Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

User talk:SharonW

2011-08-29T15:08:44Z

TylerP:

{{welcome|sig=[[User:JacobB|JacobB]] 19:14, 7 October 2009 (EDT)}}

[[User:SharonW/sandbox1]]
[[User:SharonW/sandbox2]]
==Columbus==
Good catch! --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 12:42, 13 October 2009 (EDT)

== Politician page divisions for copy/paste ==

==Early Life and Education==
==Military service==
==Private sector==
==Political career==
==Political views==
==Public criticism==
==Personal life==
==Post political career==

==Image Uploads==
I can be of assistance. Please post link here [http://www.conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:Image_upload_requests] --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 13:03, 8 July 2011 (EDT)

== I just asked Andy Schlafly to give you picture upload rights ==

I just asked Andy Schlafly to give you pic upload rights [[User talk:Aschlafly|HERE]] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 01:24, 9 July 2011 (EDT)
:Thanks, Conservative! I appreciate it. [[User:SharonW|SharonW]] 10:48, 9 July 2011 (EDT)
::No problem. You're welcome. Let me know if you have any problems/questions about the getting the upload rights and I can get clarification if you wish. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 12:24, 9 July 2011 (EDT)

:::SharonW, your edits have been a good start, but usually a stronger track record is needed before uploading privileges are granted. Your edits total less than 500. Let's reconsider your request for uploading privileges later this year. Thanks.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 22:08, 14 July 2011 (EDT)

Thank you for cleaning up my user page. I just signed into this website so im not sure what to do with something like this. If you could point me in the right direction id be very grateful. Im just looking to add some minor edits to a few stub articles for now until i get my bearings. --[[User:CAndrs|CAndrs]] 16:57, 13 July 2011 (EDT)

== I did the public domain pictures for you ==

I did the public domain pictures for you. I didn't do the others for two reasons. First, I didn't know the licenses on the other pics. Second, I got the [http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc750081.aspx "blue screen of death"] on my computer a few minutes ago. I don't want to risk messing around with my computer more than I have to. I have two computers and I am going to have the "blue screen of death" computer looked at after I do a few diagnostics and hook up the other computer tomorrow. I would ask another admin to upload the other pics or replacement pics in the meantime. I will also ask Andy again to give you pic upload rights.

Here are the pics I uploaded:

http://www.conservapedia.com/File:Julia_Tyler.jpg

http://www.conservapedia.com/File:Elizabeth_Monroe.jpg

http://www.conservapedia.com/File:Emily_Donelson.jpg

http://www.conservapedia.com/File:Letitia_Tyler.jpg

http://www.conservapedia.com/File:Martha_Jefferson_Randolph_portrait.jpg

::::My computer passed my diagnostic tests and seems fairly stable. I think a possible temporary solution is to give you pic uploading rights during certain time windows when an admin is around. I will talk to Andy about this possible solution. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 08:36, 16 July 2011 (EDT)

Thanks for uploading, Conservative. Some of the other files were from the Library of Congress's site, and they are in the public domain. Thanks! [[User:SharonW|SharonW]] 16:30, 16 July 2011 (EDT)
::::Please look at the Conservapedia's recent changes log or my most recent contributions log. You will see that I uploaded the remainder of the pictures you wanted uploaded. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 17:47, 16 July 2011 (EDT)

== Madonna ==

Good evening, Sharon. I wasn't involved in this fiasco until I reverted an edit of Legolas' that by the edit summary was not only reversion of an administrator, seemed illegitimate. I seem to share some sentiment about Madonna with the user, but think they are incorrectly handling this and this should go to the talk page. In Christ,--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 21:39, 16 July 2011 (EDT)

== To Conservative ==

Thanks again for the help with the uploads. I greatly appreciate it. [[User:SharonW|SharonW]] 23:12, 16 July 2011 (EDT)
:::Your welcome. No more blue screens of death. I think I was merely doing too many things at once with my computer. I need to get my faster computer online though although this one is pretty fast.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 02:45, 17 July 2011 (EDT)

== Hey ==

Thanks for cleaning up the article I was working on!--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 10:58, 22 July 2011 (EDT)

And thanks for finding some citations!!! Though I would have when the article was further developed.--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 11:22, 22 July 2011 (EDT)

Thanks again! I just have a tendency to put in repetitive information when clarifing points. What do you think of the progress the article has made? And I did request a few additional images on Mr. Schlafly's page, but he has yet to reply. In the meantime, I will just keep focusing on content. thank
you again!--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 19:28, 27 July 2011 (EDT)

I replied to you on my talk page, just in case you didn't notice. Thanks!--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 21:13, 27 July 2011 (EDT)

I have addressed many of your points on the article already. What do you think?--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 22:33, 27 July 2011 (EDT)

When Elvis is polished and featured with images (if we can get them) etc., I found some articles in addition to Cash and Seger to work on:[[Bob Dylan]] and [[Chuck Berry]]. What do you think?--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 15:22, 29 July 2011 (EDT)

I added Buffett to my list in case you haven't noticed and dug up my original image requests and put them on the upload request page.--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 19:56, 29 July 2011 (EDT)

I added requests for [[Bob Seger]] images on the page as well as I just started working on it last night.--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 10:17, 30 July 2011 (EDT)

Did you get to see what I've added to the Seger page yet? And yes, the requests are still pending.--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 22:58, 30 July 2011 (EDT)

I see you figured out the table. And the images are there as well. I think it's ready!--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 10:44, 2 August 2011 (EDT)

It looks good. Now we need someone to put it up.--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 16:42, 2 August 2011 (EDT)

== Blocking policy ==

Sharon, your blocks have been great but I recommend not blocking longer than 5 years, except in rare cases. Five years as a duration is long enough for someone to reconsider his attitude, or have moved away from the blocked location. Thanks!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 19:15, 26 July 2011 (EDT)
:I have changed it to five years (Hope that's OK). It is a good method to follow! [[User:MaxFletcher|MaxFletcher]] 19:18, 26 July 2011 (EDT)

== quick note ==

I proposed a blocking reform framework on [[User talk:Aschlafly|Aschlafly's talk page]]. In the meantime, I would not worry about being blocked. If you were blocked, which I doubt would happen, I don't foresee any problem with me getting you unblocked. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 15:15, 28 July 2011 (EDT)

== Welcome to the Featured Article Committee! ==

Welcome!--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 19:32, 29 July 2011 (EDT)

== Featured Articles ==

We still need someone to put the new article up. Mr. Martinez (the only sysop on our committee) said he was doing some vacationing. I don't know who else to ask.

On an unrelated note, have been also been improving [[Regis Philbin]] also (not that popular or recognized as a singer, but he did a few albums. Thanks!--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 10:25, 3 August 2011 (EDT)

Still no word on the featured articles. And were you going to make a table for Seger? All his albums are listed already. Philbin doesn't need one as he only released three albums, though a television show list may be in the works later. Thanks!--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 14:26, 3 August 2011 (EDT)

Have you worked on the Cash discography? No rush, just wondering.--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 17:08, 12 August 2011 (EDT)

== question ==

Conservapedian Iduan is on summer vacation, but he has expressed some interest in helping to refine Conservapedia's blocking policy.

I invited someone to Conservapedia in the past and he was blocked when he should not have been and I noticed the block and asked for it be overturned and it was overturned. So I think there is room for improvement.

Iduan seems like a nice person who is reasonable and I think he would probably do a nice job in refining Conservapedia's blocking policy. I am sure he could use some help and you expressed interest in seeing the blocking policy made better. Would you like to work with Iduan on this matter? The final policy changes would be subject to approval by Aschlafly, but once they were approved, I think there is the potential for an improved policy to make a positive difference. I believe a blocking review board that hears about 5-7 cases a month would be good, but maybe a good case could be made for reviewing more cases. Perhaps, some investigation could be made before arriving at the number of cases to be heard.

Anyways, please let me know if you are interested in helping Iduan and possibly others when Iduan gets back from summer vacation. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 13:22, 13 August 2011 (EDT)

:Hi, Conservative! Yes, I am interested in helping. I too have hopes of a workable policy and board for reviews. There is an blocked editor who has emailed me about appealing his block - I've been waiting until things get a bit established before bringing it to the blocking sysop's attention. --[[User:SharonW|SharonW]] 14:46, 13 August 2011 (EDT)
::::I will put you down for the panel and quote you. I will email Iduan and find out when his vacation is over. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 15:00, 13 August 2011 (EDT)

== The blocking policy refinement panel is convening on 8/17/11 ==

The blocking policy refinement panel is beginning its proceedings on 8/17/11 here: http://www.conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:Blocking_policy_refinement_panel_proceedings [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 02:20, 15 August 2011 (EDT)

== This idiot vandal ==

Seems to have a vendetta against me.--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 21:37, 15 August 2011 (EDT)
:I think you should be careful about blocking the accounts beforehand, just incase you hit an innocent Sharon--[[User:SeanS|SeanS]] 21:40, 15 August 2011 (EDT)

== Another Discography table ==

Sorry to bug you again Sharon, but could you do one for [[Michael Lee Aday]]? I plan on working on that one after I finish Cash. If you can't, that is fine. I also requested an image for said article, but that could take a while as we both now know.--[[User:JamesWilson|JamesWilson]] 11:11, 17 August 2011 (EDT)

== The Conservapedia Blocking policy refinement panel proceedings have begun ==

The panel proceeding have begun here: [[Conservapedia:Blocking policy refinement panel proceedings]] You can start making your edits to the page should you wish to do so. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 13:01, 17 August 2011 (EDT)

== Please stop ==

The people at this site are all suffering from a disease of the mind that numbs them to basic humanity. It seems to me that you still have a chance to escape, and once again become a normal human being. Please do so before it's too late.

Tea Party Movement

2011-08-29T15:03:00Z

TylerP: Removing bias

The '''TEA Party Movement''' (TEA is a backronym for Taxed Enough Already) is an ongoing, nationwide mainstream movement of [[grassroots]] protesters, encompassing millions of individuals and thousands of self-organizing groups, all united in accomplishing a single goal: returning [[Conservative|fiscal responsibility]] and limited government to the [[United States]] through the exercise of political [[activist|activism]].<ref>[http://blog.heritage.org/2009/04/15/morning-bell-the-tea-party-movement/ Morning Bell: The Tea Party Movement], heritage.org, April 15th, 2009.</ref> The main focus of the TEA Party Movement is a rebuke of mandates and spending as well as the "agenda" of the Obama administration.<ref>[[Glenn Beck]]. [http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/24073/ What the Tea Parties Are About], April 16, 2009.</ref> 

== Beginnings ==
The birth of the Tea Party Movement is often traced to February 2009; however, while [[Rick Santelli|Rick Santelli's]] famous impassioned speech on CNBC was perhaps the most visible spark that ignited Tea Party gatherings across the nation, the movement's genesis was in progress long before that notable day.<ref>Tea Party Arose From Conservatives Steeped in Crisis. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304173704575578332725182228.html Birth of a Movement], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', October 29, 2010.</ref> The movement was in gestation for years, in the hearts and minds of American conservatives concerned about the path down which [[centrist]] policies have been taking the United States of America.

One earlier form of a Tea Party rally occurred in the fall of 2007 when supporters of Ron Paul held a "Tea Party 2007" event to stage a re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party, and to promote Paul's bid for the presidency.<ref>[http://www.ronpaulforums.com/content.php?909-Who-Started-The-Modern-Day-Tea-Party-Movement-%28video%29&s=2b6ae18ef5615484bda67fa3c01678d6 Who Started The Modern Day Tea Party Movement? (video)], ronpaulforums.com, (Accessed August 19, 2011).</ref><ref>Warner Todd Huston. [http://bigjournalism.com/wthuston/2011/05/14/ap-tars-tea-party-movement-as-grandfathered-by-ron-paul/ AP Tars Tea Party Movement as ‘Grandfathered’ By Ron Paul], BigJournalism.com, May 14, 2011.</ref> Impetus was given to the movement when radio talk-show host [[Rush Limbaugh]] criticized the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]] on January 27, 2009, predicting that it will make the [[recession]] worse and is the wrong kind of government intervention.
{{Cquote|I don't believe it is a "stimulus plan" at all -- I don't think it stimulates anything but the Democratic Party. This 'porkulus' bill is designed to repair the Democratic Party's power losses from the 1990s forward, and to cement the party's majority power for decades."<ref>Rush Limbaugh. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123318906638926749.html Rush Limbaugh: My Bipartisan Stimulus], WSJ.com, January 29, 2009.</ref>}}

On February 9, 2009, a Cape Coral woman named Mary Rakovich led a small protest outside President Barack Obama's townhall meeting in Fort Myers, [[Florida]].<ref>[http://www.news-press.com/article/20090211/OBAMA/90210068 Those outside Harborside in Fort Myers had plenty to see, say], ''The News-Press'', February 11, 2009.</ref><ref>Dick Armey, Matt Kibbe. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704407804575425061553154540.html?KEYWORDS=tea+party+movement A Tea Party Manifesto], ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', August 17, 2010.</ref> Then in late March of 2009, faced with the prospect of heavy fines from the city for not having the proper permitting or insurance, Mary Rakovich moved forward with future protests but with the backing of national organization ''FreedomWorks''. Rakovich said ''FreedomWorks'' offered to provide the insurance per the city's rules.<ref>[http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/504707.html?nav=5011 Tea party finds new life, broadens cause], cape-coral-daily-breeze.com, March, 31, 2009.</ref>

The first anti-spending protest, organized by Liberty Belle, occurred in [[Seattle]], Washington on February 16, 2009.<ref>Derek Erwin. [http://derekerwin.blogspot.com/2009/04/dozen-ring-liberty-belles-sound-800.html A 'Dozen' Ring Liberty Belle's Sound, 800 Cities Ring-Back], ''A 1-In-100 Blogger'', accessed April 18, 2009.</ref><ref>Michelle Malkin, Glenn Reynolds. [http://www.pjtv.com/video/Pajamas_TV/Tea_Party_Protests%3A_Mesa%2C_Seattle%2C_Denver_%28Michelle_Malkin_and_Glenn_Reynolds%29/1406/ Tea Party Protests: Mesa, Seattle, Denver], PJTV, February 16, 2009.</ref> Another protest was held the following day in [[Denver]] on February 17,<ref>[http://www.thedenverchannel.com/politics/18732002/detail.html President Signs Massive Stimulus In Denver], accessed April 2, 2009.</ref> and a protest in Mesa, [[Arizona]] on February 18 brought 500 protesters.<ref>Gary Grado, Sonu Munshi, Hayley Ringle. [http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/135640/ More than 500 protest Obama's arrival], accessed April 2, 2009.</ref> The American people began organizing Tea Party protests en masse after Rick Santelli's famous speech on February 19, when he declared, "We're thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party in July! All you capitalists that want to show up at Lake Michigan, I'm going to start organizing."

=== Shout Heard 'Round the World ===
The Tea Party Movement gained support when on February 19, on live [[Television|TV]], [[CNBC]] reporter [[Rick Santelli]] argued about the [[bailout]]s and shouted, "The government is promoting bad behavior."<ref>[http://freedomeden.blogspot.com/2009/02/rick-santelli-tea-party.html Transcript of Rick Santelli's speech], February 19, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.cnbc.com/id/29283701 Rick Santelli's Shout Heard 'Round the World], CNBC.com, February 19, 2009.</ref> Standing in the middle of the Chicago Stock Exchange, Santelli declared that America needed "a new kind of tea party," so that citizens can express their discontent with "the government's support of fiscal irresponsibility."<ref>Jennifer Rubin. [http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/mr-president-turn-back-while-theres-still-time/ Mr. President: Turn Back While There’s Still Time], ''Pajamas Media'', February 20, 2009.</ref><ref>Matt Drudge. [http://www.streetinsider.com/Insiders+Blog/Rick+Santelli+-+The+Rant+Heard+Round+the+World/4419854.html Rick Santelli - The Rant Heard 'Round the World'], streetinsider.com, February 19, 2009.</ref><ref name=myfoxchicago>Andy Roesgen. [http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/TeaParty Protesters Gather for Self-Styled Tea Party], myfoxchicago.com, February 27, 2009.</ref>
{{Cquote|The government is promoting bad behavior! [...] How many of you people want to pay for your neighbor's mortgage that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills? Raise their hand. (boos) President Obama, are you listening?! We're thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party in July. All you capitalists that want to show up at Lake Michigan, I'm going to start organizing. [...] I'll tell you what, if you read our Founding Fathers, people like Benjamin Franklin and Jefferson, what we're doing in this country now, is making them roll over in their graves.<ref>Rick Santelli, February 19, 2009.</ref>}}

With the help of ''DontGo'', ''Top Conservatives on Twitter'' (TCOT), ''[[Smart Girl Politics]]'' (SGP), ''The American Spectator'', ''Americans for Tax Reform'', ''[[FreedomWorks]]'', and ''The Heartland Institute'', the Chicago Tea Parties were scheduled to happen nationwide on February 27, 2009.<ref>[http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/02/23/the-chicago-tea-party-is-on/ The Chicago Tea Party is on!], February 23, 2009.</ref>

=== February 27th Tea Parties ===
Americans across the country gathered in 50 cities to protest the newly-passed Stimulus Bill of 2009.<ref>[http://www.tcotreport.com/Talking_Points.htm Talking Points and Theme for the Nationwide Chicago Tea Party], ''[[The TCOT Report]]'', February 24, 2009.</ref> Over 30,000 people made it to this event.<ref>Teri Christoph. [http://smartgirlpolitics.ning.com/video/video/show?id=2488056%3AVideo%3A24070& SGP.TeaParty], ''[[Smart Girl Politics]]'', February 27, 2009.</ref> Many at the event were upset over the economic stimulus packages and [[bailout]]s for [[Wall Street]] pushed through by both [[George W. Bush|President Bush]] and [[Barack Obama|President Obama's]] administrations.<ref>[http://www.raleigh3.com/default.asp?sdetail=1849&sc=2724 Raleigh Holds 'Tea Party' To Protest Government], ''Raleigh Telegram'', March 25, 2009.</ref><ref name=myfoxchicago%252F>

