day rallies that occurred in more than 20 Tennessee counties and drew an estimated crowd of 10,000 to Nashville and approximately 2,000 or more in Chattanooga.
While the first Tea Parties were sparked by Congressional spending and deficits, bailouts of banking and auto companies, and rushed legislation like the stimulus bill, the Nov. 7 event will likely be dominated by the healthcare debate, which has roiled the country throughout the summer and into the fall. Attendees of this rally will be voicing concerns over the cost of health reform, negative impacts on employers and the economy, reductions in access and quality of care, instrusion of government into private health decisions, and the Constitutionality of health reform plans.
The Tea Party movement has been very decentralized, with individual groups mostly forming and acting independently, including The Chattanooga Tea Party. To produce the Nov. 7 "One Year Notice" event, Tea Party groups from each of the state's major regions have partnered, including Tea Party Nation from the Nashville area, American Patriot Taxpayers from the Knoxville area, Mid-South Tea Party from the Memphis area, and the Chattanooga Tea Party.
Speakers will include conservative radio personalities from the Nashville and Knoxville areas, Ben Cunningham from Tennessee Tax Revolt, and others. Organizers are also expecting to see a large number of the creative protest signs that have characterized the Tea Party movement with slogans like "Born Free - Taxed To Death," "Don't Tax Me Bro," "Go Green - Recycle Congress," and "Give Me Liberty - Not Debt."
Those who are interested in attending the event can find more information at OneYearNotice.com or contact one of the groups cited in this article.