Simply put the Republican tea party is giving tea a bad name. Tea has a 5000 year history and until recently a pleasant, soothing and communal reputation.
For thousands of years the notion of tea had been associated with only positive concepts; health, religion, meditation, relaxation, friendship. In December 1773 the Boston Tea Party added politics to the concept of tea and it has been downhill ever since for its image.
The sensibilities of tea drinking purists have been grievously assaulted by the tea bag, iced tea, the pottery mug (sometimes with silly faces!), Snapple and the “Arnold Palmer” (iced tea, lemonade and vodka). More disturbing to the world of tea lovers has been the kidnapping of the genteel word “tea” for political purposes. We tea lovers everywhere must unite.
Find out what's happening in Hampton-North Hamptonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The political tea party stands in crass juxtaposition to the spirit of “tea”, best represented by the formal tea ceremony; formal, respectful of tradition, peaceful, disciplined and purposeful. These concepts are inconsistent with the beliefs and behavior of today’s tea party; crass, self-centered, inflexible, mean spirited. A bitter brew by any measure and not our cup of tea.
If the tea baggers had any sense of decency they would change their name to the acid party and let tea regain its historically peaceful and soothing reputation. Political success based on such an acrid philosophy is not in the reading of the leaves.
