TERRE HAUTE — Saturday’s rain might have fizzled the sparklers, but “Tea Party Patriots” loosed verbal fireworks off the Vigo County Courthouse steps nonetheless.
More than 280 picketers protested along Third Street on the courthouse steps as part of the American Family Association’s Fourth of July Tea Party, one of about 1,488 such events across American cities, according to organizer Larry Wilson of Terre Haute.
Lena Sobieski stood in the drizzle before noon, umbrella in hand, wearing a shirt with Merle Haggard’s image emblazoned across with the words “Fighting Side of Me.”
“I’m willing to give anybody a chance,” she said of President Barack Obama’s tenure in office to date. “But his policies are everything I’m against.”
Socialized medicine, lax immigration rules, welfare and higher taxes are all on a plate full of policies she said she doesn’t want to swallow. “I’m not for this working our butts off just to give it away,” she said. “I’m tired of everybody freeloading.”
Horns honked as speakers took turns with a microphone, lambasting a “relentless assault on our values” by a force of “evil and wickedness,” as one gray-haired man in a patriotic T-shirt said.
One after another, speakers lambasted what they described as a drive to take America into socialism.
Wilson said he’s unsure of the next rally’s date, but he was pleased with Saturday’s turnout. “It was somewhat bigger than what we had the time, despite the rain,” he said in reference to the April 15 Tax Day rally. “Considering the rain, we didn’t think we’d have as many as we did. It’s definitely an indication of where the American people’s minds are.”
Plastic-wrapped picket signs bore slogans such as “No Rationed Healthcare” and “No Taxation Without Representation” as participants wore T-shirts with “Wabash Valley Tea Party Patriot” across the front.
According to www.teapartyday.com, the word “TEA” stands for Taxed Enough Already.
Mike Heaton stood in the crowd amid “God Bless America” signs and said he was glad he’d attended.
“It’s a matter of doing the right thing,” he said, noting he’d also attended the April rally.
Heaton said he’s not only concerned with liberal movements at the federal level, but in the Statehouse as well. Gov. Mitch Daniels did a good job, budget-wise, working with what money the state has, Heaton said. Tax money comes from the taxpayers, and Heaton said taxpayers are fed up.
“It’s going to be an interesting 21/2 years until the election in 2010,” he said.
Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.
Check it out
• For more information on the AFA’s Tea Party, visit www.teapartyday.
com, or call Larry Wilson at (812) 235-3252, or Cathy Wilke at (812) 240-9279.
Local & Bistate
‘Tea Party Patriots’ protest ‘evil and wickedness’
- Local & Bistate
-
-
Toyota to increase Highlander output in Indiana
Toyota will increase production of the Highlander mid-size SUV in late 2013 at the company’s Princeton, Indiana plant. Hybrid and export versions will be included. The project is expected to create about 400 new jobs at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana Inc.
-
Friends of Ernie Pyle takes ownership, renames Dana museum
The western Indiana home in which renowned Hoosier journalist Ernie Pyle was born, and an adjacent museum dedicated to preserving his legacy as a World War II correspondent, have a new owner.
-
Spreading Goodwill
Goodwill Industries Inc. on Tuesday opened its third Terre Haute store.
-
Feds sending money to Feather Creek
Clinton residents have reason to celebrate.
Federal officials have granted more than $800,000 toward a $1.2 million project of widening and deepening Feather Creek, which has been a flooding problem in the city since the Great Depression. Work could begin in spring 2013. -
City to clean up Toney site
A contaminated petroleum site at the northwestern edge of Indiana State University’s campus will be transferred to the city of Terre Haute to remove the property from a pending sale.
-
Bennett: Terre Haute ‘moving in the right direction’
After four years of shrinking budgets and a slow economy, Terre Haute is “moving in the right direction,” Mayor Duke Bennett said Tuesday morning in his first “State of the City” address since being re-elected by Terre Haute voters in November.
Difficult financial and political battles are largely in the past, he said, and now the city can start moving forward in ways not possible in the past four years. -
Terre Haute group locates missing caver
An Iraq war veteran and caving enthusiast took his own life about half a mile from where he left his car on a rural road but more than four months passed before four young spelunkers exploring where they weren’t allowed found him deep inside a treacherous cave, Indiana conservation officers said Tuesday.
-
Schools celebrate rising graduation rates as ‘team effort’
For the fourth year in a row, Vigo County School Corp. graduation rates have topped the state average, school district officials said during a news conference Tuesday.
-
Arrested officer already on administrative leave
A summons to appear in Vigo Superior Court 1 has been issued to the former police chief of West Terre Haute after a theft case filed Monday was transferred from a different court.
-
Parade to honor Punter for N.Y. Giants
A parade has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday to honor Terre Haute native Steve Weatherford, a punter with the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
-
DNA match leads to arrest in summer burglary
A recent DNA match in an Indiana database has led to the arrest of a burglary suspect by the Indiana State Police at Putnamville.