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! Location !! Sponsors<ref>[http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=page&page-id=68 Schedule of American Tea party Protests (with Sponsors)], February 27, 2009.</ref> !! Details
|-
| Atlanta, Georgia || TCOT, SGP, Don'tGo || A reported 300 to 400 protesters gathered outside the Georgia Capitol in protest of a $787 billion recovery bill.<ref name="georgia">[http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/02/27/budget-debate-launches-new-tea-party/ Budget debate launches new tea party], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/71521/ Tea Party from Atlanta], pajamasmedia.com, February 17, 2009.</ref>
|-
| [[Chicago, Illinois]] || Don'tGo<ref>[http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/02/19/chicago-tea-party/ Don'tGo Movement: Pledge to Have a Representation at Chicago Tea Party], February 19, 2009.</ref> || Approximately 300 people braved the 25 degree cold and wind in Chicago.<ref name="illinios">[http://www.foundingbloggers.com/wordpress/2009/02/breaking-chicago-tea-party-pictures/ BREAKING - Chicago Tea Party (Pictures) UPDATED Now With Video!], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-birth-of-a-new-revolution/ The Birth of a New Revolution], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref name=myfoxchicago%252F>
|-
| Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas || Americans for Prosperity,<ref>[http://www.redcounty.com/texas/2009/02/the-tea-parties-were-successfu/ The Tea Parties were successful - here's the proof], February 23, 2009.</ref> TCOT, SGP, Don'tGo, Dallas County Young Republicans || A "Texas-sized Tea Party" of 300 or more Texans met in Fort Worth, protesting big government and taxes.<ref name="fortworth">[http://txtcot.ning.com/video/tea-party-09-made-the-world Tea Party '09 made the world news], February 27, 2009.</ref> One sponsor, TCOT, collected over 800 signatures during the event.<ref>[http://txtcot.ning.com/profiles/blogs/tea-party-09 Tea Party '09], February 28, 2009.</ref>
|-
| Denver, Colorado || TCOT, SGP, Don'tGo || At the East Capitol Steps, 100 "[[Atlas Shrugged]]" fans braved cold temperatures for a "Nationwide Chicago Tea Party" to protest the [[Obama Administration]]'s [[bailout]] plan.<ref name="dcolorado1">[http://coloradoindependent.com/23026/ayn-rand-stars-at-denver-stimulus-tea-party-protest Ayn Rand stars at Denver stimulus ‘tea party’ protest], ''Colorado Independent'', February 28, 2009.</ref><ref name="dcolorado2">[http://colorado.newsplatoon.com/2009/02/24/denver-tea-party/ Denver Tea Party], [[Colorado]], February 24, 2009.</ref>
|-
| [[Houston, Texas]] || TBD || Large groups, not entirely made up of Republicans, tried to create a modern day version of the Boston Tea Party.<ref>[http://houstontps.org/?page_id=163 Houston Tea Party Society, In the News, Audio, Video], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.khou.com/video/topstories-index.html?nvid=352345&shu=1 Houston's Tax Day tea party], February 27, 2009.</ref>
|-
| [[Washington, D.C.]] || Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, Young Conservatives Coalition, The Heartland Institute || The American Tea Party made some noise outside the White House.<ref name="dc_examiner">[http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/New-American-Tea-Party-40442172.html DC Tea Party thrown at the White House], ''The Washington Examiner'', February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.freedomworks.org/petition/iamwithrick/index.html 2009 Taxpayer Tea party], February 28, 2009.</ref> Several hundred taxpayers showed up at the DC Tea Party protest in Lafayette Park,<ref name="michellemalkin">[[Michelle Malkin]]. [http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/27/scenes-from-the-tea-party/ Scenes from the D.C. Tea Party], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref name="dcfreedomworks">[http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/bstein80/video-from-the-dc-tea-party Video from the DC Tea Party], ''[[FreedomWorks]]'', February 28, 2009.</ref> including "Joe the Plumber."<ref name="hotair">[http://hotair.com/archives/2009/02/27/joe-the-plumber-at-dc-tea-party-no-one-on-the-hill-gives-a-rip-about-you/ Joe the Plumber at D.C. Tea Party: No one on the Hill gives a rip about you], ''[[Hot Air]]'', February 27, 2009.</ref>
|}

== Scheduled Rallies ==
[[Image:Headnew.jpg|right|380px|right|Tax Day Tea Party poster]]
=== Tax Day Tea Party ===
: ''Main Article: [[Tax Day Tea Party]]''
Success from the Chicago Tea Party protests, as part of a concerted nationwide effort, led to the first of many scheduled Tea Party rallies. Following the February 27th Tea Parties, a group called ''Americans for Prosperity'' of [[North Carolina]] began implementing plans for a "Tax Day" Tea Party rally in Raleigh on the tax filing deadline.<ref>[http://www.raleigh3.com/default.asp?sdetail=1849&sc=2724 Raleigh Holds 'Tea Party' To Protest Government], ''Raleigh Telegram'', March 25, 2009.</ref> Leading up to the Tax Day Tea Parties, the events were organized and promoted by volunteers, activists, and [[Political action committee]]s across the [[United States]].<ref>http://www.freedomworks.org/press-releases/freedomworks-co-sponsoring-taxpayer-tea-parties-ac</ref> By taking advantage of online viral [[marketing]] to get the word out,<ref name="investorsnews">[http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=470054&Ntt=tea+party 'Tea Party' Protests In 35 Cities], March 2, 2009.</ref> the speed and scope with which the Tax Day Tea Party protests were organized can be attributed to the use of [[Twitter]] [[TCOT Report|#TCOT]] feeds,<ref>[http://tcotreport.com/ TCOT Report], ''[[The TCOT Report]]''.</ref> on [[blog|blogs]],<ref>Marc Ambinder. [http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/02/tea_parties_pajamas_and_mediaevent_symbiotics.php Tea Parties, Pajamas, and Media/Event Symbiotics], ''The Atlantic'', February 25, 2009.</ref> and the social networking Website [[Facebook]].<ref name="facebook">[http://michellemalkin.com/2009/03/04/going-galt-and-the-next-tea-party-wave/ “Going Galt” and the next Tea Party wave], [[Michelle Malkin]], March 4, 2009.</ref>

==== 2009 ====
The Tea Party Movement held its first scheduled nationwide protest on April 15, 2009, a day that became known as the [[Tax Day Tea Party]].<ref name="WSJ">[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123975867505519363.html Tax Day Becomes Protest Day], ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', April 15, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/15/thousands-anti-tax-tea-party-protesters-turn-cities/ Thousands of Anti-Tax 'Tea Party' Protesters Turn Out in U.S. Cities], FOXNews.com, April 15, 2009.</ref> In the spirit of the [[Founding Fathers]] [[Boston Tea Party]], the rallies used themes from the [[American Revolution]] and also adopted the "American Tea Party Anthem," a song first performed during a March 21, 2009 Orlando, Florida Tea Party that drew over 4,000 people.<ref>Michelle Malkin. [http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/21/tea-party-usa-the-movement-grows/ Tea Party U.S.A.: The movement grows], February 21, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://newsblaze.com/story/20090323074552zzzz.nb/topstory.html "Tea Party" Song Becomes YouTube Hit]. ''Newsblaze'', March 23, 2009.</ref><ref>Andrea Shea King. [http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/asking/2009/04/14/american-tea-party-anthem-singer-lloyd-marcus-this-whole-thing-is-rush-limbaughs-fault/ American Tea Party Anthem Singer Lloyd Marcus: "This whole thing is Rush Limbaugh’s fault."], ''Big Hollywood'', April 14, 2009.</ref> [[Dick Armey]] of [[FreedomWorks]] became one of Washington's principal supporters of the Tea Party movement.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,516136,00.html Dick Armey to Speak at Atlanta Tea Party], FOXNews.com, April 15, 2009.</ref> [[Glenn Beck]], [[Rand Paul]], [[Michele Bachmann]], [[Sarah Palin]], and many others encouraged and even participated in aspects of the movement.

President Obama is seen to have responded to the tea parties with requested budget cuts of $100 million on April 20, 2009.<ref name="rushlimbaugh">[[Rush Limbaugh]]. [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_042109/content/01125107.guest.html Obama Responded to Tea Parties with $100 Million in "Budget Cuts"], RushLimbaugh.com, April 21, 2009.</ref> Rush Limbaugh contended, "I'm sure they've got internal polling data that shows these tea parties are successful and these tea parties are a problem. So they're responding to the tea parties here. That's all this is." According to a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey on April 20, 2009, the poll found that fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans had a favorable view of the tea parties held nationwide, including 32% who said their view of the events were "Very favorable." Thirty-three percent (33%) held an unfavorable opinion of the tea parties. Fifteen percent (15%) were not sure.<ref name="rasmussenreports">[http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics2/51_view_tea_parties_favorably_political_class_strongly_disagrees 51% View Tea Parties Favorably, Political Class Strongly Disagrees], ''Rasmussen Reports'', April 20, 2009.</ref>

==== 2010 ====
The Tea Party Patriots<ref>http://www.TeaPartyPatriots.org</ref> announced a milestone in the Tea Party movement: 2 million people attended the April 15 Tea Party events across the country in 2010, and 2,000 groups are now voluntarily affiliated with the Tea Party Patriots through its [[Web site]].<ref>PR Newswire. [http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=xprnw.20100429.DC96062&show_article=1 Tea Party Numbers Released: 2 Million, 2 Thousand], ''Breitbart'', April 29, 2010.</ref><ref>Greta Van Susteren. [http://gretawire.blogs.foxnews.com/tea-parties-on-tax-day/ Tea Parties on Tax Day], ''GretaWire'', April 16, 2010.</ref> Recent polls have shown that 48% of voters believe their views are reflected more closely in the values of the Tea Party movement than in the views of President Obama.

=== Independence Day ===
: ''Main Article: [[Independence Day Tea Party]]''

The same organizations decided to repeat their performance on [[Independence Day]] (July 4, 2009). Even more people attended; the largest such rally was held on the grounds of the Southfork Ranch (scene of the [[television]] series ''Dallas '), in [[Plano]], [[Texas]], which drew 37,000 attendees. The themes that organizers and participants sounded at these events were much the same as were those at the Tax Day events: advocacy of limited government, decrying of high levels of taxation, and refusal to countenance plans for [[socialism]] and especially socialized [[medicine]].

=== Labor Day ===
Several organizations also organized Tea Parties on [[Labor Day]], once again sounding the same limited-government, low-tax, and anti-socialistic themes. Those organizations that did not plan such events often referred people to those that did.

=== September 12 March on Washington ===
: ''Main Article: [[September 12 March on Washington]]''

[[File:Gadsden_snake.jpg|250px|right]]The largest TEA Party event thus far has been the September 12 March on [[Washington, DC]]. This was an event organized initially by the FreedomWorks Foundation, but nearly all Tea Party organizations decided to participate in this event, primarily by chartering buses and registering people for transportation to Washington. FreedomWorks estimates that 600,000 to 800,000 persons attended, and they base that estimate on the number of persons who responded when their Master of Ceremonies asked all attendees within earshot to send the text message "Freedom" to a designated five-digit telephone number. However, the [[London]] ''Daily Mail'' estimates attendance at as many as a million persons, on the basis of eyewitness accounts and aerial-photographic evidence.<ref name=dailymail>Gardner D, "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1213056/Up-million-march-US-Capitol-protest-Obamas-spending-tea-party-demonstration.html A million march to US Capitol to protest against 'Obama the socialist']," ''The London Daily Mail'', September 14, 2009. Accessed September 16, 2009.</ref> Estimates of total attendance are difficult to obtain, primarily because the size of the crowd far exceeded the estimates by the event planners, with the result that many attendees were never able to get within earshot of the stage or even the sound system, and the temporary sanitary facilities were hopelessly jammed, with fifty persons standing in line to use each portable "necessary."

=== Operation: Can You Hear us Now? ===
TEA party demonstrations have targeted local and national media outs across the country to oppose massive government spending. In a press release, the movement was led by FaxDC in about 100 cities across the U.S. on September 17th. <ref>[http://www.lookingattheleft.com/2009/10/tea-party-movement-denounces-media-corrupton/ Tea Party Movement Denounces Media Corruption], Lookingattheleft.com, October 19, 2009.</ref> [[Rush Limbaugh]] has previously spoke for the need for such media targeted TEA protests.

* NBC studios in Burbank
* CNN in Atlanta and
* Affiliate stations of NBC, ABC and CBS
* The New York Times
* Los Angeles Times
* Other prominent newspapers.
[[File:Canyouhearusnow.jpg|350px]]

===TEA Party Movie===
''TEA PARTY: The Documentary Film'' was released Thanksgiving Day 2009, is a documentary of five grassroots activists. The story line ''"from home town rally goers and rally organizers to national activists taking part in the 912 Taxpayer March on Washington."'' The theme is about principles, a call for a return to constitutionally limited government, personal responsibility, and fiscal restraint at the Federal level. [http://www.teapartymovie.com/ TEA Party the Movie]

===Pink Slips Campaign===

''Main Article: [[Pink Slips campaign]]''

Organized in part by Joseph Farah from [[WorldNetDaily]], they had a goal of sending each and every member of Congress more than 5,000,000 pink slips.
 
Each pink slip reads '''YOU ARE BEING PUT ON NOTICE''' and

*government health care
*cap and trade
*"hate crimes"
*any more spending

''"If you vote for any of these, your real pink slip will be issued in the next election"''

As of November 2009, 8 million pink slips have been sent to Congress at a cost of $29 each <ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=117136 True grass-roots effort? The 'pink slips' campaign, WND.com, November 25, 2009]</ref>

== Noteworthy achievements ==
=== Elections ===
* The first Tea Party activist to win a special election for a state assembly seat was [[Dean Murray]] in Long Island.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,586821,00.html Meet the First Tea Party Activist to Be Elected Into Office], ''[[Fox News]]'', February 19, 2010.</ref>
* The most stunning victory credited to the Tea Party Movement, specifically to the [[Tea Party Express]], was the surprise nomination of [[Sharron Angle]] over the establishment favorite [[Sue Lowden]] as the Republican candidate for the Senate seat of [[Nevada]].
* The Tea Party Movement is credited with helping to elect [[Senator]] [[Scott Brown]] in an upset for the seat formerly held by the late [[Ted Kennedy]].
* For the [[2010 Midterm Elections]], the [[Nationwide Tea Party Coalition]] endorsed 50 candidates running for U.S. House of Representatives; 31 of 50 Tea Party challengers won their elections.<ref>[http://www.electiondayteaparty.com/ Election Day Tea Party 2010], ElectionDayTeaParty.com, a project of the [[Nationwide Tea Party Coalition]].</ref>

=== Education ===
* The Tea Party Movement has exposed the [[progressive]] agenda and its significant correlation with the failings of higher education in America.<ref>''Our universities haven't taught much political history for decades. No wonder so many progressives have disdain for the principles that animated the Federalist debates.'' [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704631504575531913602803980.html Why Liberals Don't Get the Tea Party Movement], by Peter Berkowitz, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', October 16, 2010.</ref> {{Cquote|Neither [[professors]] of [[political science]] nor of [[history]] have made a priority of instructing students in the [[Founding Fathers|founding principles]] of American [[Constitutional Republic|constitutional government]]. Nor have they taught about the contest between the [[Socialism|progressive vision]] and the [[Limited government|conservative vision]] that has characterized [[American Government Lecture Two|American politics]] since [[Woodrow Wilson]] helped launch the progressive movement in the late 19th century by arguing that the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] had become [[obsolete]] and hindered [[democratic]] reform. ... They do little to teach about [[Federal republic|self-government]]. They certainly do not teach about the [[virtue|virtues]], or [[quality|qualities]] of [[mind]] and [[character]], that enable citizens to shoulder their political responsibilities and prosper amidst the opportunities and uncertainties that [[freedom]] brings. Nor do they teach the beliefs, practices and associations that foster such virtues and those that endanger them. ... [America's] [[University|universities]] have produced two [[Generation|generations]] of highly educated people who seem unable to recognize the spirited defense of fundamental [[American]] [[Principle|principles]], even when it takes place for more than a year and a half right in front of their noses.}}

== Themes ==
The Tea Party Movement is a protest of the [[generational theft]] of public tax monies, the tremendous extensions of United States Federal debt and authority, the apparent restructuring of the Federal government with the intent to contravene the system of checks and balances for which the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] provides, and the attempt, which some movement organizers say has been in progress for several decades, to sacrifice [[liberty]] for permanent dependency. The Tea Party Movement began with a protest against two aspects of current public policy:

# Excessive taxation
# Special privilege

[[Rick Santelli]] specifically cited the mortgage [[bailout]] policies of early 2009 as a prize example of the government doing special favors for certain classes of voters, in return for their continued support, and also of the "moral hazard" in which such policies inevitably place anyone who "buys on time," i.e., buys any sort of asset, from a home appliance to a parcel of [[real estate]], using borrowed money.

As the movement has progressed, it has begun to sound broader themes, which one may best summarize as:

# Self-responsibility
# Self-autonomy
# Limited government
# A requirement that government live within its own means, just as individuals must live within theirs
# Capitalism
# Freedom of all varieties of production and trade
# Respect for the [[United States Constitution]]

== Characteristics ==
=== Autonomy of local organizers ===
Most organization of Tea Parties and similar events is local. Typical of the movement is the Morristown Tea Party Organization ([[Morristown]], [[New Jersey]]), which has a five-member board of trustees and about fifty dedicated volunteers who handle operations, communication, and logistics without assistance or direction from any regional or other organization. State-wide coordinating bodies do exist (for example, New Jersey Tea Parties United), but local organizations are responsible for most of their activities, fund-raising, and legal functioning. In this regard, the Tea Party Movement is similar to the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America, which never seeks to dictate to individual churches how they must conduct their affairs.

=== Individual comportment and deportment ===
Event participants, and especially event planners, are urged to comport themselves in a manner respectful of the rights and feelings of others. Organizational leaders consciously endeavor to distinguish their movement from many [[liberal]] protest movements, which often characterize themselves by rude behavior, [[vandalism]], and even physical assaults against their opponents. Any person who persistently suggests that Tea Party Movement participants engage in activities remotely similar to this may usually consider themselves excluded, and in some cases organizers have summoned law-enforcement authorities to deal with provocative behavior by attendees at planning and other meetings.

