Tea Party Editorial: Green Grass Grows

Here is my editorial about the Tea Party!  My dense fact is grass.  I really have no idea how or why this idea came into my head.  But I'm glad it did, because it helped me think about some of my interests and passions like the environment, politics, and psychology.  Well here goes, probably the longest blog post I've ever write in my life, or will ever write:

Freedom of Growth and Independence: Prairie, Lawns, and Astroturf

　
In the beginning there was greed, God, and glory. The Pilgrims wanted to make a decent living, escape religious oppression, or make a name for themselves. There was also grass. The freedom of natural growth and expansion is illustrated in colonization and modern lawns, but the origins of the Tea Party movement aren’t all natural.

The first settlers in America wanted the freedoms they were denied in Europe. The abundance of land let people explore and finally settle down. In “The Puritan Reading of the New England Landscape”, Belden Lane describes how they went from wandering in “placelessness” to finding places of “destined occupation”. At first, many settlers saw nature as wild and foreboding. It wasn’t until they “tamed” nature for uses like agriculture that they saw it as “…safe and placid, unlikely to hurt or disturb”. In “Common Landscape of America”, John R. Stilgoe describes this as a very romantic view.

In general, the colonists wanted their own land and little interference from government. The new land allowed them to exercise their new religious and economic freedoms. In “A History of the American People” Paul Johnson reminds us that colonial America was the least taxed country in history. This gave colonists more disposable income to better their standard of living. A man could make money, avoid paying taxes, and enjoy his earnings with his family. Colonists got upset when the British government increased taxes and interfered with their dream.

What could be more idealistic than the American Dream? Surely everyone’s individual dream is vastly different, but most include health, wealth, and happiness. In general, there is an American drive for upward mobility and financial stability. “The American Dream” by Jim Cullen discusses the idea that anyone can get ahead, make money, be self-sufficient, have a good job, and take care of one’s family. While Benjamin Franklin strove to make money so he could do good for the community, many make money for their family. This growing tendency for individualism and privacy is seen with the grass lawn.

A lawn looks very different in suburbia than on college campuses. Nearly every household has a manicured grass lawn, like a miniature golf course or farm. Owning property is important for most Americans who can pass it on to their children. Individual households with clearly defined property lines reflect how Americans have become more secluded and concerned about their personal freedoms and rights. College campuses have very different landscaping. As illustrated in William H. Pierson’s “American Neoclassicalism, The Idealistic Phase”, the University of Virginia has a large green space in the center of campus for students to gather as a community. In both environments people can enjoy the freedoms the land has to offer.

Though the Tea Party movement has natural growth, its origins are far from grass roots. One of the landscapers is Dick Armey, Conservative leader of the action group FreedomWorks. He claims that liberal groups like MoveOn employ the same techniques in getting support. However, the Tea Party’s top financial contributors are longtime party fundraisers, oil tycoons, and Wall Street financiers according to the Washington Post. They had a significant impact on the 2010 elections in getting more Republicans in office. This money helped political organizers reach out to the average Americans the party claims as its base. In reality, large donations are much easier than door-to-door fundraising and grass roots organizing. Ever since the first pilgrims arrived, there has been an urge to own land and live privately and independently. Only when those with abundant cash plant the seeds of change are others able to help the movement grow.

Grass’ roots extend deep into the soil and keep the plant grounded. Prominent members of the modern Tea Party use this image to claim that the movement is “grass roots”. Membership grows naturally and has deep roots with average, middle class American citizens. Drawing on the Boston Tea Party’s anti-tax demonstration, this movement is about reducing taxes and government’s overall power and influence. However, sometimes what looks like grass is actually Astroturf. Sometimes buying fake grass may be cheaper because it doesn’t need mowing and doesn’t grow weeds. Most homeowners prefer to feel natural grass beneath their feet.