-
Authorities still looking into Monday shooting of teen
Investigation continues into a shooting Monday in the 600 block of Water Street, which is near the Wabash River on the city’s west side.
-
General Assembly ready to tackle legislative bottleneck
After a timeout to accommodate out-of-town Super Bowl visitors, the Indiana General Assembly is back in session to tackle legislation that had been bottlenecked by a contentious labor bill.
-
Shakeout helps prepare for earthquake
Drop. Cover. Hold on! Those are the directives for the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, a multi-state earthquake drill that happened Tuesday morning.
-
Bolte Taylor exhibit will feature 5-foot-tall brains
An Indiana brain scientist whose memoir about her recovery from a stroke became a best-seller has dreamed up an exhibit featuring giant brains that will be mounted around Bloomington this spring.
-
Feather Creek project gets green light from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Federal officials have granted the funding needed to widen Feather Creek in Clinton.
-
Lost Creek trustee exploring possibility of providing computer lab for residents
A mobile computer lab has come to the Lost Creek Township Trustee’s Office to assist the public in job searches and applying for assistance programs.
-
Vigo schools see grad rate rise
The Vigo County School Corp. 2011 graduation rate improved nearly 4 percentage points and surpassed the state graduation rate, according to information from the state Department of Education.
-
Among Super Bowl ads, the stars were the cars
Lots of dogs and babies appeared in commercial advertisements for Super Bowl XLVI, but game-day ads also increasingly are pointing to social media handles, such as Twitter and Facebook.
-
Host city hopes its experience is a game winner
If praise and adulation could put points on the scoreboard, then Indianapolis had a blowout victory hosting its first Super Bowl.
-
Local news briefly: Feb. 7, 2012
• Woman faces arson charge
• Mother jailed on abuse charge
• New trial date for suspect
• Woman's arson trial July 10
• Child pornography trial set
-
West Terre Haute officer arrested on theft charges
A West Terre Haute police officer is facing allegations of misusing his department-issued gasoline credit card.
-
Teen hospitalized after shooting
The Terre Haute Police Department reported late Monday that a 16-year-old Terre Haute youth was flown via helicopter ambulance to an Indianapolis hospital after an accidental shooting. The extent of the youth’s injuries were not available late Monday night.
-
Rush to hospital leads to wreck on I-70
A motorist reportedly speeding to get to an Indianapolis hospital ended up getting medical treatment himself after a Monday morning crash on Interstate 70 near the 37-mile marker.
-
Fog a factor in West Terre Haute accident
Heavy fog contributed to a two-vehicle accident involving a West Terre Haute patrolman at 7:21 a.m. Monday.
-
BREAKING NEWS: West Terre Haute police officer arrested
A West Terre Haute police officer is facing allegations of felony theft.
-
SUPER BOWL XLVI: Super to the very end
A wild and record-setting Super Bowl week was capped Sunday with the New York Giants winning their fourth title game. But the host city of Indianapolis was a winner as well.
-
SUPER BOWL XLVI: Businesses see more carry out than carrying on during big game
Home delivery action was hotter than wing sauce Sunday afternoon, as football fans dipped in for the big game.
-
SUPER BOWL XLVI: Airport traffic increases as game day arrives
It isn’t every Sunday afternoon that jets line the runway at the Terre Haute International Airport, but many in town wouldn’t mind if they did.
-
SUPER BOWL XLVI: Game helps church connection with its community
Inside Maryland Community Church Sunday evening, it seemed downright un-patriotic to pray for anyone but the Giants.
- More Local & Bistate Headlines
-
Toyota to increase Highlander output in Indiana
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Romney Congratulates Santorum, Focuses on Obama
Eastwood in Super Bowl Ad 'Compassionate'
Greek Leaders Seek Deal As Bankruptcy Looms
Raw Video: Giants Celebrate Another Super Bowl
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US
And the Winner for Best Super Bowl Ad Is...
Bernanke: Recovery Depends on Consumer Spending
Stranded Fishermen Rescued From Bay of Green Bay
Paul Says Results Help Him Rack Up Delegates
Foreclosures Down 34 Percent in 2011
Eastwood in Super Bowl Ad 'Compassionate'
The NY Giants Defend Gisele
Mo. Teen Gets Life Sentence for Killing Girl, 9
Beyonce Is Sexy in Sequins
Helmet Camera Captures Calif. Fire Rescue
Model's Shocking 20-Inch Waist
Better than Tebowing, it's Bradying - 2/7
Maria Menounos in Giants Bikini After Losing Bet
Zip-Lining Man Slams Into Tree
TLC's 'Strangest Addictions Yet'?
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Snooki Admits She's Bisexual
Katharine McPhee Strips Down
Raw Video: 15 Lb. Baby Born in China
Ellen DeGeneres Slams One Million Moms
Vending Machine Dispenses 'Morning-After' Pill
Rihanna in Super Sheer Bodysuit
Entire staff removed at L.A. elementary school
Exclusive: Giants Players Talk About Excitement Around 2012 Super Bowl Victory Parade