=== Symbols ===
[[File:Gadsden_flag.png|200px|right]]By far the most prominent symbol at Tea Parties is the [[Gadsden Flag|Gadsden]] [[Rattlesnake (American symbol)|Rattlesnake Flag]].<ref>''Heraldric'': Or a rattlesnake sable and or coiled as to strike, facing sinister, on a bed of grass vert; motto "Don't Tread On Me"</ref><ref>[http://www.gadsden.info/Tea-Party.html Gadsden Flag at Tea Party Protests]</ref> The ''[[American historical flags|Come And Take It]]'' Flag has also appeared most notably at the September 12 March on Washington. Tea Party participants have almost always used home-made and home-decorated signs and other artifacts, in sharp contrast to the uniform, professionally printed signs carried at [[liberal]] demonstrations.

Most of the signs bear lampoons of the most highly publicized Obama Administration policies, from "Czars" to socialized medicine; moreover, Barack Obama is not the only target of criticism, the [[MSM]] has also been challenged in some rallies, both for their failings in covering the Tea Party Movement and also for what most participants regard as a collective decision by Mainstream Media organs to function as ''de facto'' government and/or [[Democratic Party]] as organs rather than the objective and disinterested commentators that they pretend to be.

Some of the signs that have been seen and photographed at these events have provoked cries of outrage from Tea Party Movement opponents, alleging bad taste, e.g. a picture of Barack Obama with the square mustache affected by [[Adolf Hitler]] and bearing the caption "I've Changed," and a sign bearing the message "Bury ObamaCare with [[Edward M. Kennedy|Kennedy]]." After the liberal Mainstream Media quickly blamed conservatives and even [[Rush Limbaugh]], some research was done to find the true source of the Hitler poster. It was later uncovered that the provocative Hitler signs were from a group of [[Leftist|far-left]] [[Lyndon LaRouche]] supporters, as they were infiltrating the Tea Party rallies as a means to spread their extreme visions.<ref>Seton Motley. [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/seton-motley/2009/08/12/nbc-cnn-msnbc-all-assign-communist-larouches-obama-hitler-poster-conse NBC, CNN and MSNBC All Assign Communist LaRouche's Obama-Hitler Poster to Conservatives, Limbaugh], ''NewsBusters'', August 12, 2009.</ref>

=== Demographic profile ===

A Quinnipiac Poll conducted in March 2010 found that thirteen percent of American voters say they are part of the Tea Party movement, a group containing more women than men. 49% told pollsters they voted for [[Barack Obama]] in 2008, while only 44% voted for [[John McCain]].<ref>[http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1436 Quinnipiac Poll, Question 50e, March 2010.]</ref> Despite these findings, the [[White House]] has been linked to efforts to label the Tea Party as [[racist]].<ref>http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/07/obama-administration-linked-to-fraudulent-racist-tea-party-video/</ref>

== News Coverage ==
[[File:MSMbyTEA.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Attitude of Tea Party Movement participants toward four MSM outlets]]

By far the most industrious news organization that has covered the Tea Party Movement is the [[Fox News Channel]], especially with commentators [[Neil Cavuto]], [[Glenn Beck]], [[Sean Hannity]] and [[Greta Van Susteren]]. Coverage of the Tea Party events by the [[Mainstream Media]] has lacked both quantity and quality. The three traditional broadcast networks ([[ABC]], [[CBS]], [[NBC]]) have attempted to falsely discredit these events as corporate-sponsored or sponsored by the [[Republican Party]] and other conservative or reactionary groups, and have generally censored the movement by refusing to cover major events.<ref name=baker>Baker B, "[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2009/04/16/abc-cbs-nbc-try-discredit-tea-party-protests ABC, CBS and NBC Try to Discredit 'Tea Party' Protests]," ''NewsBusters'', 16 April 2009. Accessed September 16, 2009. Baker does a side-by-side comparison of coverage of the Tax Day Tea Parties and of several pro-immigration rallies held on 1 May 2006.</ref><ref>[http://politics.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2010/08/25/tea-party-group-hit-with-death-threats Tea Party Group Hit With Death Threats] Supporters of the Tea Party Movement receive death threats from socialists and liberal extremists, but the [[MSM]] looks the other way and refuses mention the story.</ref>

===Uncivil Language===
Several news anchors working for [[CNN]] and [[MSNBC]] used uncivil language to describe Tea Partiers and coined the phrase "teabaggers," which is a crude term used to slur conservatives. Additionally, President Obama used the crude term as an off-color connotation attempting to mock Tea Party Movement organizers and participants across the nation. During an interview with the ''[[New York Times]]'', Barack Obama described the people of the Tea Party Movement as "the teabag, anti-government [extremists]."<ref>Michael Patrick Leahy. [http://www.tcotreport.com/obamaslur.html In Pep Talk to Democrats Yesterday, Obama Used Crude Term to Slur Conservatives], ''[[The TCOT Report]]'', November 8, 2009.</ref> [[Vice President]] [[Joe Biden]] accused Tea Partiers of having "acted like terrorists" in a fight over raising the nation’s debt limit, according to several sources in the room with him, as reported by ''[[Politico]]''.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60421.html Sources: Joe Biden likened tea partiers to terrorists], ''[[Politico]]'', August 01, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/01/biden-criticized-for-calling-tea-party-republicans-terrorists-over-their-debt/ Tea Party Group Calls on Biden to Apologize for 'Terrorists' Remark], FoxNews.com, August 02, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_081611/content/01125108.guest.html Ryan Rhodes Calls the Program], RushLimbaugh.com, August 16, 2011.</ref> Confronted with an epidemic of joblessness in her home state of [[California]], liberal-[[socialist]]<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUaY3LhJ-IQ&feature=related Maxine Waters threatens to nationalize U.S. oil industries], [[YouTube]], (Accessed August 22, 2011).</ref> [[House of Representatives|House]] representative [[Maxine Waters]] tried deflecting blame by telling a group of supporters that the "Tea Party can go straight to hell," and then threatened: "And I intend to help them get there."<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/22/rep-waters-tea-party-can-go-straight-to-hell/ Tea Party Group Slams Rep. Waters Over 'Straight to Hell' Outburst], FoxNews.com, August 22, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.bluegrasspundit.com/2011/08/liberal-msm-omitted-maxine-waters-overt.html Liberal MSM Omitted Maxine Waters Overt Threat to Tea Party], ''Bluegrass Pundit'', August 22, 2011.</ref>

===Death Threats===
Tea Party organizers are not controlled or funded by the Republican Party or any established interest group. However, ''[[FreedomWorks]]'' and [[Dick Armey]] are well known supporters of the Tea Party Movement, and thus receive dozens of threatening and harassing calls and E-mails each day. ''FreedomWorks'' provided ''U.S. News & World Report'' with some of the recordings of the threatening calls, which include physical threats and profanity aimed at the group, Tea Party spokesmen and even [[conservative]] talkers. ''"You guys better watch it,"'' says one caller. ''"Now, we are going to destroy and obliterate [[Rush Limbaugh|Rush [Limbaugh]]] and [[Sean Hannity]],"'' said another. ''"Those two guys are dead."''<ref>Paul Bedard. [http://politics.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2010/08/25/tea-party-group-hit-with-death-threats Tea Party Group Hit With Death Threats], ''U.S. News & World Report'', August 25, 2010.</ref>

===Commentary===
[[Gordon Anderson]] wrote:
{{Cquote|Corruption and abuse of power seek to cloak themselves under the banner of security interests in order create elite ruling classes that are a threat to the security of those they are sworn to protect and the constitutions they are supposed to uphold. Citizens in both the United States and the European Union are witnessing the fruits of their lack of vigilance. This is a core underlying concern and reason for the rise of the “Tea Party” movement and its European counterparts. Such movements will continue arise as leaders of the so-called “free world” continue to violate the major principles of sound governance and hide corrupt actions under veils of secrecy.<ref>http://forum.newworldencyclopedia.org/index.php/2010/12/wikileaks-and-the-balance-of-political-principles/</ref>}}

===Polls===
In late 2009, the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed 41% of Americans have a positive view of the tea party movement, and 24% had a negative view . By contrast, only 35% of Americans have a positive view of the Democrats and only 28% have a positive view of the Republican Party.<ref> see [http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/12/16/wsjnbc-news-poll-tea-party-tops-democrats-and-republicans/ "WSJ/NBC News Poll: Tea Party Tops Democrats and Republicans," ''Wall Street Journal'' Dec. 16, 2009]</ref> This view appears to have demised slightly recently, dropping to a low of 21% <ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-06/americans-have-more-negative-view-of-tea-party-u-s-poll-shows.html</ref> in August 2011.

{{Conservatism}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==See Also==
* [[Tax Day Tea Party]]
* [[Independence Day Tea Party]]
* [[9/12 March on Washington D.C.]]
* [[Boston Tea Party]]
* [[Tea Party Organizations]]
* [[Tea Party Express]]
* [[Tea Party Patriots]]
* [[Contract From America]]

==External Links==
* [http://www.nationalteapartyconvention.com/ National Tea Party Unity Convention], TEA Party Nation (TPN).
* [http://www.onlinetaxrevolt.com/march/ The Online Tax Revolt March], Choose an Avatar and March Online to Washington.
* [http://taxdayteaparty.com/ Tax Day Tea Party]
* [http://www.reteaparty.com/ America's Re-Tea Party]
* [http://www.teapartypatriots.org/ Tea Party Patriots]
* [http://www.foundingfathers.info/stories/gadsden.html Don't Tread on Me]: Gadsden Flag History.
* [http://ccsrwm.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/shared/docs/Berlet%20paper.pdf Demonizing the Tea Party Movement by Chip Barlett (Berkeley)] PDF

===Music Videos===
{{main|Tea Party Movement Videos}}

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2H8xHFXC8U&feature=player_embedded American Tea Party Anthem], by Lloyd Marcus
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT54cGEv7Nk I am America], by Krista Branch
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwvuimX2bjI&list=QL Rise Up], music by Jeremy Hoop from ''[http://www.teapartymovie.com/film.html The Tea Party Movie]''
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfH46DTAkxo When You're Holding a Hammer (Everything Looks Like a Nail)], by Kyle Hill and Bryan Glover
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3CIPnQUOK0 Tip of the Spear], music by Phil Cuomo and Phil Valentine from the motion picture ''[http://philvalentine.com/AnInconsistentTruth.htm An Inconsistent Truth]''
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG38P92wQlc Don't tread on me], by the band ''[[Metallica]]'' ([http://www.sing365.com/music/Lyric.nsf/Don%27t-Tread-On-Me-lyrics-Metallica/1F9C85C5B25CB6FF4825688D0034190D Lyrics])

[[Category:Taxation]]
[[Category:Obama Presidency]]
[[Category:Tax Revolts]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category:Tea Party Movement]]

Tea Party Movement

2011-08-29T14:57:27Z

TylerP: Removing bias

The '''TEA Party Movement''' (TEA is a backronym for Taxed Enough Already) is an ongoing, nationwide mainstream movement of [[grassroots]] protesters, encompassing millions of individuals and thousands of self-organizing groups, all united in accomplishing a single goal: returning [[Conservative|fiscal responsibility]] and limited government to the [[United States]] through the exercise of political [[activist|activism]].<ref>[http://blog.heritage.org/2009/04/15/morning-bell-the-tea-party-movement/ Morning Bell: The Tea Party Movement], heritage.org, April 15th, 2009.</ref> The main focus of the TEA Party Movement is a rebuke of mandates and spending as well as the "agenda" of the Obama administration.<ref>[[Glenn Beck]]. [http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/24073/ What the Tea Parties Are About], April 16, 2009.</ref> 

== Beginnings ==
The birth of the Tea Party Movement is often traced to February 2009; however, while [[Rick Santelli|Rick Santelli's]] famous impassioned speech on CNBC was perhaps the most visible spark that ignited Tea Party gatherings across the nation, the movement's genesis was in progress long before that notable day.<ref>Tea Party Arose From Conservatives Steeped in Crisis. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304173704575578332725182228.html Birth of a Movement], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', October 29, 2010.</ref> The movement was in gestation for years, in the hearts and minds of American citizens concerned about the path down which [[progressive]] policies have been taking the United States of America. The emergence of the Tea party Movement has been called [[Main Street]] America's indictment against the ruling class.<ref>Doug Mainwaring. [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/13/tea-partys-inception-a-rebirth/ MAINWARING: Tea Party's inception a rebirth], ''[[The Washington Times]]'', August 13, 2010.</ref>

One earlier form of a Tea Party rally occurred in the fall of 2007 when supporters of Ron Paul held a "Tea Party 2007" event to stage a re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party, and to promote Paul's bid for the presidency.<ref>[http://www.ronpaulforums.com/content.php?909-Who-Started-The-Modern-Day-Tea-Party-Movement-%28video%29&s=2b6ae18ef5615484bda67fa3c01678d6 Who Started The Modern Day Tea Party Movement? (video)], ronpaulforums.com, (Accessed August 19, 2011).</ref><ref>Warner Todd Huston. [http://bigjournalism.com/wthuston/2011/05/14/ap-tars-tea-party-movement-as-grandfathered-by-ron-paul/ AP Tars Tea Party Movement as ‘Grandfathered’ By Ron Paul], BigJournalism.com, May 14, 2011.</ref> Impetus was given to the movement when radio talk-show host [[Rush Limbaugh]] criticized the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]] on January 27, 2009, predicting that it will make the [[recession]] worse and is the wrong kind of government intervention.
{{Cquote|I don't believe it is a "stimulus plan" at all -- I don't think it stimulates anything but the Democratic Party. This 'porkulus' bill is designed to repair the Democratic Party's power losses from the 1990s forward, and to cement the party's majority power for decades."<ref>Rush Limbaugh. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123318906638926749.html Rush Limbaugh: My Bipartisan Stimulus], WSJ.com, January 29, 2009.</ref>}}

On February 9, 2009, a Cape Coral woman named Mary Rakovich led a small protest outside President Barack Obama's townhall meeting in Fort Myers, [[Florida]].<ref>[http://www.news-press.com/article/20090211/OBAMA/90210068 Those outside Harborside in Fort Myers had plenty to see, say], ''The News-Press'', February 11, 2009.</ref><ref>Dick Armey, Matt Kibbe. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704407804575425061553154540.html?KEYWORDS=tea+party+movement A Tea Party Manifesto], ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', August 17, 2010.</ref> Then in late March of 2009, faced with the prospect of heavy fines from the city for not having the proper permitting or insurance, Mary Rakovich moved forward with future protests but with the backing of national organization ''FreedomWorks''. Rakovich said ''FreedomWorks'' offered to provide the insurance per the city's rules.<ref>[http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/504707.html?nav=5011 Tea party finds new life, broadens cause], cape-coral-daily-breeze.com, March, 31, 2009.</ref>

The first anti-spending protest, organized by Liberty Belle, occurred in [[Seattle]], Washington on February 16, 2009.<ref>Derek Erwin. [http://derekerwin.blogspot.com/2009/04/dozen-ring-liberty-belles-sound-800.html A 'Dozen' Ring Liberty Belle's Sound, 800 Cities Ring-Back], ''A 1-In-100 Blogger'', accessed April 18, 2009.</ref><ref>Michelle Malkin, Glenn Reynolds. [http://www.pjtv.com/video/Pajamas_TV/Tea_Party_Protests%3A_Mesa%2C_Seattle%2C_Denver_%28Michelle_Malkin_and_Glenn_Reynolds%29/1406/ Tea Party Protests: Mesa, Seattle, Denver], PJTV, February 16, 2009.</ref> Another protest was held the following day in [[Denver]] on February 17,<ref>[http://www.thedenverchannel.com/politics/18732002/detail.html President Signs Massive Stimulus In Denver], accessed April 2, 2009.</ref> and a protest in Mesa, [[Arizona]] on February 18 brought 500 protesters.<ref>Gary Grado, Sonu Munshi, Hayley Ringle. [http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/135640/ More than 500 protest Obama's arrival], accessed April 2, 2009.</ref> The American people began organizing Tea Party protests en masse after Rick Santelli's famous speech on February 19, when he declared, "We're thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party in July! All you capitalists that want to show up at Lake Michigan, I'm going to start organizing."

