Should Protesters Follow the Boston Tea Party Way of Going Under Disguise?

In an editorial in the Washington Post about the Tax Tea Parties on 4/15, historian Benjamin L. Carp sharply reminded everybody who fell asleep in history class that the original Boston Tea Party had its Caucasian protesters wearing black face paint and Native-American garb to conceal their identity. Of course, they were out to do tangible damage rather than being ripe for the kill by marching through the streets with signs to protest taxation without representation. Yes, the differences between the Boston Tea Party and the recent Tax Tea Parties are quite wide despite all the inevitable comparisons in the press. If we have to compare the Tax Tea Parties to anything on a timeline--it'd have to be what hasn't happen yet, but inevitably will. The only comparison to Boston of 1773 would have to be in whether anonymity will be required once protesters in the U.S. take their vitriol to a new level after Round One.

I'm sure some of us who didn't participate are wondering how some of those Tax Tea Party protesters are being treated now by their fellow co-workers, friends and family after the political divisiveness of it became more divided by the media each ensuing day. Considering all those protesters of inevitable higher taxes were caught on camera and showed the white of their eyes through cable news and all other available media, the chances of being shunned by someone close to them is likely with all the personal political dissension being around aplenty. We've devolved to the point where if you openly protest something, you're going to later face a severe backlash from it in some way or the other.

On one side, this prospect is exhilarating in what it means to be an American and bringing back the forgotten philosophy of Thomas Jefferson who openly said a little rebellion against government inanity is a good thing. On the other side, it's a haunting situation where the dire warnings of media pundits recently saying we're on the verge of some kind of major rebellion by the American people because of heightened frustration seems to be on the cusp of being true. On the farther side is the equally haunting situation of being so divided in this country that someone could lose their job or be a victim of violence just because they openly protested higher taxes in the streets of America.

For those who paid attention in their high school history class, they'd know that all the protesters who took part in the 1773 Boston Tea Party dressed like unrepresented minorities in order to get away with spilling all that tea into Boston Harbor as a protest against a British tax on tea. Back in those days, it was obviously easier to disguise one's self in a massive protest and still get away with it as all of them did. And because many of those Boston Tea Party protesters were some of our greatest early Americans, you'd have to wonder how their careers would have been ruined had there been cable news, internet and every other piece of invasive media available today.

It may instantly explain away why the media didn't pick up any famous faces in the crowds of those Tax Tea Parties. Had we seen someone from Hollywood out there protesting the idea that they may have to eventually dole out more taxes from their millions, they likely would have been blackballed from work as much as the late Ron Silver was or any other actor who goes against the political grain of Tinseltown.

As much as numerous average people attending the Tax Tea Parties tried to point out that the protests weren't a Democrat v. Republican v. Libertarian issue, there still was a political divide there no thanks to the politically-divided media. That perception permeates everywhere when media still influences people--despite many still scoffing at that truth. Those perceptions are probably taking their bitter actions right at the time this article is going to press.

With that comes the reaction of those affected and pondering whether they should go undercover the next time they participate in a protest. Many in the Tax Tea Parties said there will be more...and with perhaps their frustration manifested more physically.
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It isn't always out of the question to see protesters of global conferences or similar wider scale issues wearing masks on occasion to keep from being seen on TV. Overall, though, most people who protest anything aren't afraid to be seen on TV, even celebrities with strong political beliefs. But could we see an organized protest eventually here in America where everybody looks like they're going to a costumed ball? Surreal it might be to see people dressed in Halloween costumes doing a more violent protest in the streets of say D.C. that would be the center of the universe for any protester.

With Benjamin Carp's assertion that the Tax Tea Parties weren't all that effective because there wasn't more violence to really shake things up, how would the media really feel covering a violent protest that left behind burning buildings and casualties? In a recent article I wrote about martial law in America, I posited that the protesters would be the ones who would ultimately lose if they became violent. While it's hard to gauge whether President Obama would send the National Guard in to mow down a sea of protesters causing massive damage to all the government agencies in D.C., most Presidents wouldn't hesitate.

Even though there seems to be every indication a more violent protest is upon us (especially if taxes really do go up next year), expect to see various scenarios. One scenario will be the Boston Tea Party way and average or notable people dressed in masks wreaking havoc in a significant place. A second scenario would be those taking the Jeffersonian way and rebelling against government greed and corruption without worrying if they're seen in the media.

Another much more disturbing scenario is any of the two groups above lying dead in the streets because their violent protests brought in a massive tank from the National Guard or U.S. Northern Command that had to fire by decree of the President of the United States.

In that case, dying for our country will take on a whole new meaning...

Source:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/17/AR2009041702664.html