Do tea party protesters know they turned backs on veterans?

BY NEIL STEINBERG

What did you make of the big protest against the U.S. military and our veterans Wednesday?

It took place in hundreds of American cities; people were waving signs, brandishing tea bags.

Of course, they didn’t think they were speaking out against our military and our vets — they hadn’t really thought it through at all. They were under the impression they were condemning federal taxes.

But where do federal tax dollars go? By far the largest chunk — more than a quarter — supports our military and takes care of aging vets.

No, no, the protesters will say, that’s not what they mean. They just don’t like waste — who does? — and they want limited government, just as our founding fathers intended.

Did they really? I know reason is useless against righteous anger, but I can’t help myself. How accurate is it to say that the founding fathers were for "limited government"?

Well, if you mean they didn’t envision an Environmental Protection Agency or NASA, then yes, they were for limited government.

But if you look at what they actually did — create a federal government where none existed before — then they were for an enormous expansion of central control.

Their motto was not — despite the impression left this week — "No taxation." It was "No taxation without representation." Unless I’m very much mistaken, we had a major election just a few months ago. The people have spoken. I’m not surprised to hear that those who were unhappy the day after the election are still unhappy now.

It is a little surprising, however, to hear them denounce their own nation and seek to withdraw their support from its brave soldiers and honorable vets. That they aren’t even aware of what they’re advocating only makes it worse.