=== Shout Heard 'Round the World ===
The Tea Party Movement gained support when on February 19, on live [[Television|TV]], [[CNBC]] reporter [[Rick Santelli]] argued about the [[bailout]]s and shouted, "The government is promoting bad behavior."<ref>[http://freedomeden.blogspot.com/2009/02/rick-santelli-tea-party.html Transcript of Rick Santelli's speech], February 19, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.cnbc.com/id/29283701 Rick Santelli's Shout Heard 'Round the World], CNBC.com, February 19, 2009.</ref> Standing in the middle of the Chicago Stock Exchange, Santelli declared that America needed "a new kind of tea party," so that citizens can express their discontent with "the government's support of fiscal irresponsibility."<ref>Jennifer Rubin. [http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/mr-president-turn-back-while-theres-still-time/ Mr. President: Turn Back While There’s Still Time], ''Pajamas Media'', February 20, 2009.</ref><ref>Matt Drudge. [http://www.streetinsider.com/Insiders+Blog/Rick+Santelli+-+The+Rant+Heard+Round+the+World/4419854.html Rick Santelli - The Rant Heard 'Round the World'], streetinsider.com, February 19, 2009.</ref><ref name=myfoxchicago>Andy Roesgen. [http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/TeaParty Protesters Gather for Self-Styled Tea Party], myfoxchicago.com, February 27, 2009.</ref>
{{Cquote|The government is promoting bad behavior! [...] How many of you people want to pay for your neighbor's mortgage that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills? Raise their hand. (boos) President Obama, are you listening?! We're thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party in July. All you capitalists that want to show up at Lake Michigan, I'm going to start organizing. [...] I'll tell you what, if you read our Founding Fathers, people like Benjamin Franklin and Jefferson, what we're doing in this country now, is making them roll over in their graves.<ref>Rick Santelli, February 19, 2009.</ref>}}

With the help of ''DontGo'', ''Top Conservatives on Twitter'' (TCOT), ''[[Smart Girl Politics]]'' (SGP), ''The American Spectator'', ''Americans for Tax Reform'', ''[[FreedomWorks]]'', and ''The Heartland Institute'', the Chicago Tea Parties were scheduled to happen nationwide on February 27, 2009.<ref>[http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/02/23/the-chicago-tea-party-is-on/ The Chicago Tea Party is on!], February 23, 2009.</ref>

=== February 27th Tea Parties ===
Americans across the country gathered in 50 cities to protest the newly-passed Stimulus Bill of 2009.<ref>[http://www.tcotreport.com/Talking_Points.htm Talking Points and Theme for the Nationwide Chicago Tea Party], ''[[The TCOT Report]]'', February 24, 2009.</ref> Over 30,000 people made it to this event.<ref>Teri Christoph. [http://smartgirlpolitics.ning.com/video/video/show?id=2488056%3AVideo%3A24070& SGP.TeaParty], ''[[Smart Girl Politics]]'', February 27, 2009.</ref> Many at the event were upset over the economic stimulus packages and [[bailout]]s for [[Wall Street]] pushed through by both [[George W. Bush|President Bush]] and [[Barack Obama|President Obama's]] administrations.<ref>[http://www.raleigh3.com/default.asp?sdetail=1849&sc=2724 Raleigh Holds 'Tea Party' To Protest Government], ''Raleigh Telegram'', March 25, 2009.</ref><ref name=myfoxchicago%2F>

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! Location !! Sponsors<ref>[http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=page&page-id=68 Schedule of American Tea party Protests (with Sponsors)], February 27, 2009.</ref> !! Details
|-
| Atlanta, Georgia || TCOT, SGP, Don'tGo || A reported 300 to 400 protesters gathered outside the Georgia Capitol in protest of a $787 billion recovery bill.<ref name="georgia">[http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/02/27/budget-debate-launches-new-tea-party/ Budget debate launches new tea party], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/71521/ Tea Party from Atlanta], pajamasmedia.com, February 17, 2009.</ref>
|-
| [[Chicago, Illinois]] || Don'tGo<ref>[http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/02/19/chicago-tea-party/ Don'tGo Movement: Pledge to Have a Representation at Chicago Tea Party], February 19, 2009.</ref> || Approximately 300 people braved the 25 degree cold and wind in Chicago.<ref name="illinios">[http://www.foundingbloggers.com/wordpress/2009/02/breaking-chicago-tea-party-pictures/ BREAKING - Chicago Tea Party (Pictures) UPDATED Now With Video!], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/02/27/the-birth-of-a-new-revolution/ The Birth of a New Revolution], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref name=myfoxchicago%2F>
|-
| Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas || Americans for Prosperity,<ref>[http://www.redcounty.com/texas/2009/02/the-tea-parties-were-successfu/ The Tea Parties were successful - here's the proof], February 23, 2009.</ref> TCOT, SGP, Don'tGo, Dallas County Young Republicans || A "Texas-sized Tea Party" of 300 or more Texans met in Fort Worth, protesting big government and taxes.<ref name="fortworth">[http://txtcot.ning.com/video/tea-party-09-made-the-world Tea Party '09 made the world news], February 27, 2009.</ref> One sponsor, TCOT, collected over 800 signatures during the event.<ref>[http://txtcot.ning.com/profiles/blogs/tea-party-09 Tea Party '09], February 28, 2009.</ref>
|-
| Denver, Colorado || TCOT, SGP, Don'tGo || At the East Capitol Steps, 100 "[[Atlas Shrugged]]" fans braved cold temperatures for a "Nationwide Chicago Tea Party" to protest the [[Obama Administration]]'s [[bailout]] plan.<ref name="dcolorado1">[http://coloradoindependent.com/23026/ayn-rand-stars-at-denver-stimulus-tea-party-protest Ayn Rand stars at Denver stimulus ‘tea party’ protest], ''Colorado Independent'', February 28, 2009.</ref><ref name="dcolorado2">[http://colorado.newsplatoon.com/2009/02/24/denver-tea-party/ Denver Tea Party], [[Colorado]], February 24, 2009.</ref>
|-
| [[Houston, Texas]] || TBD || Large groups, not entirely made up of Republicans, tried to create a modern day version of the Boston Tea Party.<ref>[http://houstontps.org/?page_id=163 Houston Tea Party Society, In the News, Audio, Video], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.khou.com/video/topstories-index.html?nvid=352345&shu=1 Houston's Tax Day tea party], February 27, 2009.</ref>
|-
| [[Washington, D.C.]] || Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, Young Conservatives Coalition, The Heartland Institute || The American Tea Party made some noise outside the White House.<ref name="dc_examiner">[http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/New-American-Tea-Party-40442172.html DC Tea Party thrown at the White House], ''The Washington Examiner'', February 27, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.freedomworks.org/petition/iamwithrick/index.html 2009 Taxpayer Tea party], February 28, 2009.</ref> Several hundred taxpayers showed up at the DC Tea Party protest in Lafayette Park,<ref name="michellemalkin">[[Michelle Malkin]]. [http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/27/scenes-from-the-tea-party/ Scenes from the D.C. Tea Party], February 27, 2009.</ref><ref name="dcfreedomworks">[http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/bstein80/video-from-the-dc-tea-party Video from the DC Tea Party], ''[[FreedomWorks]]'', February 28, 2009.</ref> including "Joe the Plumber."<ref name="hotair">[http://hotair.com/archives/2009/02/27/joe-the-plumber-at-dc-tea-party-no-one-on-the-hill-gives-a-rip-about-you/ Joe the Plumber at D.C. Tea Party: No one on the Hill gives a rip about you], ''[[Hot Air]]'', February 27, 2009.</ref>
|}

== Scheduled Rallies ==
[[Image:Headnew.jpg|right|380px|right|Tax Day Tea Party poster]]
=== Tax Day Tea Party ===
: ''Main Article: [[Tax Day Tea Party]]''
Success from the Chicago Tea Party protests, as part of a concerted nationwide effort, led to the first of many scheduled Tea Party rallies. Following the February 27th Tea Parties, a group called ''Americans for Prosperity'' of [[North Carolina]] began implementing plans for a "Tax Day" Tea Party rally in Raleigh on the tax filing deadline.<ref>[http://www.raleigh3.com/default.asp?sdetail=1849&sc=2724 Raleigh Holds 'Tea Party' To Protest Government], ''Raleigh Telegram'', March 25, 2009.</ref> Leading up to the Tax Day Tea Parties, the events were organized and promoted by volunteers, activists, and [[Political action committee]]s across the [[United States]].<ref>http://www.freedomworks.org/press-releases/freedomworks-co-sponsoring-taxpayer-tea-parties-ac</ref> By taking advantage of online viral [[marketing]] to get the word out,<ref name="investorsnews">[http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=470054&Ntt=tea+party 'Tea Party' Protests In 35 Cities], March 2, 2009.</ref> the speed and scope with which the Tax Day Tea Party protests were organized can be attributed to the use of [[Twitter]] [[TCOT Report|#TCOT]] feeds,<ref>[http://tcotreport.com/ TCOT Report], ''[[The TCOT Report]]''.</ref> on [[blog|blogs]],<ref>Marc Ambinder. [http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/02/tea_parties_pajamas_and_mediaevent_symbiotics.php Tea Parties, Pajamas, and Media/Event Symbiotics], ''The Atlantic'', February 25, 2009.</ref> and the social networking Website [[Facebook]].<ref name="facebook">[http://michellemalkin.com/2009/03/04/going-galt-and-the-next-tea-party-wave/ “Going Galt” and the next Tea Party wave], [[Michelle Malkin]], March 4, 2009.</ref>

==== 2009 ====
The Tea Party Movement held its first scheduled nationwide protest on April 15, 2009, a day that became known as the [[Tax Day Tea Party]].<ref name="WSJ">[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123975867505519363.html Tax Day Becomes Protest Day], ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', April 15, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/15/thousands-anti-tax-tea-party-protesters-turn-cities/ Thousands of Anti-Tax 'Tea Party' Protesters Turn Out in U.S. Cities], FOXNews.com, April 15, 2009.</ref> In the spirit of the [[Founding Fathers]] [[Boston Tea Party]], the rallies used themes from the [[American Revolution]] and also adopted the "American Tea Party Anthem," a song first performed during a March 21, 2009 Orlando, Florida Tea Party that drew over 4,000 people.<ref>Michelle Malkin. [http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/21/tea-party-usa-the-movement-grows/ Tea Party U.S.A.: The movement grows], February 21, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://newsblaze.com/story/20090323074552zzzz.nb/topstory.html "Tea Party" Song Becomes YouTube Hit]. ''Newsblaze'', March 23, 2009.</ref><ref>Andrea Shea King. [http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/asking/2009/04/14/american-tea-party-anthem-singer-lloyd-marcus-this-whole-thing-is-rush-limbaughs-fault/ American Tea Party Anthem Singer Lloyd Marcus: "This whole thing is Rush Limbaugh’s fault."], ''Big Hollywood'', April 14, 2009.</ref> [[Dick Armey]] of [[FreedomWorks]] became one of Washington's principal supporters of the Tea Party movement.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,516136,00.html Dick Armey to Speak at Atlanta Tea Party], FOXNews.com, April 15, 2009.</ref> [[Glenn Beck]], [[Rand Paul]], [[Michele Bachmann]], [[Sarah Palin]], and many others encouraged and even participated in aspects of the movement.

President Obama is seen to have responded to the tea parties with requested budget cuts of $100 million on April 20, 2009.<ref name="rushlimbaugh">[[Rush Limbaugh]]. [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_042109/content/01125107.guest.html Obama Responded to Tea Parties with $100 Million in "Budget Cuts"], RushLimbaugh.com, April 21, 2009.</ref> Rush Limbaugh contended, "I'm sure they've got internal polling data that shows these tea parties are successful and these tea parties are a problem. So they're responding to the tea parties here. That's all this is." According to a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey on April 20, 2009, the poll found that fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans had a favorable view of the tea parties held nationwide, including 32% who said their view of the events were "Very favorable." Thirty-three percent (33%) held an unfavorable opinion of the tea parties. Fifteen percent (15%) were not sure.<ref name="rasmussenreports">[http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics2/51_view_tea_parties_favorably_political_class_strongly_disagrees 51% View Tea Parties Favorably, Political Class Strongly Disagrees], ''Rasmussen Reports'', April 20, 2009.</ref>

==== 2010 ====
The Tea Party Patriots<ref>http://www.TeaPartyPatriots.org</ref> announced a milestone in the Tea Party movement: 2 million people attended the April 15 Tea Party events across the country in 2010, and 2,000 groups are now voluntarily affiliated with the Tea Party Patriots through its [[Web site]].<ref>PR Newswire. [http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=xprnw.20100429.DC96062&show_article=1 Tea Party Numbers Released: 2 Million, 2 Thousand], ''Breitbart'', April 29, 2010.</ref><ref>Greta Van Susteren. [http://gretawire.blogs.foxnews.com/tea-parties-on-tax-day/ Tea Parties on Tax Day], ''GretaWire'', April 16, 2010.</ref> Recent polls have shown that 48% of voters believe their views are reflected more closely in the values of the Tea Party movement than in the views of President Obama.

=== Independence Day ===
: ''Main Article: [[Independence Day Tea Party]]''

The same organizations decided to repeat their performance on [[Independence Day]] (July 4, 2009). Even more people attended; the largest such rally was held on the grounds of the Southfork Ranch (scene of the [[television]] series ''Dallas '), in [[Plano]], [[Texas]], which drew 37,000 attendees. The themes that organizers and participants sounded at these events were much the same as were those at the Tax Day events: advocacy of limited government, decrying of high levels of taxation, and refusal to countenance plans for [[socialism]] and especially socialized [[medicine]].

=== Labor Day ===
Several organizations also organized Tea Parties on [[Labor Day]], once again sounding the same limited-government, low-tax, and anti-socialistic themes. Those organizations that did not plan such events often referred people to those that did.

=== September 12 March on Washington ===
: ''Main Article: [[September 12 March on Washington]]''

[[File:Gadsden_snake.jpg|250px|right]]The largest TEA Party event thus far has been the September 12 March on [[Washington, DC]]. This was an event organized initially by the FreedomWorks Foundation, but nearly all Tea Party organizations decided to participate in this event, primarily by chartering buses and registering people for transportation to Washington. FreedomWorks estimates that 600,000 to 800,000 persons attended, and they base that estimate on the number of persons who responded when their Master of Ceremonies asked all attendees within earshot to send the text message "Freedom" to a designated five-digit telephone number. However, the [[London]] ''Daily Mail'' estimates attendance at as many as a million persons, on the basis of eyewitness accounts and aerial-photographic evidence.<ref name=dailymail>Gardner D, "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1213056/Up-million-march-US-Capitol-protest-Obamas-spending-tea-party-demonstration.html A million march to US Capitol to protest against 'Obama the socialist']," ''The London Daily Mail'', September 14, 2009. Accessed September 16, 2009.</ref> Estimates of total attendance are difficult to obtain, primarily because the size of the crowd far exceeded the estimates by the event planners, with the result that many attendees were never able to get within earshot of the stage or even the sound system, and the temporary sanitary facilities were hopelessly jammed, with fifty persons standing in line to use each portable "necessary."

=== Operation: Can You Hear us Now? ===
TEA party demonstrations have targeted local and national media outs across the country to oppose massive government spending. In a press release, the movement was led by FaxDC in about 100 cities across the U.S. on September 17th. <ref>[http://www.lookingattheleft.com/2009/10/tea-party-movement-denounces-media-corrupton/ Tea Party Movement Denounces Media Corruption], Lookingattheleft.com, October 19, 2009.</ref> [[Rush Limbaugh]] has previously spoke for the need for such media targeted TEA protests.

* NBC studios in Burbank
* CNN in Atlanta and
* Affiliate stations of NBC, ABC and CBS
* The New York Times
* Los Angeles Times
* Other prominent newspapers.
[[File:Canyouhearusnow.jpg|350px]]

===TEA Party Movie===
''TEA PARTY: The Documentary Film'' was released Thanksgiving Day 2009, is a documentary of five grassroots activists. The story line ''"from home town rally goers and rally organizers to national activists taking part in the 912 Taxpayer March on Washington."'' The theme is about principles, a call for a return to constitutionally limited government, personal responsibility, and fiscal restraint at the Federal level. [http://www.teapartymovie.com/ TEA Party the Movie]

===Pink Slips Campaign===

''Main Article: [[Pink Slips campaign]]''

Organized in part by Joseph Farah from [[WorldNetDaily]], they had a goal of sending each and every member of Congress more than 5,000,000 pink slips.
 
Each pink slip reads '''YOU ARE BEING PUT ON NOTICE''' and

*government health care
*cap and trade
*"hate crimes"
*any more spending

''"If you vote for any of these, your real pink slip will be issued in the next election"''

As of November 2009, 8 million pink slips have been sent to Congress at a cost of $29 each <ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=117136 True grass-roots effort? The 'pink slips' campaign, WND.com, November 25, 2009]</ref>

== Noteworthy achievements ==
=== Elections ===
* The first Tea Party activist to win a special election for a state assembly seat was [[Dean Murray]] in Long Island.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,586821,00.html Meet the First Tea Party Activist to Be Elected Into Office], ''[[Fox News]]'', February 19, 2010.</ref>
* The most stunning victory credited to the Tea Party Movement, specifically to the [[Tea Party Express]], was the surprise nomination of [[Sharron Angle]] over the establishment favorite [[Sue Lowden]] as the Republican candidate for the Senate seat of [[Nevada]].
* The Tea Party Movement is credited with helping to elect [[Senator]] [[Scott Brown]] in an upset for the seat formerly held by the late [[Ted Kennedy]].
* For the [[2010 Midterm Elections]], the [[Nationwide Tea Party Coalition]] endorsed 50 candidates running for U.S. House of Representatives; 31 of 50 Tea Party challengers won their elections.<ref>[http://www.electiondayteaparty.com/ Election Day Tea Party 2010], ElectionDayTeaParty.com, a project of the [[Nationwide Tea Party Coalition]].</ref>

=== Education ===
* The Tea Party Movement has exposed the [[progressive]] agenda and its significant correlation with the failings of higher education in America.<ref>''Our universities haven't taught much political history for decades. No wonder so many progressives have disdain for the principles that animated the Federalist debates.'' [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704631504575531913602803980.html Why Liberals Don't Get the Tea Party Movement], by Peter Berkowitz, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', October 16, 2010.</ref> {{Cquote|Neither [[professors]] of [[political science]] nor of [[history]] have made a priority of instructing students in the [[Founding Fathers|founding principles]] of American [[Constitutional Republic|constitutional government]]. Nor have they taught about the contest between the [[Socialism|progressive vision]] and the [[Limited government|conservative vision]] that has characterized [[American Government Lecture Two|American politics]] since [[Woodrow Wilson]] helped launch the progressive movement in the late 19th century by arguing that the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] had become [[obsolete]] and hindered [[democratic]] reform. ... They do little to teach about [[Federal republic|self-government]]. They certainly do not teach about the [[virtue|virtues]], or [[quality|qualities]] of [[mind]] and [[character]], that enable citizens to shoulder their political responsibilities and prosper amidst the opportunities and uncertainties that [[freedom]] brings. Nor do they teach the beliefs, practices and associations that foster such virtues and those that endanger them. ... [America's] [[University|universities]] have produced two [[Generation|generations]] of highly educated people who seem unable to recognize the spirited defense of fundamental [[American]] [[Principle|principles]], even when it takes place for more than a year and a half right in front of their noses.}}

== Themes ==
The Tea Party Movement is a protest of the [[generational theft]] of public tax monies, the tremendous extensions of United States Federal debt and authority, the apparent restructuring of the Federal government with the intent to contravene the system of checks and balances for which the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] provides, and the attempt, which some movement organizers say has been in progress for several decades, to sacrifice [[liberty]] for permanent dependency. The Tea Party Movement began with a protest against two aspects of current public policy:

# Excessive taxation
# Special privilege

[[Rick Santelli]] specifically cited the mortgage [[bailout]] policies of early 2009 as a prize example of the government doing special favors for certain classes of voters, in return for their continued support, and also of the "moral hazard" in which such policies inevitably place anyone who "buys on time," i.e., buys any sort of asset, from a home appliance to a parcel of [[real estate]], using borrowed money.

As the movement has progressed, it has begun to sound broader themes, which one may best summarize as:

# Self-responsibility
# Self-autonomy
# Limited government
# A requirement that government live within its own means, just as individuals must live within theirs
# Capitalism
# Freedom of all varieties of production and trade
# Respect for the [[United States Constitution]]

== Characteristics ==
=== Autonomy of local organizers ===
Most organization of Tea Parties and similar events is local. Typical of the movement is the Morristown Tea Party Organization ([[Morristown]], [[New Jersey]]), which has a five-member board of trustees and about fifty dedicated volunteers who handle operations, communication, and logistics without assistance or direction from any regional or other organization. State-wide coordinating bodies do exist (for example, New Jersey Tea Parties United), but local organizations are responsible for most of their activities, fund-raising, and legal functioning. In this regard, the Tea Party Movement is similar to the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America, which never seeks to dictate to individual churches how they must conduct their affairs.

