Tea parties spawn local Patriots group

The Indiana Gazette Online ^ | January 30, 2010 | SAM KUSIC

[mdittmar]

The way Elderton's Tom Smith sees it, the country is headed down the wrong path.

The federal government is too big and inefficient, he says. The lawmakers have lost all touch with the people they're supposed to represent, he says, and the national debt is going to burden generations of Americans yet to be born.

``I'm very concerned about where our country is headed,'' he says.

So he and a group of local residents are hoping to do something about it through the newly organized Indiana/Armstrong Patriots, a political group that is pushing for smaller government and a letter-of-the-law adherence to the Constitution.

The group arises from Terry Anderson's local Tea Party protests, held at the Indiana County Court House and elsewhere this past summer and fall. The protests drew like-minded people together, and they now have coalesced into a formal group. It incorporated on Jan. 1 as a nonprofit group, Smith said.

He said the party is made up of a range of people who are interested in a variety of issues, but with one uniting element - the belief that the federal government is not following the law of the land.

``Without doubt, this country is not following the Constitution,'' he said. ``If we don't soon stand up, it may be too late.''

Smith said they don't yet have a good handle on the how many members they have, but the last meeting drew 55 to 60 people. And he said there are now about 300 on an e-mail distribution list.

The group hopes to effect change either through finding its own candidates to run or through endorsing candidates who hold similar beliefs.

Smith said the group will be paying particularly close attention to the Third and 12th Congressional Districts, now occupied by Congressman John Murtha, of Johnstown, and Kathleen Dahlkemper, of Erie.

He also said they'll be paying close attention to the governor's race, too.

The Indiana/Armstrong Patriots are among Patriot groups organizing nationwide. In fact, they are to hold a national convention next week in Nashville, Tenn.

Locally, the group has selected retired Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor Terry Ray as the delegate.

He said that while there, he hopes to link up with other groups in the state and work together toward making changes.

In the meantime, the party has scheduled a series of town hall meetings with local legislators.

They have already had two meetings with state Reps. Jeff Pyle, R-Ford City, and Donna Oberlander, R-Clarion. Another is scheduled Feb. 18 at Rustic Lodge with state Rep. Dave Reed, R-Indiana.

Also, Smith said, the group is seeking permission from schools to give a pocket-sized copy of the Constitution to seniors. It also is organizing an essay contest about the Constitution.

The Patriots meet 6:15 p.m. every other Monday evening at Coney Island Restaurant, 642 Philadelphia St., Indiana. The next meeting will be Feb. 1.

[mdittmar]

“The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered deeply, perhaps as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”– George Washington

We're everywhere and growing.

[prairiebreeze]

IN ping

[pnh102]

The Patriots? I wonder what the Colts would have to say about this.

[RoadTest]

This is wonderful! I encourage them and people all over the nation to do something like that.

[4Godsoloved..Hegave]

We sure are everywhere.
Praying for U.S. people to persevere, not to grow weary but to multiply our efforts and people.
I have often thought about our current U.S. people and those that crossed the Atlantic. Would we even make it to the shore if we were in those ships? With the whining and entitled attitudes of today I am afraid we would perish. Hoping for the fortitude of the early settlers to settle into We the People.

[redhead]

The Tea Parties held here in Wasilla also gave birth to Conservative Patriots Group", which has more than doubled in size since its founding last summer, and has even started a chapter in Anchorage. The goal of CPG is to make a Conservative presence known and visible and effective in all parts of Alaskan politics. We VOTE. We vet candidates and educate the public about candidates' positions on various policies. We encourage youth participation, and we provide radio advertisements about important election propositions. We have had some considerable successes, especially in view of our relatively small numbers (now around 200 members statewide). It CAN be done.

[jkeith3213]

This is in pennsylvania not indiana, it’s indiana, pa.

[JSDude1]

This is actually Pennsylvania (there is a town there named Indiana ;)!

[prairiebreeze]

Oh gosh, thank you. I see the reference to Murtha now which I must’ve missed earlier.

Disregard, MM.

[brityank]

We're everywhere and growing.

Ping to Trib & Kid.

[JoeFromSidney]

I hope they don't try to run their own candidates. They're better off to encourage conservative candidates to run in Party primaries, and to support those candidates with money and campaign workers. Once the conservative candidates win the primaries, then they need support in the general election. Getting them through the primaries, though, is key. Money and campaign workers are the fuel that runs a campaign.