=== Individual comportment and deportment ===
Event participants, and especially event planners, are urged to comport themselves in a manner respectful of the rights and feelings of others. Organizational leaders consciously endeavor to distinguish their movement from many [[liberal]] protest movements, which often characterize themselves by rude behavior, [[vandalism]], and even physical assaults against their opponents. Any person who persistently suggests that Tea Party Movement participants engage in activities remotely similar to this may usually consider themselves excluded, and in some cases organizers have summoned law-enforcement authorities to deal with provocative behavior by attendees at planning and other meetings.

=== Symbols ===
[[File:Gadsden_flag.png|200px|right]]By far the most prominent symbol at Tea Parties is the [[Gadsden Flag|Gadsden]] [[Rattlesnake (American symbol)|Rattlesnake Flag]].<ref>''Heraldric'': Or a rattlesnake sable and or coiled as to strike, facing sinister, on a bed of grass vert; motto "Don't Tread On Me"</ref><ref>[http://www.gadsden.info/Tea-Party.html Gadsden Flag at Tea Party Protests]</ref> The ''[[American historical flags|Come And Take It]]'' Flag has also appeared most notably at the September 12 March on Washington. Tea Party participants have almost always used home-made and home-decorated signs and other artifacts, in sharp contrast to the uniform, professionally printed signs carried at [[liberal]] demonstrations.

Most of the signs bear lampoons of the most highly publicized Obama Administration policies, from "Czars" to socialized medicine; moreover, Barack Obama is not the only target of criticism, the [[MSM]] has also been challenged in some rallies, both for their failings in covering the Tea Party Movement and also for what most participants regard as a collective decision by Mainstream Media organs to function as ''de facto'' government and/or [[Democratic Party]] as organs rather than the objective and disinterested commentators that they pretend to be.

Some of the signs that have been seen and photographed at these events have provoked cries of outrage from Tea Party Movement opponents, alleging bad taste, e.g. a picture of Barack Obama with the square mustache affected by [[Adolf Hitler]] and bearing the caption "I've Changed," and a sign bearing the message "Bury ObamaCare with [[Edward M. Kennedy|Kennedy]]." After the liberal Mainstream Media quickly blamed conservatives and even [[Rush Limbaugh]], some research was done to find the true source of the Hitler poster. It was later uncovered that the provocative Hitler signs were from a group of [[Leftist|far-left]] [[Lyndon LaRouche]] supporters, as they were infiltrating the Tea Party rallies as a means to spread their extreme visions.<ref>Seton Motley. [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/seton-motley/2009/08/12/nbc-cnn-msnbc-all-assign-communist-larouches-obama-hitler-poster-conse NBC, CNN and MSNBC All Assign Communist LaRouche's Obama-Hitler Poster to Conservatives, Limbaugh], ''NewsBusters'', August 12, 2009.</ref>

=== Demographic profile ===

A Quinnipiac Poll conducted in March 2010 found that thirteen percent of American voters say they are part of the Tea Party movement, a group containing more women than men. 49% told pollsters they voted for [[Barack Obama]] in 2008, while only 44% voted for [[John McCain]].<ref>[http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1436 Quinnipiac Poll, Question 50e, March 2010.]</ref> Despite these findings, the [[White House]] has been linked to efforts to label the Tea Party as [[racist]].<ref>http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/07/obama-administration-linked-to-fraudulent-racist-tea-party-video/</ref>

== News Coverage ==
[[File:MSMbyTEA.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Attitude of Tea Party Movement participants toward four MSM outlets]]

By far the most industrious news organization that has covered the Tea Party Movement is the [[Fox News Channel]], especially with commentators [[Neil Cavuto]], [[Glenn Beck]], [[Sean Hannity]] and [[Greta Van Susteren]]. Coverage of the Tea Party events by the [[Mainstream Media]] has lacked both quantity and quality. The three traditional broadcast networks ([[ABC]], [[CBS]], [[NBC]]) have attempted to falsely discredit these events as corporate-sponsored or sponsored by the [[Republican Party]] and other conservative or reactionary groups, and have generally censored the movement by refusing to cover major events.<ref name=baker>Baker B, "[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2009/04/16/abc-cbs-nbc-try-discredit-tea-party-protests ABC, CBS and NBC Try to Discredit 'Tea Party' Protests]," ''NewsBusters'', 16 April 2009. Accessed September 16, 2009. Baker does a side-by-side comparison of coverage of the Tax Day Tea Parties and of several pro-immigration rallies held on 1 May 2006.</ref><ref>[http://politics.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2010/08/25/tea-party-group-hit-with-death-threats Tea Party Group Hit With Death Threats] Supporters of the Tea Party Movement receive death threats from socialists and liberal extremists, but the [[MSM]] looks the other way and refuses mention the story.</ref>

===Uncivil Language===
Several news anchors working for [[CNN]] and [[MSNBC]] used uncivil language to describe Tea Partiers and coined the phrase "teabaggers," which is a crude term used to slur conservatives. Additionally, President Obama used the crude term as an off-color connotation attempting to mock Tea Party Movement organizers and participants across the nation. During an interview with the ''[[New York Times]]'', Barack Obama described the people of the Tea Party Movement as "the teabag, anti-government [extremists]."<ref>Michael Patrick Leahy. [http://www.tcotreport.com/obamaslur.html In Pep Talk to Democrats Yesterday, Obama Used Crude Term to Slur Conservatives], ''[[The TCOT Report]]'', November 8, 2009.</ref> [[Vice President]] [[Joe Biden]] accused Tea Partiers of having "acted like terrorists" in a fight over raising the nation’s debt limit, according to several sources in the room with him, as reported by ''[[Politico]]''.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60421.html Sources: Joe Biden likened tea partiers to terrorists], ''[[Politico]]'', August 01, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/01/biden-criticized-for-calling-tea-party-republicans-terrorists-over-their-debt/ Tea Party Group Calls on Biden to Apologize for 'Terrorists' Remark], FoxNews.com, August 02, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_081611/content/01125108.guest.html Ryan Rhodes Calls the Program], RushLimbaugh.com, August 16, 2011.</ref> Confronted with an epidemic of joblessness in her home state of [[California]], liberal-[[socialist]]<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUaY3LhJ-IQ&feature=related Maxine Waters threatens to nationalize U.S. oil industries], [[YouTube]], (Accessed August 22, 2011).</ref> [[House of Representatives|House]] representative [[Maxine Waters]] tried deflecting blame by telling a group of supporters that the "Tea Party can go straight to hell," and then threatened: "And I intend to help them get there."<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/22/rep-waters-tea-party-can-go-straight-to-hell/ Tea Party Group Slams Rep. Waters Over 'Straight to Hell' Outburst], FoxNews.com, August 22, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.bluegrasspundit.com/2011/08/liberal-msm-omitted-maxine-waters-overt.html Liberal MSM Omitted Maxine Waters Overt Threat to Tea Party], ''Bluegrass Pundit'', August 22, 2011.</ref>

===Death Threats===
Tea Party organizers are not controlled or funded by the Republican Party or any established interest group. However, ''[[FreedomWorks]]'' and [[Dick Armey]] are well known supporters of the Tea Party Movement, and thus receive dozens of threatening and harassing calls and E-mails each day. ''FreedomWorks'' provided ''U.S. News & World Report'' with some of the recordings of the threatening calls, which include physical threats and profanity aimed at the group, Tea Party spokesmen and even [[conservative]] talkers. ''"You guys better watch it,"'' says one caller. ''"Now, we are going to destroy and obliterate [[Rush Limbaugh|Rush [Limbaugh]]] and [[Sean Hannity]],"'' said another. ''"Those two guys are dead."''<ref>Paul Bedard. [http://politics.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2010/08/25/tea-party-group-hit-with-death-threats Tea Party Group Hit With Death Threats], ''U.S. News & World Report'', August 25, 2010.</ref>

===Commentary===
[[Gordon Anderson]] wrote:
{{Cquote|Corruption and abuse of power seek to cloak themselves under the banner of security interests in order create elite ruling classes that are a threat to the security of those they are sworn to protect and the constitutions they are supposed to uphold. Citizens in both the United States and the European Union are witnessing the fruits of their lack of vigilance. This is a core underlying concern and reason for the rise of the “Tea Party” movement and its European counterparts. Such movements will continue arise as leaders of the so-called “free world” continue to violate the major principles of sound governance and hide corrupt actions under veils of secrecy.<ref>http://forum.newworldencyclopedia.org/index.php/2010/12/wikileaks-and-the-balance-of-political-principles/</ref>}}

===Polls===
In late 2009, the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed 41% of Americans have a positive view of the tea party movement, and 24% had a negative view . By contrast, only 35% of Americans have a positive view of the Democrats and only 28% have a positive view of the Republican Party.<ref> see [http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/12/16/wsjnbc-news-poll-tea-party-tops-democrats-and-republicans/ "WSJ/NBC News Poll: Tea Party Tops Democrats and Republicans," ''Wall Street Journal'' Dec. 16, 2009]</ref> This view appears to have demised slightly recently, dropping to a low of 21% <ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-06/americans-have-more-negative-view-of-tea-party-u-s-poll-shows.html</ref> in August 2011.

{{Conservatism}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==See Also==
* [[Tax Day Tea Party]]
* [[Independence Day Tea Party]]
* [[9/12 March on Washington D.C.]]
* [[Boston Tea Party]]
* [[Tea Party Organizations]]
* [[Tea Party Express]]
* [[Tea Party Patriots]]
* [[Contract From America]]

==External Links==
* [http://www.nationalteapartyconvention.com/ National Tea Party Unity Convention], TEA Party Nation (TPN).
* [http://www.onlinetaxrevolt.com/march/ The Online Tax Revolt March], Choose an Avatar and March Online to Washington.
* [http://taxdayteaparty.com/ Tax Day Tea Party]
* [http://www.reteaparty.com/ America's Re-Tea Party]
* [http://www.teapartypatriots.org/ Tea Party Patriots]
* [http://www.foundingfathers.info/stories/gadsden.html Don't Tread on Me]: Gadsden Flag History.
* [http://ccsrwm.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/shared/docs/Berlet%20paper.pdf Demonizing the Tea Party Movement by Chip Barlett (Berkeley)] PDF

===Music Videos===
{{main|Tea Party Movement Videos}}

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2H8xHFXC8U&feature=player_embedded American Tea Party Anthem], by Lloyd Marcus
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT54cGEv7Nk I am America], by Krista Branch
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwvuimX2bjI&list=QL Rise Up], music by Jeremy Hoop from ''[http://www.teapartymovie.com/film.html The Tea Party Movie]''
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfH46DTAkxo When You're Holding a Hammer (Everything Looks Like a Nail)], by Kyle Hill and Bryan Glover
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3CIPnQUOK0 Tip of the Spear], music by Phil Cuomo and Phil Valentine from the motion picture ''[http://philvalentine.com/AnInconsistentTruth.htm An Inconsistent Truth]''
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG38P92wQlc Don't tread on me], by the band ''[[Metallica]]'' ([http://www.sing365.com/music/Lyric.nsf/Don%27t-Tread-On-Me-lyrics-Metallica/1F9C85C5B25CB6FF4825688D0034190D Lyrics])

[[Category:Taxation]]
[[Category:Obama Presidency]]
[[Category:Tax Revolts]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category:Tea Party Movement]]

Superman

2011-08-29T14:53:42Z

TylerP: /* Comics lore */

[[Image:ARoss Superman.jpg|right|300px|thumb|''Superman'', by Alex Ross]]
'''Superman''' is a fictional character created in the mid-1930s by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and currently published by DC Comics under a variety of titles. The first comic book superhero, Superman spawed a pantheon of other similar characters, and a comics industry in which Superman alone was selling at well over a million copies as early as 1942<ref> [http://www.nostalgiazone.com/doc/zine/05_Q1/funnybusiness.htm Nostalgiazone.com]</ref>; he would later star in books, radio, animation, television, and film. Superman is seen as a symbol of America, reflected in his red and blue costume and marketing material describing his mission as the protector of "truth, justice, and the American way".

==Comics lore==
Superman is the last son of Krypton, a distant planet much larger than Earth with a red sun. Raised by two [[Methodism|Methodist]] [[Kansas]] farmers, Superman was blessed by his alien heritage with great powers. In his initial appearances, his power set consisted of being "faster than a speeding bullet", "more powerful than a locomotive", and "able to leap tall buildings in a single bound". Since then, his powers have been expanded to include incredible strength, super speed, flight, invulnerability, super breath, super intelligence, heat-ray eyes, freezing breath, passing through matter, unaided interstellar travel, and various forms of superhuman senses (super-hearing; x-ray, heat, telescopic, and microscopic vision) - Superman's excessive and ever-changing powers are often the subject of criticism or parody. He is severely weakened by green [[kryptonite]], can be reduced to normal human levels of power by light from a red sun, and is vulnerable to [[magic]].

He lives a secret double life, posing as the "mild-mannered reporter" Clark Kent. He specifically works in the news [[media]] so he can more easily hear about and attend the scenes of crimes. In most continuities, Superman is romantically involved with Lois Lane, a fellow reporter, and his best friend is teenage cub reporter, later photographer, Jimmy Olsen.

==Origin of the Truth, Justice and the American Way==
Superman has gone through many changes since his creation. In fact the his mission statement of fighting for "Truth, Justice and the American Way" was only created in 1942 for the Fleisher/Famous cartoons. Superman originally fought for "Truth and Justice" <ref> [http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/09/03/comic-book-legends-revealed-276/]</ref>

==History==
Superman is the creation of two teenagers from Cleveland, Ohio. Jerry Siegel, the son of a Jewish immigrant from Lithuania, was the writer, collaborating with his friend Joseph Shuster, a recent immigrant from Canada, who did the artwork. According to typical accounts, both boys had created Superman as a result of shyness in school; both were awkward and unpopular, and the creation of Clark Kent and his super alter-ego was meant as a way to correct the deficiencies. However, recent authors had made a case for a more profound reason for Superman's creation: on June 2, 1932, Jerry's father died as a result of an armed robbery in Cleveland, either from gunshot wounds or a heart attack; Superman was the creation of a young man who wanted to have someone powerful enough to right all wrongs. <reF>[http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-08-25-superman-creators_N.htm ''USA Today'' Online]</ref> The boys' first attempt at publishing their character would occur a year later, with a boast of "the most astounding fiction character of all time" on the cover, as Superman comes to the rescue of someone at the mercy of an armed robber.

==Today's comic value==
Due to the requirements of [[World War II]], scrap paper was among the things needed for the war effort, which resulted in many comic books being recycled; as a result, only 100 examples of ''Action Comics No. 1'' are known to exist. "It's the Holy Grail of comic books," said comic expert Stephen Fishler, referring to the recent placing of one on the auction block. "This is the one that started it all. There was no such thing as a super hero before it. No flying man. Comics weren't even that popular. It's the single most important event in comic book history." <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,501704,00.html ''Fox News'' Online: "Holy Grail of Comic Books' Looks to Fetch Six-Figures at Auction"]</ref><ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/02/26/2009-02-26_supermans_debut_in_action_comics_no_1_co.html ''New York Daily News'' Online: "Superman's debut in Action Comics No. 1 could fetch $400G"]</ref> The first example of Superman in comic form - indeed, the first comic superhero ever printed - ''Action Comics No. 1'' in "fine" condition can fetch upwards of $125,000 at auction [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,364626,00.html]; several examples have fetched more than $1,000,000. <ref>[http://www.nostomania.com/servlets/com.nostomania.CatPage?name=Top100ComicsMain ''Nostomania'''s Top 100 Comics]</ref>

==Liberal Multicultural Superman==
In 2011, DC Comics have stated that Superman intends to renounces his U.S. citizenship before the United Nations in Action Comics No. 900, “I’m tired of having my actions construed as instruments of U.S. policy … ‘truth, justice and the American way’ - it’s not enough anymore.” DC Comics issued a statement saying "Superman announces his intention to put a global focus on his never-ending battle, but he remains, as always, committed to his adopted home..." <ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/29/take-your-global-citizenship-and-shove-it-superman/ PICKET: Take your global citizenship and shove it, Superman, Washington Times, April 29, 2011]</ref>

==Links==
*[http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=max%20fleischer%20AND%20superman The Fleischer Studios ''Superman'' cartoons of the 1940s, from the Internet Archive]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Entertainment]]
[[Category:DC Comics Superheroes]]
[[Category:Comic Characters]]

Superman

2011-08-29T14:49:02Z

TylerP: Don't attempt to pass opinion as fact

[[Image:ARoss Superman.jpg|right|300px|thumb|''Superman'', by Alex Ross]]
'''Superman''' is a fictional character created in the mid-1930s by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and currently published by DC Comics under a variety of titles. The first comic book superhero, Superman spawed a pantheon of other similar characters, and a comics industry in which Superman alone was selling at well over a million copies as early as 1942<ref> [http://www.nostalgiazone.com/doc/zine/05_Q1/funnybusiness.htm Nostalgiazone.com]</ref>; he would later star in books, radio, animation, television, and film. Superman is seen as a symbol of America, reflected in his red and blue costume and marketing material describing his mission as the protector of "truth, justice, and the American way".

==Comics lore==
Superman is the last son of Krypton, a distant planet much larger than Earth with a red sun. Raised by two [[Methodism|Methodist]] [[Kansas]] farmers, Superman was blessed by his alien heritage with great powers. In his initial appearances, his power set consisted of being "faster than a speeding bullet", "more powerful than a locomotive", and "able to leap tall buildings in a single bound". Since then, his powers have been expanded to include incredible strength, super speed, flight, invulnerability, super breath, super intelligence, heat-ray eyes, freezing breath, passing through matter, unaided interstellar travel, and various forms of superhuman senses (super-hearing; x-ray, heat, telescopic, and microscopic vision) - Superman's excessive and ever-changing powers are often the subject of criticism or parody. He is severely weakened by green [[kryptonite]], can be reduced to normal human levels of power by light from a red sun, and is vulnerable to [[magic]].

He lives a secret double life, posing as the "mild-mannered reporter" Clark Kent. He specifically works in the news [[media]] so he can more easily hear about and attend the scenes of crimes. In most continuities, Superman is romantically involved with Lois Lane, a fellow reporter, and his best friend is teenage cub reporter, later photographer, Jimmy Olsen.

==History==
Superman is the creation of two teenagers from Cleveland, Ohio. Jerry Siegel, the son of a Jewish immigrant from Lithuania, was the writer, collaborating with his friend Joseph Shuster, a recent immigrant from Canada, who did the artwork. According to typical accounts, both boys had created Superman as a result of shyness in school; both were awkward and unpopular, and the creation of Clark Kent and his super alter-ego was meant as a way to correct the deficiencies. However, recent authors had made a case for a more profound reason for Superman's creation: on June 2, 1932, Jerry's father died as a result of an armed robbery in Cleveland, either from gunshot wounds or a heart attack; Superman was the creation of a young man who wanted to have someone powerful enough to right all wrongs. <reF>[http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-08-25-superman-creators_N.htm ''USA Today'' Online]</ref> The boys' first attempt at publishing their character would occur a year later, with a boast of "the most astounding fiction character of all time" on the cover, as Superman comes to the rescue of someone at the mercy of an armed robber.

==Today's comic value==
Due to the requirements of [[World War II]], scrap paper was among the things needed for the war effort, which resulted in many comic books being recycled; as a result, only 100 examples of ''Action Comics No. 1'' are known to exist. "It's the Holy Grail of comic books," said comic expert Stephen Fishler, referring to the recent placing of one on the auction block. "This is the one that started it all. There was no such thing as a super hero before it. No flying man. Comics weren't even that popular. It's the single most important event in comic book history." <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,501704,00.html ''Fox News'' Online: "Holy Grail of Comic Books' Looks to Fetch Six-Figures at Auction"]</ref><ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/02/26/2009-02-26_supermans_debut_in_action_comics_no_1_co.html ''New York Daily News'' Online: "Superman's debut in Action Comics No. 1 could fetch $400G"]</ref> The first example of Superman in comic form - indeed, the first comic superhero ever printed - ''Action Comics No. 1'' in "fine" condition can fetch upwards of $125,000 at auction [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,364626,00.html]; several examples have fetched more than $1,000,000. <ref>[http://www.nostomania.com/servlets/com.nostomania.CatPage?name=Top100ComicsMain ''Nostomania'''s Top 100 Comics]</ref>

==Liberal Multicultural Superman==
In 2011, DC Comics have stated that Superman intends to renounces his U.S. citizenship before the United Nations in Action Comics No. 900, “I’m tired of having my actions construed as instruments of U.S. policy … ‘truth, justice and the American way’ - it’s not enough anymore.” DC Comics issued a statement saying "Superman announces his intention to put a global focus on his never-ending battle, but he remains, as always, committed to his adopted home..." <ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/29/take-your-global-citizenship-and-shove-it-superman/ PICKET: Take your global citizenship and shove it, Superman, Washington Times, April 29, 2011]</ref>

==Links==
*[http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=max%20fleischer%20AND%20superman The Fleischer Studios ''Superman'' cartoons of the 1940s, from the Internet Archive]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Entertainment]]
[[Category:DC Comics Superheroes]]
[[Category:Comic Characters]]

Talk:Liberal stupidity

2011-08-29T14:45:09Z

TylerP: Explaination of truth justice and the american way.

==Human stupidity?==
Perhaps I'm just displaying some "conservative stupidity," here, but it seems to me like that most of these are just examples of human stupidity that happen to be practiced by liberals in these cases. Examples: Misunderstanding geology, drunk driving, sexual affairs, incorrectly operating a phone, getting facts wrong. People of all beliefs do these things. [[User:KingHanksley|KingHanksley]] 15:47, 6 May 2011 (EDT)

== Superman ==

WadeW was actually correct. Superman as originally created did not fight for the American way, and was "drafted" into WW2 to help sales. Here is an interesting article (http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/09/03/comic-book-legends-revealed-276/) on the phrase "truth, Justice and the American way" that explains the origins of the term. In fact, Superman originally was a champion of the poor, usually fighting for the people against captains of industry, a theme that evolved into his rivalry with Lex Luthor.
I have heard that one of the early stories actually involves Superman rescuing all the residents of a housing project, and then leveling the Project in an attempt to make the Government rebuild it.

== Superman ==

WadeW was actually correct. Superman as originally created did not fight for the American way, and was "drafted" into WW2 to help sales. Here is an interesting article (http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/09/03/comic-book-legends-revealed-276/) on the phrase "truth, Justice and the American way" that explains the origins of the term. In fact, Superman originally was a champion of the poor, usually fighting for the people against captains of industry, a theme that evolved into his rivalry with Lex Luthor.
I have heard that one of the early stories actually involves Superman rescuing all the residents of a housing project, and then leveling the Project in an attempt to make the Government rebuild it.

Liberal stupidity

2011-08-29T14:43:16Z

TylerP: Fixing this article so it reflects actual reality.

'''Liberal stupidity''' (based on Latin: ''stupēre'' or ''stupor''; removal from sense or sensibility<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stupor</ref><ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stupid</ref>) is statements, policies, or actions by adherents of liberalism which are authoritative in form, but the end of which is devoid of reality or common sense, with the general public in most cases forced to pay for them. A recent example is the incredible statement by Democrat [[Hank Johnson]] of [[Georgia]], who feared that the relocation of 8,000 Naval personnel to [[Guam]] would "capsize" the island.<ref>http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Dumbest-Congressman-Ever--89652542.html</ref>

==It's in the "genes"==
Researchers under James H. Fowler, professor of medical genetics and political science at the University of California, San Diego, claim to have discovered a "liberal gene" (DRD4) associated with DNA in certain individuals. Fowler's research centered on [[dopamine]], which is a neurotransmitter that affects many processes and controls over the brain, including movement, emotions, pleasure, and pain; he further claims in his paper that it's heritable, meaning it can be passed on from generation to generation, depending on social norms and environments.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/10/28/researchers-liberal-gene-genetics-politics/</ref><ref>http://american3p.org/establishment-news/new-research-confirms-that-behavior-is-genetic/</ref>

His paper followed previous ones in which he claimed voter turnout was determined by two genes<ref>http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/two_genes_predict_voter_turnout.pdf</ref> and altruism<ref>http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2006.00453.x/full</ref>; all of which appeared in the ''Journal of Politics'' instead of a typical scientific journal. If such a "gene" is true, then it explains many traits of liberal behavior with regards to stupidity, some of which is detailed in the following topics:

==The spitting on the American flag==
America and American values are disrespected and threatened everywhere in the country by rampant liberalism, which is symbolized as a whole by what they do to the [[Flag of the United States of America|flag]]. From displaying it pinned upside-down on jackets or using it as a "walk-on" in art displays, liberals have repeatedly insulted America by their contempt of this highest of American symbols. Some examples include:
*Unrepentent terrorist [[William Ayers]] photographed standing on the flag for a magazine article, ironically published the day of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] on America by Islamic terrorists.
*A mural of the flag, painted on a slab of concrete in California days after the 9/11 attacks, declared graffiti by the state legislature and removed days before the Fourth of July, 2010. <ref>http://www.ktvu.com/news/24117983/detail.html</ref>
*The use of the flag as floor mats at the University of Maine, with the arrest of those veterans protesting it if they dared to remove the flags from the floor. <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH9bVRAe4NE</ref>
*In an act that still reverberates today, on April 25, 1976, two liberals got on the playing field at Dodger Stadium and attempted to light a flag on fire; their attempt was thwarted by ball player Rick Monday. <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrV8QPQAhxo</ref>

==The staining of an American icon: [[Superman]]==
In 2011, DC Comics have stated that Superman intends to renounces his U.S. citizenship before the United Nations in Action Comics No. 900, “I’m tired of having my actions construed as instruments of U.S. policy … ‘truth, justice and the American way’ - it’s not enough anymore.” DC Comics issued a statement saying "Superman announces his intention to put a global focus on his never-ending battle, but he remains, as always, committed to his adopted home..." <ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/29/take-your-global-citizenship-and-shove-it-superman/ PICKET: Take your global citizenship and shove it, Superman, Washington Times, April 29, 2011]</ref> Just days later, after negative publicity in the news media and internet bloggers - and coupled with the May 1, 2011 killing of terrorist [[Osama bin Laden]] - did the editors at DC Comics indicate a change of heart. <ref>http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42903580/ns/today-books/t/will-superman-stay-american-citizen/</ref>

==U.S. Congressional members==
====Gary Condit====
A democrat from California's 18th district (Modesto), Condit gained noteriety when he attempted to stonewall a police investigation into the 2001 disappearance and murder of political intern Chandra Levy; it was revealed during the investigation that Condit had an affair with her<ref>http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/07/07/condit.missing.intern/</ref><ref>http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/condit/profile.html</ref>. Although cleared as a prime suspect in the case, his political career was finished as a result of the scandal; he lost in the election of 2002. <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/specials/chandra/</ref>

====Major Owens====
A Democratic socialist from New York City, Owens stated in a 1995 speech on the House floor that during the African slave trade more than 200,000,000 people were thrown over the sides of the slave ships which carried them across the Atlantic, permanently disrupting the ecology and causing sharks to follow any and all ships since the trade was stopped in the 1850's. This figure worked out to be 152 slaves taken aboard nine ships per day for 200 years to get the total amount of slaves thrown overboard. After reworking his absurd figure down to 100,000,000 slaves, Owens' claim was picked up by ABC News, which reported the claim as "fact".<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N81fOuca8Oc&feature=related</ref><ref>http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1766</ref><ref>http://snoopzone.blogspot.com/2005/11/200000000.html</ref>

==State legislative members==
====Mike Moran====
Democratic State Representative Mike Moran of Brighton, Massachusetts was involved in a collision on May 21, 2010 with an illegal immigrant and was seriously injured. The suspect, 27-year-old Isaias Naranjo, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, driving without a license, and driving drunk; he had a blood alcohol level of .25, and reportedly laughed when the charges were read to him.<ref>http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/politics/local_politics/state-rep-in-accident-with-suspected-illegal-immigrant-20100521</ref><ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/24/car-crash-involving-mass-lawmaker-suspected-illegal-immigrant-heats-debate/</ref><ref>http://americanpowerblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/ma-state-rep-mike-moran-tax-spend.html</ref>

Moran voted YES to several bills seen as "pro-illegal immigrant" in Massachusetts<ref>http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=15237</ref>, including to vote to "delay indefinitely" a proposal to "require the state to verify that anyone over 18 who applies for state benefits is legally in Massachusetts" <ref>http://www.wickedlocal.com/allston/town_info/government/x1406500748/Beacon-Hill-Roll-Call-Legislature-approves-state-budget-rejects-tax-cuts</ref>

==Foreign leaders==
On April 27, 2010 [[Gordon Brown]], prime minister of the [[United Kingdom]], was confronted by an elderly Gillian Duffy, 65, and a life-long member of the [[Labour Party]]. Her question had to do with the massive influx of immigrants to her hometown of Rochdale, the high taxation, the massive British debt, her disappointment in her party, and she wanted answers as to why. After the standard liberal answers, Brown got into his car and - ''forgetting he had a microphone on, which was still recording'' - talked to his aide: ''"That was a disaster...should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that?...she was just a sort of bigoted woman who said she used to be Labour."'' Brown was apologetic almost as immediately as word of his gaffe leaked to the press<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1269486/Election-2010-Gordon-Browns-bigoted-woman-insult-Gillian-Duffy.html</ref>, but the damage was done: Brown's Labour Party lost the election and he resigned from office.<ref>http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Brown-to-Resign-British-Labor-Party-Leadership-93598409.html</ref>

==News reporters==
====Nick McDermott====
The reporter at CBS affiliate KTVA in Alaska left a message in late October, 2010 with staffers of Republican Senate candidate [[Joe Miller]], "hoping" for an interview. Apparently not familiar with the operation of his iPhone - namely the "on/off" button - he left it on, allowing Miller's spokesperson, Randy DeSoto, to leave a full transcript of a plot to insert a convicted child molester, or, failing that, create an incident of violence, inside of a Miller rally.<ref>http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=221973</ref><ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/31/miller-campaign-claims-tape-shows-reporters-trying-connect-child-molesters/</ref>

====Dan Rather====
The CBS anchorman became an ex-CBS employee soon after he presented a story on ''60 Minutes Wednesday'' on September 8, 2004; in it he presented "documents" dated in 1972, supposedly written by the commanding officer at a Texas Air National Guard base, which were critical of then-1st LT [[George W. Bush]], and hinting of his refusal to serve in Vietnam. Determined to have been poorly-concocted forgeries - which included a non-existent post office box and a type setting equal to a computer program which wasn't created until years later - the "Killian Documents" were dismissed as an [[October surprise]] meant to thwart the election of Bush that year; in fact producer Marla Mapes had in her possession evidence that contradicted the documents, but buried it instead in favor of Rather's "story". Failure to maintain basic journalistic investigation proceedures resulted in the firing of Rather, Mapes, and a number of other individuals; the tendering of resignations of senior CBS staffers; as well as bestowing a name on the whole episode in Rather's honor: [[Rathergate]].

==Hollywood stars==
====Jon Dalton====
Dalton, who goes by the stage name "Jonny Fairplay" did something to cause boos directed against himself at the Fox Reality Awards Show on October 2, 2007. During this round actor [[Danny Bonaduce]] walked up next to him and said the obvious: "They're booing because they hate you." Upon turning his back on Dalton and attempting to exit the stage, Bonaduce was jumped on by Dalton, who subjected him to a sexual act. Either forgotten or ignored was the fact that Bonaduce has a black belt in Tang Soo Do, and he simply flipped him up and over; Dalton hit the stage floor face-first and lost some teeth. His exit off the stage was humiliating and rapid, made worse by the L.A. district attorney declining to press assault charges against Bonaduce due to insufficient evidence.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9wK2hFmxT4][http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b57723_Fairplay_Must_Fix_Bonaduce_Suit.html</ref>

==Education==
====Kansas City and $2 billion wasted====
In 1985 a Federal judge ordered the state of Missouri and the district containing Kansas City to enforce desegregation, build new schools, and bring its low educational levels up to better standards, with the amount of money they would have to pay set at $2 billion dollars over 12 years. During this period $11,700 per pupil was spent, in addition to "higher teachers' salaries, 15 new schools, and such amenities as an Olympic-sized swimming pool with an underwater viewing room, television and animation studios, a robotics lab, a 25-acre wildlife sanctuary, a zoo, a model United Nations with simultaneous translation capability, and field trips to Mexico and Senegal"<ref>http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-298.html</ref> among other things. The results today: no rise in test scores, failed integration, a loss of accreditation in 2000, a complete failure to meet all of Missouri's performance standards, and a shortfall of $52 million dollars in the budget...which would force the closing of 29 of its 61 schools.<ref>http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Liberal_stupidity&action=edit</ref><ref>http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/03/kc_schools_a_case_study_in_lib.html</ref><ref>http://articles.latimes.com/2000/may/04/news/mn-26560</ref>

==Energy needs==
====Britain's wind farms vs. reality====
[[Great Britain]] decided to "go green," and built 3,000 wind turbines, with the goal of 10,000 by 2020 to produce as much as thirty percent of energy needs; this would also be in conjunction with the closing of gas and coal-fired power stations and coal mines. As of the winter of 2010-11, one third of these turbines are shut down due to a lack of wind; the remainder are producing a mere 1.8 percent of the nation's electric needs. The result: higher prices for the importation of oil and coal, and a large segment of the public forced to go either on reduced energy consumption or without energy at all, and this during one of the coldest winters on record. <ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/8234616/Wind-farms-becalmed-just-when-needed-the-most.html</ref>

==Environmentalism==
====Bryan Nelson====
An enviro-journalist for ''Mother Nature Network'', Byron Nelson wrote that the conquests of the Mongol leader [[Genghis Khan]] had a beneficial effect on the environment. "Over the course of the century and a half run of the Mongol Empire," Nelson explains, "about 22 percent of the world's total land area had been conquered and an estimated 40 million people were slaughtered by the horse-driven, bow-wielding hordes. Depopulation over such a large swathe of land meant that countless numbers of cultivated fields eventually returned to forests. In other words, one effect of Genghis Khan's unrelenting invasion was widespread reforestation, and the re-growth of those forests meant that more carbon could be absorbed from the atmosphere."<ref>http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-weather/stories/was-genghis-khan-historys-greenest-conqueror</ref>

Nelson does not explain how trees are more beneficial than grasslands or crops in removing carbon, but the implied meaning of his column is the celebration of the slaughter of millions of people for the sake of the environment.

{{Liberalism}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Liberal Traits]]

Hurricane Katrina

2011-08-28T17:20:57Z

TylerP: /* Political repercussions */

[[Image:NOAA-Hurricane-Katrina-Aug28-05.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hurricane Katrina, on August 28, 2005]]
'''Hurricane Katrina''' in August 2005 was one of the strongest and most devastating storms to impact the coast of the [[United States]] during the last 100 years. With sustained winds during landfall of 125 mph (110 kts) (a strong category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale) and minimum central pressure the third lowest on record at landfall (920 mb), Katrina caused widespread devastation along the central Gulf Coast states of the U.S., with the cities of [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], [[Mobile]], [[Alabama]], and Gulfport, [[Mississippi]] bearing the brunt of Katrina's force, which caused $81.2 billion in damage.

==The tropical storm==
Tropical Storm Katrina developed initially as a tropical depression (TD #12 of the season) in the southeastern [[Bahamas]] on August 23rd. This tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Katrina the next day. It then moved slowly along a northwesterly then westerly track through the Bahamas, increasing in strength during this time. A few hours before landfall in south Florida at around 6.30 EDT on August 25th, Katrina strengthened to become a category 1 (wind speeds of 75mph or greater) tropical storm. Landfall occurred between Hallandale Beach and North [[Miami]] Beach, [[Florida]], with wind speeds of approximately 80 mph (70 kts). Gusts of above 90 mph (78 kts) were measured as Katrina came ashore. As the storm moved southwest across the tip of the Florida peninsula, Katrina's winds decreased slightly before regaining hurricane strength in the Gulf of Mexico. Given that Katrina spent only seven hours over land, its strength was not significantly diminished and it quickly re-intensified shortly after moving over the warm waters of the Gulf.
[[File:President Casino Barge After Katrina PD WC.jpg|300px|left|A Barge was washed ashore after Katrina|left]]
Katrina moved almost due westward after entering the Gulf of Mexico. A mid-level ridge centered over Texas weakened and moved westward allowing Katrina to gradually turn to the northwest and then north into the weakness in the ridging over the days that followed. Atmospheric and sea-surface conditions (an upper level anticyclone over the Gulf and warm SSTs) were conducive to cyclone's rapid intensification, which lead to Katrina attaining 'major hurricane' status on the afternoon of the 26th.

Continuing to strengthen and move northwards during the next 48 hours, Katrina reached maximum wind speeds on the morning of Sunday August 28th of over 170 mph (150 kts, category 5), and its minimum central pressure dropped that afternoon to 902 mb - the 4th lowest on record for an Atlantic storm. Although Katrina, at its peak strength was comparable to Camille's intensity, it was a significantly larger storm and impacted a broader area of the Gulf coast.

Although tropical cyclones of category 5 strength are rarely sustained for long durations (due to internal dynamics), Katrina remained a strong category 4 strength hurricane despite the entrainment of dryer air and an opening of the eyewall to the south and southwest before landfall on the morning of the 29th. Landfalling wind speeds at Grand Isle, Louisiana were approximately 125 mph (110 kts) (strong category 3 intensity) with a central pressure of 920mb - the 3rd lowest on record for a landfalling Atlantic storm in the US. Rainfall amounts for Louisiana and along the Gulf are described below along with other impacts of the storms.

==Rain, wind, and storm surge==
===Eastern Florida===
During its initial landfall in southern Florida, Katrina generated over 5 inches of rainfall across a large area of southeastern Florida. An analysis by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center shows that parts of the region received heavy rainfall, over 15 inches in some locations, which caused localized flooding.

Winds at landfall north of Miami were 80 mph (category 1 strength), leading to some damage and extensive power outages.

===Gulf Coast===
Rainfall from Katrina's outer bands began affecting the Gulf coast well before landfall. As Katrina came ashore on August 29th, rainfall exceeded rates of 1 inch/hour across a large area of the coast. NOAA's Climate Reference Network Station in Newton, MS (60 miles east of Jackson, Mississippi) measured rainfall rates of over an inch an hour for 3 consecutive hours, with rates of over 0.5 in/hr for 5 hours during August 29th. Precipitation analysis from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center show that rainfall accumulations exceeded 8-10 inches along much of the hurricane's path and to the east of the track.

Wind speeds over 140 mph were recorded at landfall in southeastern Louisiana while winds gusted to over 100 mph in New Orleans, just west of the eye. As the [[hurricane]] made its second landfall on the Mississippi/Louisiana border, wind speeds were approximately 110 kts (125 mph). Gusts of over 80mph were recorded in Mobile and 90 mph in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The central pressure at landfall was 920 mb, which ranked 3rd lowest on record for U.S.-landfalling storms behind Camille (August 17, 1969, 909 mb) and the Labor Day hurricane that struck the Florida Keys on September 2, 1935 (892 mb). Hurricane Andrew in 1992 dropped to fourth, as its central pressure was 922 mb at landfall. Katrina also reached a minimum central pressure of 902 mb at its peak, ranking 4th lowest on record for all Atlantic basin hurricanes.

===Inland===
As the storm moved inland and weakened to a tropical storm on the 29th, rainfall became the primary impact. Rainfall amounts exceeded 2-4 inches across a large area from the Gulf coast to the Ohio Valley. As a result, flood watches and warnings were common across these regions. Rain bands from Katrina also produced tornadoes causing further damage in areas such as Georgia.

==Impacts==
===Loss of Life===
From the Gulf states (principally Louisiana and Mississippi), the loss of life is estimated to be 1,836 people. It is clearly one of the most devastating [[Natural disasters|Acts of God]] in recent US history. From Katrina's first landfall in Florida, while it was at category one strength, initial estimates suggest 11 deaths resulted.
===Flooding===
[[File:Katrina flooding New Orleans.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Extent of flood damage within the city of New Orleans (NOAA)]]
The loss of life and property damage was worsened by breaks in the levees that separate New Orleans from surrounding lakes. At least 80% of New Orleans was under flood water on August 31st, largely as a result of levee failures from Lake Pontchartrain. The combination of strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge led to breaks in the earthen levee after the storm passed, leaving some parts of New Orleans under 20 feet of water. Storm surge from Mobile Bay led to inundation of Mobile, Alabama causing imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew for the City. Large portions of Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi were underwater as a result of a 20 to 30+ foot storm surge which flooded the cities.
===Oil industry===
A major economic impact for the nation was the disruption to the [[oil]] industry from Katrina. Preliminary estimates from the [[Mineral Management Service]] suggest that oil production in the Gulf of Mexico was reduced by 1.4 million barrels per day (or 95 % of the daily Gulf of Mexico production) as a result of the hurricane. [[Gasoline]] had reached a record high price-per-gallon as of Monday August 30th with concerns over refinery capacity apparently driving the increase.

In addition, the hurricane caused 44 oil spills in Southeast Louisiana, totaling approximately 7 million gallons.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9365607/ 44 oil spills found in southeast Louisiana]</ref> The vast majority of oil spilled was from on-shore industrial plants and above ground storage depots plus other facilities. Damage to pipelines and oil platforms was very significant. 45 oil platforms were destroyed and 54 pipelines were damaged (10" or larger). <ref> http://www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2006/press0501.htm </ref> 70 oil spills (one barrel or larger) totaling over 11,000 gallons of crude oil and other refined products were reported. 211 minor pollution incidents were also reported. Minor pollution incidents are categorized as incidents involving less than 500 barrels of oil that do not reach the coast line. No significant spills from any offshore wells were reported. <ref> http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Katrina_Rita_PL_Final%20Report%20Rev1.pdf</ref>

===Power outages===
Over 1.7 million people lost power as a result of the storm in the Gulf states, with power companies estimating that it would take more than several weeks to restore power to some locations. Drinking water was also unavailable in New Orleans due to a broken water main that serves the city. Power was lost to 1.3 million customers in southeastern Florida from the initial landfall on August 24th.
===Travel===
Both of New Orleans' airports were flooded and closed on August 30th and bridges of Interstate 10 leading east out of the city were destroyed. Most of the coastal highways along the Gulf were impassable in places and most minor roads near the shore were still underwater or covered in debris as of August 30th. Katrina also disrupted travel as it headed inland, with more than 2 inches of rain falling across a large area from the coast to parts of Ohio during the 48 hours after Katrina made landfall.

==Recovery==

An August 2008 report by Oxfam America showed that while progress has taken place, it is behind expectations, and that much work remains to be done:
*More than 35,000 individuals are still living in FEMA trailers in the Gulf Coast
*Only 12 percent of African-American evacuees who returned to New Orleans after the hurricanes were able to find work, compared with 45 percent of white evacuees
*In Louisiana 82,000 apartments were damaged or destroyed by Katrina and Rita, but the highest official estimate proposes to replace only about 25,000 affordable units
*In Mississippi, federal money that was mandated for use in rebuilding low-income housing was, instead, diverted to improving the shipyards in Biloxi
*Compliance with federal labor laws has been ignored, with frequent occurrences of safety and health violations, wage theft and exploitative treatment of immigrant workers.<ref>http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/president-bushs-legacy-question-visit/story.aspx?guid={D68D716B-779E-496B-A75E-0B1B1014F888}&dist=hppr</ref>

==External links==
*[http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/tech-report-200501z.pdf NOAA report, in .pdf format]

{{License|license = This work is in the [[public domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.| source = [http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/katrina.html]}}

[[category:Weather]]
[[category:Hurricanes]]
[[category:The South]]
[[Category:Natural Disasters]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

Hurricane Katrina

2011-08-28T17:19:26Z

TylerP: /* Political repercussions */

Hurricane Katrina

2011-08-28T17:19:02Z

TylerP: /* The tropical storm */

[[Image:NOAA-Hurricane-Katrina-Aug28-05.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hurricane Katrina, on August 28, 2005]]
'''Hurricane Katrina''' in August 2005 was one of the strongest and most devastating storms to impact the coast of the [[United States]] during the last 100 years. With sustained winds during landfall of 125 mph (110 kts) (a strong category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale) and minimum central pressure the third lowest on record at landfall (920 mb), Katrina caused widespread devastation along the central Gulf Coast states of the U.S., with the cities of [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], [[Mobile]], [[Alabama]], and Gulfport, [[Mississippi]] bearing the brunt of Katrina's force, which caused $81.2 billion in damage.

==The tropical storm==
Tropical Storm Katrina developed initially as a tropical depression (TD #12 of the season) in the southeastern [[Bahamas]] on August 23rd. This tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Katrina the next day. It then moved slowly along a northwesterly then westerly track through the Bahamas, increasing in strength during this time. A few hours before landfall in south Florida at around 6.30 EDT on August 25th, Katrina strengthened to become a category 1 (wind speeds of 75mph or greater) tropical storm. Landfall occurred between Hallandale Beach and North [[Miami]] Beach, [[Florida]], with wind speeds of approximately 80 mph (70 kts). Gusts of above 90 mph (78 kts) were measured as Katrina came ashore. As the storm moved southwest across the tip of the Florida peninsula, Katrina's winds decreased slightly before regaining hurricane strength in the Gulf of Mexico. Given that Katrina spent only seven hours over land, its strength was not significantly diminished and it quickly re-intensified shortly after moving over the warm waters of the Gulf.
[[File:President Casino Barge After Katrina PD WC.jpg|300px|left|A Barge was washed ashore after Katrina|left]]
Katrina moved almost due westward after entering the Gulf of Mexico. A mid-level ridge centered over Texas weakened and moved westward allowing Katrina to gradually turn to the northwest and then north into the weakness in the ridging over the days that followed. Atmospheric and sea-surface conditions (an upper level anticyclone over the Gulf and warm SSTs) were conducive to cyclone's rapid intensification, which lead to Katrina attaining 'major hurricane' status on the afternoon of the 26th.

Continuing to strengthen and move northwards during the next 48 hours, Katrina reached maximum wind speeds on the morning of Sunday August 28th of over 170 mph (150 kts, category 5), and its minimum central pressure dropped that afternoon to 902 mb - the 4th lowest on record for an Atlantic storm. Although Katrina, at its peak strength was comparable to Camille's intensity, it was a significantly larger storm and impacted a broader area of the Gulf coast.

Although tropical cyclones of category 5 strength are rarely sustained for long durations (due to internal dynamics), Katrina remained a strong category 4 strength hurricane despite the entrainment of dryer air and an opening of the eyewall to the south and southwest before landfall on the morning of the 29th. Landfalling wind speeds at Grand Isle, Louisiana were approximately 125 mph (110 kts) (strong category 3 intensity) with a central pressure of 920mb - the 3rd lowest on record for a landfalling Atlantic storm in the US. Rainfall amounts for Louisiana and along the Gulf are described below along with other impacts of the storms.

==Rain, wind, and storm surge==
===Eastern Florida===
During its initial landfall in southern Florida, Katrina generated over 5 inches of rainfall across a large area of southeastern Florida. An analysis by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center shows that parts of the region received heavy rainfall, over 15 inches in some locations, which caused localized flooding.

Winds at landfall north of Miami were 80 mph (category 1 strength), leading to some damage and extensive power outages.

===Gulf Coast===
Rainfall from Katrina's outer bands began affecting the Gulf coast well before landfall. As Katrina came ashore on August 29th, rainfall exceeded rates of 1 inch/hour across a large area of the coast. NOAA's Climate Reference Network Station in Newton, MS (60 miles east of Jackson, Mississippi) measured rainfall rates of over an inch an hour for 3 consecutive hours, with rates of over 0.5 in/hr for 5 hours during August 29th. Precipitation analysis from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center show that rainfall accumulations exceeded 8-10 inches along much of the hurricane's path and to the east of the track.

Wind speeds over 140 mph were recorded at landfall in southeastern Louisiana while winds gusted to over 100 mph in New Orleans, just west of the eye. As the [[hurricane]] made its second landfall on the Mississippi/Louisiana border, wind speeds were approximately 110 kts (125 mph). Gusts of over 80mph were recorded in Mobile and 90 mph in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The central pressure at landfall was 920 mb, which ranked 3rd lowest on record for U.S.-landfalling storms behind Camille (August 17, 1969, 909 mb) and the Labor Day hurricane that struck the Florida Keys on September 2, 1935 (892 mb). Hurricane Andrew in 1992 dropped to fourth, as its central pressure was 922 mb at landfall. Katrina also reached a minimum central pressure of 902 mb at its peak, ranking 4th lowest on record for all Atlantic basin hurricanes.

===Inland===
As the storm moved inland and weakened to a tropical storm on the 29th, rainfall became the primary impact. Rainfall amounts exceeded 2-4 inches across a large area from the Gulf coast to the Ohio Valley. As a result, flood watches and warnings were common across these regions. Rain bands from Katrina also produced tornadoes causing further damage in areas such as Georgia.

==Impacts==
===Loss of Life===
From the Gulf states (principally Louisiana and Mississippi), the loss of life is estimated to be 1,836 people. It is clearly one of the most devastating [[Natural disasters|Acts of God]] in recent US history. From Katrina's first landfall in Florida, while it was at category one strength, initial estimates suggest 11 deaths resulted.
===Flooding===
[[File:Katrina flooding New Orleans.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Extent of flood damage within the city of New Orleans (NOAA)]]
The loss of life and property damage was worsened by breaks in the levees that separate New Orleans from surrounding lakes. At least 80% of New Orleans was under flood water on August 31st, largely as a result of levee failures from Lake Pontchartrain. The combination of strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge led to breaks in the earthen levee after the storm passed, leaving some parts of New Orleans under 20 feet of water. Storm surge from Mobile Bay led to inundation of Mobile, Alabama causing imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew for the City. Large portions of Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi were underwater as a result of a 20 to 30+ foot storm surge which flooded the cities.
===Oil industry===
A major economic impact for the nation was the disruption to the [[oil]] industry from Katrina. Preliminary estimates from the [[Mineral Management Service]] suggest that oil production in the Gulf of Mexico was reduced by 1.4 million barrels per day (or 95 % of the daily Gulf of Mexico production) as a result of the hurricane. [[Gasoline]] had reached a record high price-per-gallon as of Monday August 30th with concerns over refinery capacity apparently driving the increase.

In addition, the hurricane caused 44 oil spills in Southeast Louisiana, totaling approximately 7 million gallons.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9365607/ 44 oil spills found in southeast Louisiana]</ref> The vast majority of oil spilled was from on-shore industrial plants and above ground storage depots plus other facilities. Damage to pipelines and oil platforms was very significant. 45 oil platforms were destroyed and 54 pipelines were damaged (10" or larger). <ref> http://www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2006/press0501.htm </ref> 70 oil spills (one barrel or larger) totaling over 11,000 gallons of crude oil and other refined products were reported. 211 minor pollution incidents were also reported. Minor pollution incidents are categorized as incidents involving less than 500 barrels of oil that do not reach the coast line. No significant spills from any offshore wells were reported. <ref> http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Katrina_Rita_PL_Final%20Report%20Rev1.pdf</ref>

===Power outages===
Over 1.7 million people lost power as a result of the storm in the Gulf states, with power companies estimating that it would take more than several weeks to restore power to some locations. Drinking water was also unavailable in New Orleans due to a broken water main that serves the city. Power was lost to 1.3 million customers in southeastern Florida from the initial landfall on August 24th.
===Travel===
Both of New Orleans' airports were flooded and closed on August 30th and bridges of Interstate 10 leading east out of the city were destroyed. Most of the coastal highways along the Gulf were impassable in places and most minor roads near the shore were still underwater or covered in debris as of August 30th. Katrina also disrupted travel as it headed inland, with more than 2 inches of rain falling across a large area from the coast to parts of Ohio during the 48 hours after Katrina made landfall.

==Recovery==

An August 2008 report by Oxfam America showed that while progress has taken place, it is behind expectations, and that much work remains to be done:
*More than 35,000 individuals are still living in FEMA trailers in the Gulf Coast
*Only 12 percent of African-American evacuees who returned to New Orleans after the hurricanes were able to find work, compared with 45 percent of white evacuees
*In Louisiana 82,000 apartments were damaged or destroyed by Katrina and Rita, but the highest official estimate proposes to replace only about 25,000 affordable units
*In Mississippi, federal money that was mandated for use in rebuilding low-income housing was, instead, diverted to improving the shipyards in Biloxi
*Compliance with federal labor laws has been ignored, with frequent occurrences of safety and health violations, wage theft and exploitative treatment of immigrant workers.<ref>http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/president-bushs-legacy-question-visit/story.aspx?guid={D68D716B-779E-496B-A75E-0B1B1014F888}&dist=hppr</ref>

==Political repercussions==
[[File:Mer2006-03p1a.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Flooded school buses in New Orleans]]
The disaster fueled partisan criticism of the response of federal officials, causing significant political damage to the administration of President [[George W. Bush]]. In particular, deaths of 1,836 people were rather pointedly blamed on President Bush and his appointees, on the grounds that their response was "too little, late."

Independent sociological studies have shown that nearly all the deaths were due to people waiting too long to obey the evacuation orders. Also, the Democratic governor and Democratic mayor refused (for as long as it was politically viable) to accept federal help. Internally, resources such as school buses were simply abandoned instead of being used to shuttle out the poor (i.e., black) residents of New Orleans.

==External links==
*[http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/tech-report-200501z.pdf NOAA report, in .pdf format]

{{License|license = This work is in the [[public domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.| source = [http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/katrina.html]}}

[[category:Weather]]
[[category:Hurricanes]]
[[category:The South]]
[[Category:Natural Disasters]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

Hurricane Katrina

2011-08-28T17:14:42Z

TylerP: /* Political repercussions */

[[Image:NOAA-Hurricane-Katrina-Aug28-05.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hurricane Katrina, on August 28, 2005]]
'''Hurricane Katrina''' in August 2005 was one of the strongest and most devastating storms to impact the coast of the [[United States]] during the last 100 years. With sustained winds during landfall of 125 mph (110 kts) (a strong category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale) and minimum central pressure the third lowest on record at landfall (920 mb), Katrina caused widespread devastation along the central Gulf Coast states of the U.S., with the cities of [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], [[Mobile]], [[Alabama]], and Gulfport, [[Mississippi]] bearing the brunt of Katrina's force, which caused $81.2 billion in damage.

==The tropical storm==
Hurricane Katrina developed initially as a tropical depression (TD #12 of the season) in the southeastern [[Bahamas]] on August 23rd. This tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Katrina the next day. It then moved slowly along a northwesterly then westerly track through the Bahamas, increasing in strength during this time. A few hours before landfall in south Florida at around 6.30 EDT on August 25th, Katrina strengthened to become a category 1 (wind speeds of 75mph or greater) hurricane. Landfall occurred between Hallandale Beach and North [[Miami]] Beach, [[Florida]], with wind speeds of approximately 80 mph (70 kts). Gusts of above 90 mph (78 kts) were measured as Katrina came ashore. As the storm moved southwest across the tip of the Florida peninsula, Katrina's winds decreased slightly before regaining hurricane strength in the Gulf of Mexico. Given that Katrina spent only seven hours over land, its strength was not significantly diminished and it quickly re-intensified shortly after moving over the warm waters of the Gulf.
[[File:President Casino Barge After Katrina PD WC.jpg|300px|left|A Barge was washed ashore after Katrina|left]]
Katrina moved almost due westward after entering the Gulf of Mexico. A mid-level ridge centered over Texas weakened and moved westward allowing Katrina to gradually turn to the northwest and then north into the weakness in the ridging over the days that followed. Atmospheric and sea-surface conditions (an upper level anticyclone over the Gulf and warm SSTs) were conducive to cyclone's rapid intensification, which lead to Katrina attaining 'major hurricane' status on the afternoon of the 26th.

Continuing to strengthen and move northwards during the next 48 hours, Katrina reached maximum wind speeds on the morning of Sunday August 28th of over 170 mph (150 kts, category 5), and its minimum central pressure dropped that afternoon to 902 mb - the 4th lowest on record for an Atlantic storm. Although Katrina, at its peak strength was comparable to Camille's intensity, it was a significantly larger storm and impacted a broader area of the Gulf coast.

Although tropical cyclones of category 5 strength are rarely sustained for long durations (due to internal dynamics), Katrina remained a strong category 4 strength hurricane despite the entrainment of dryer air and an opening of the eyewall to the south and southwest before landfall on the morning of the 29th. Landfalling wind speeds at Grand Isle, Louisiana were approximately 125 mph (110 kts) (strong category 3 intensity) with a central pressure of 920mb - the 3rd lowest on record for a landfalling Atlantic storm in the US. Rainfall amounts for Louisiana and along the Gulf are described below along with other impacts of the storms.

==Rain, wind, and storm surge==
===Eastern Florida===
During its initial landfall in southern Florida, Katrina generated over 5 inches of rainfall across a large area of southeastern Florida. An analysis by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center shows that parts of the region received heavy rainfall, over 15 inches in some locations, which caused localized flooding.

Winds at landfall north of Miami were 80 mph (category 1 strength), leading to some damage and extensive power outages.

===Gulf Coast===
Rainfall from Katrina's outer bands began affecting the Gulf coast well before landfall. As Katrina came ashore on August 29th, rainfall exceeded rates of 1 inch/hour across a large area of the coast. NOAA's Climate Reference Network Station in Newton, MS (60 miles east of Jackson, Mississippi) measured rainfall rates of over an inch an hour for 3 consecutive hours, with rates of over 0.5 in/hr for 5 hours during August 29th. Precipitation analysis from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center show that rainfall accumulations exceeded 8-10 inches along much of the hurricane's path and to the east of the track.

Wind speeds over 140 mph were recorded at landfall in southeastern Louisiana while winds gusted to over 100 mph in New Orleans, just west of the eye. As the [[hurricane]] made its second landfall on the Mississippi/Louisiana border, wind speeds were approximately 110 kts (125 mph). Gusts of over 80mph were recorded in Mobile and 90 mph in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The central pressure at landfall was 920 mb, which ranked 3rd lowest on record for U.S.-landfalling storms behind Camille (August 17, 1969, 909 mb) and the Labor Day hurricane that struck the Florida Keys on September 2, 1935 (892 mb). Hurricane Andrew in 1992 dropped to fourth, as its central pressure was 922 mb at landfall. Katrina also reached a minimum central pressure of 902 mb at its peak, ranking 4th lowest on record for all Atlantic basin hurricanes.

===Inland===
As the storm moved inland and weakened to a tropical storm on the 29th, rainfall became the primary impact. Rainfall amounts exceeded 2-4 inches across a large area from the Gulf coast to the Ohio Valley. As a result, flood watches and warnings were common across these regions. Rain bands from Katrina also produced tornadoes causing further damage in areas such as Georgia.

==Impacts==
===Loss of Life===
From the Gulf states (principally Louisiana and Mississippi), the loss of life is estimated to be 1,836 people. It is clearly one of the most devastating [[Natural disasters|Acts of God]] in recent US history. From Katrina's first landfall in Florida, while it was at category one strength, initial estimates suggest 11 deaths resulted.
===Flooding===
[[File:Katrina flooding New Orleans.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Extent of flood damage within the city of New Orleans (NOAA)]]
The loss of life and property damage was worsened by breaks in the levees that separate New Orleans from surrounding lakes. At least 80% of New Orleans was under flood water on August 31st, largely as a result of levee failures from Lake Pontchartrain. The combination of strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge led to breaks in the earthen levee after the storm passed, leaving some parts of New Orleans under 20 feet of water. Storm surge from Mobile Bay led to inundation of Mobile, Alabama causing imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew for the City. Large portions of Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi were underwater as a result of a 20 to 30+ foot storm surge which flooded the cities.
===Oil industry===
A major economic impact for the nation was the disruption to the [[oil]] industry from Katrina. Preliminary estimates from the [[Mineral Management Service]] suggest that oil production in the Gulf of Mexico was reduced by 1.4 million barrels per day (or 95 % of the daily Gulf of Mexico production) as a result of the hurricane. [[Gasoline]] had reached a record high price-per-gallon as of Monday August 30th with concerns over refinery capacity apparently driving the increase.

In addition, the hurricane caused 44 oil spills in Southeast Louisiana, totaling approximately 7 million gallons.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9365607/ 44 oil spills found in southeast Louisiana]</ref> The vast majority of oil spilled was from on-shore industrial plants and above ground storage depots plus other facilities. Damage to pipelines and oil platforms was very significant. 45 oil platforms were destroyed and 54 pipelines were damaged (10" or larger). <ref> http://www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2006/press0501.htm </ref> 70 oil spills (one barrel or larger) totaling over 11,000 gallons of crude oil and other refined products were reported. 211 minor pollution incidents were also reported. Minor pollution incidents are categorized as incidents involving less than 500 barrels of oil that do not reach the coast line. No significant spills from any offshore wells were reported. <ref> http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Katrina_Rita_PL_Final%20Report%20Rev1.pdf</ref>

===Power outages===
Over 1.7 million people lost power as a result of the storm in the Gulf states, with power companies estimating that it would take more than several weeks to restore power to some locations. Drinking water was also unavailable in New Orleans due to a broken water main that serves the city. Power was lost to 1.3 million customers in southeastern Florida from the initial landfall on August 24th.
===Travel===
Both of New Orleans' airports were flooded and closed on August 30th and bridges of Interstate 10 leading east out of the city were destroyed. Most of the coastal highways along the Gulf were impassable in places and most minor roads near the shore were still underwater or covered in debris as of August 30th. Katrina also disrupted travel as it headed inland, with more than 2 inches of rain falling across a large area from the coast to parts of Ohio during the 48 hours after Katrina made landfall.

==Recovery==

An August 2008 report by Oxfam America showed that while progress has taken place, it is behind expectations, and that much work remains to be done:
*More than 35,000 individuals are still living in FEMA trailers in the Gulf Coast
*Only 12 percent of African-American evacuees who returned to New Orleans after the hurricanes were able to find work, compared with 45 percent of white evacuees
*In Louisiana 82,000 apartments were damaged or destroyed by Katrina and Rita, but the highest official estimate proposes to replace only about 25,000 affordable units
*In Mississippi, federal money that was mandated for use in rebuilding low-income housing was, instead, diverted to improving the shipyards in Biloxi
*Compliance with federal labor laws has been ignored, with frequent occurrences of safety and health violations, wage theft and exploitative treatment of immigrant workers.<ref>http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/president-bushs-legacy-question-visit/story.aspx?guid={D68D716B-779E-496B-A75E-0B1B1014F888}&dist=hppr</ref>

==External links==
*[http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/tech-report-200501z.pdf NOAA report, in .pdf format]

{{License|license = This work is in the [[public domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.| source = [http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/katrina.html]}}

[[category:Weather]]
[[category:Hurricanes]]
[[category:The South]]
[[Category:Natural Disasters]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

Hurricane Katrina

2011-08-28T17:14:21Z

TylerP: /* The hurricane */

[[Image:NOAA-Hurricane-Katrina-Aug28-05.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hurricane Katrina, on August 28, 2005]]
'''Hurricane Katrina''' in August 2005 was one of the strongest and most devastating storms to impact the coast of the [[United States]] during the last 100 years. With sustained winds during landfall of 125 mph (110 kts) (a strong category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale) and minimum central pressure the third lowest on record at landfall (920 mb), Katrina caused widespread devastation along the central Gulf Coast states of the U.S., with the cities of [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], [[Mobile]], [[Alabama]], and Gulfport, [[Mississippi]] bearing the brunt of Katrina's force, which caused $81.2 billion in damage.

==The tropical storm==
Hurricane Katrina developed initially as a tropical depression (TD #12 of the season) in the southeastern [[Bahamas]] on August 23rd. This tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Katrina the next day. It then moved slowly along a northwesterly then westerly track through the Bahamas, increasing in strength during this time. A few hours before landfall in south Florida at around 6.30 EDT on August 25th, Katrina strengthened to become a category 1 (wind speeds of 75mph or greater) hurricane. Landfall occurred between Hallandale Beach and North [[Miami]] Beach, [[Florida]], with wind speeds of approximately 80 mph (70 kts). Gusts of above 90 mph (78 kts) were measured as Katrina came ashore. As the storm moved southwest across the tip of the Florida peninsula, Katrina's winds decreased slightly before regaining hurricane strength in the Gulf of Mexico. Given that Katrina spent only seven hours over land, its strength was not significantly diminished and it quickly re-intensified shortly after moving over the warm waters of the Gulf.
[[File:President Casino Barge After Katrina PD WC.jpg|300px|left|A Barge was washed ashore after Katrina|left]]
Katrina moved almost due westward after entering the Gulf of Mexico. A mid-level ridge centered over Texas weakened and moved westward allowing Katrina to gradually turn to the northwest and then north into the weakness in the ridging over the days that followed. Atmospheric and sea-surface conditions (an upper level anticyclone over the Gulf and warm SSTs) were conducive to cyclone's rapid intensification, which lead to Katrina attaining 'major hurricane' status on the afternoon of the 26th.

Continuing to strengthen and move northwards during the next 48 hours, Katrina reached maximum wind speeds on the morning of Sunday August 28th of over 170 mph (150 kts, category 5), and its minimum central pressure dropped that afternoon to 902 mb - the 4th lowest on record for an Atlantic storm. Although Katrina, at its peak strength was comparable to Camille's intensity, it was a significantly larger storm and impacted a broader area of the Gulf coast.

Although tropical cyclones of category 5 strength are rarely sustained for long durations (due to internal dynamics), Katrina remained a strong category 4 strength hurricane despite the entrainment of dryer air and an opening of the eyewall to the south and southwest before landfall on the morning of the 29th. Landfalling wind speeds at Grand Isle, Louisiana were approximately 125 mph (110 kts) (strong category 3 intensity) with a central pressure of 920mb - the 3rd lowest on record for a landfalling Atlantic storm in the US. Rainfall amounts for Louisiana and along the Gulf are described below along with other impacts of the storms.

==Rain, wind, and storm surge==
===Eastern Florida===
During its initial landfall in southern Florida, Katrina generated over 5 inches of rainfall across a large area of southeastern Florida. An analysis by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center shows that parts of the region received heavy rainfall, over 15 inches in some locations, which caused localized flooding.

Winds at landfall north of Miami were 80 mph (category 1 strength), leading to some damage and extensive power outages.

===Gulf Coast===
Rainfall from Katrina's outer bands began affecting the Gulf coast well before landfall. As Katrina came ashore on August 29th, rainfall exceeded rates of 1 inch/hour across a large area of the coast. NOAA's Climate Reference Network Station in Newton, MS (60 miles east of Jackson, Mississippi) measured rainfall rates of over an inch an hour for 3 consecutive hours, with rates of over 0.5 in/hr for 5 hours during August 29th. Precipitation analysis from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center show that rainfall accumulations exceeded 8-10 inches along much of the hurricane's path and to the east of the track.

Wind speeds over 140 mph were recorded at landfall in southeastern Louisiana while winds gusted to over 100 mph in New Orleans, just west of the eye. As the [[hurricane]] made its second landfall on the Mississippi/Louisiana border, wind speeds were approximately 110 kts (125 mph). Gusts of over 80mph were recorded in Mobile and 90 mph in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The central pressure at landfall was 920 mb, which ranked 3rd lowest on record for U.S.-landfalling storms behind Camille (August 17, 1969, 909 mb) and the Labor Day hurricane that struck the Florida Keys on September 2, 1935 (892 mb). Hurricane Andrew in 1992 dropped to fourth, as its central pressure was 922 mb at landfall. Katrina also reached a minimum central pressure of 902 mb at its peak, ranking 4th lowest on record for all Atlantic basin hurricanes.

===Inland===
As the storm moved inland and weakened to a tropical storm on the 29th, rainfall became the primary impact. Rainfall amounts exceeded 2-4 inches across a large area from the Gulf coast to the Ohio Valley. As a result, flood watches and warnings were common across these regions. Rain bands from Katrina also produced tornadoes causing further damage in areas such as Georgia.

==Impacts==
===Loss of Life===
From the Gulf states (principally Louisiana and Mississippi), the loss of life is estimated to be 1,836 people. It is clearly one of the most devastating [[Natural disasters|Acts of God]] in recent US history. From Katrina's first landfall in Florida, while it was at category one strength, initial estimates suggest 11 deaths resulted.
===Flooding===
[[File:Katrina flooding New Orleans.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Extent of flood damage within the city of New Orleans (NOAA)]]
The loss of life and property damage was worsened by breaks in the levees that separate New Orleans from surrounding lakes. At least 80% of New Orleans was under flood water on August 31st, largely as a result of levee failures from Lake Pontchartrain. The combination of strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge led to breaks in the earthen levee after the storm passed, leaving some parts of New Orleans under 20 feet of water. Storm surge from Mobile Bay led to inundation of Mobile, Alabama causing imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew for the City. Large portions of Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi were underwater as a result of a 20 to 30+ foot storm surge which flooded the cities.
===Oil industry===
A major economic impact for the nation was the disruption to the [[oil]] industry from Katrina. Preliminary estimates from the [[Mineral Management Service]] suggest that oil production in the Gulf of Mexico was reduced by 1.4 million barrels per day (or 95 % of the daily Gulf of Mexico production) as a result of the hurricane. [[Gasoline]] had reached a record high price-per-gallon as of Monday August 30th with concerns over refinery capacity apparently driving the increase.

In addition, the hurricane caused 44 oil spills in Southeast Louisiana, totaling approximately 7 million gallons.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9365607/ 44 oil spills found in southeast Louisiana]</ref> The vast majority of oil spilled was from on-shore industrial plants and above ground storage depots plus other facilities. Damage to pipelines and oil platforms was very significant. 45 oil platforms were destroyed and 54 pipelines were damaged (10" or larger). <ref> http://www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2006/press0501.htm </ref> 70 oil spills (one barrel or larger) totaling over 11,000 gallons of crude oil and other refined products were reported. 211 minor pollution incidents were also reported. Minor pollution incidents are categorized as incidents involving less than 500 barrels of oil that do not reach the coast line. No significant spills from any offshore wells were reported. <ref> http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Katrina_Rita_PL_Final%20Report%20Rev1.pdf</ref>

===Power outages===
Over 1.7 million people lost power as a result of the storm in the Gulf states, with power companies estimating that it would take more than several weeks to restore power to some locations. Drinking water was also unavailable in New Orleans due to a broken water main that serves the city. Power was lost to 1.3 million customers in southeastern Florida from the initial landfall on August 24th.
===Travel===
Both of New Orleans' airports were flooded and closed on August 30th and bridges of Interstate 10 leading east out of the city were destroyed. Most of the coastal highways along the Gulf were impassable in places and most minor roads near the shore were still underwater or covered in debris as of August 30th. Katrina also disrupted travel as it headed inland, with more than 2 inches of rain falling across a large area from the coast to parts of Ohio during the 48 hours after Katrina made landfall.

==Recovery==

An August 2008 report by Oxfam America showed that while progress has taken place, it is behind expectations, and that much work remains to be done:
*More than 35,000 individuals are still living in FEMA trailers in the Gulf Coast
*Only 12 percent of African-American evacuees who returned to New Orleans after the hurricanes were able to find work, compared with 45 percent of white evacuees
*In Louisiana 82,000 apartments were damaged or destroyed by Katrina and Rita, but the highest official estimate proposes to replace only about 25,000 affordable units
*In Mississippi, federal money that was mandated for use in rebuilding low-income housing was, instead, diverted to improving the shipyards in Biloxi
*Compliance with federal labor laws has been ignored, with frequent occurrences of safety and health violations, wage theft and exploitative treatment of immigrant workers.<ref>http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/president-bushs-legacy-question-visit/story.aspx?guid={D68D716B-779E-496B-A75E-0B1B1014F888}&dist=hppr</ref>

==Political repercussions==
[[File:Mer2006-03p1a.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Flooded school buses in New Orleans]]
The disaster fueled partisan criticism of the response of federal officials, causing significant political damage to the administration of President [[George W. Bush]]. In particular, deaths of 1,836 people were rather pointedly blamed on President Bush and his appointees, on the grounds that their response was "too little, late."

Independent sociological studies have shown that nearly all the deaths were due to people waiting too long to obey the evacuation orders. Also, the Democratic governor and Democratic mayor refused (for as long as it was politically viable) to accept federal help. Internally, resources such as school buses were simply abandoned instead of being used to shuttle out the poor (i.e., black) residents of New Orleans.

==External links==
*[http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/tech-report-200501z.pdf NOAA report, in .pdf format]

{{License|license = This work is in the [[public domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.| source = [http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/katrina.html]}}

[[category:Weather]]
[[category:Hurricanes]]
[[category:The South]]
[[Category:Natural Disasters]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}