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SAMUEL ADAMS: Founding Father of Tea Party fame * Wikipedia

A tale of two Asheville tea parties (or angry Tea Party protest group offers mixed metaphor on July 4th)
Grove Park Inn's Asheville Tea Party of patriotic celebration is NOT affiliated with Erika Fanzi's Asheville Tea Party of angry protest
*ASHEVILLE TEA PARTY PROTESTERS (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE GROVE PARK INN'S PARTY-GOERS) WILL TRY TO TRASH THE FESTIVE NATURE IN DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE on what is normally a nationwide day of unity and celebration known as Independence Day, not Tax Day Tea Party | Anticipated to be attended by mostly angry white people who would rather protest taxes than celebrate America's Independence Day, the protest is scheduled on July 4, 2009, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. in front of Buncombe County Courthouse. Angry Tea Party organizer Erika Franzi predicts "a larger showing" than her group's first effort earlier this year to protest politicians and taxes that they don't like. | MIXED METAPHOR IGNORED: On her blog, Franzi makes no mention of her mixed metaphor of trying to hickjack July 4th and turn it into a day of factional fuming, instead of a day that real American patriots, past and present, have reserved as a day of unifying national celebration. For details of Franzi's mixed-metaphor protest, visit ashevilleteaparty.com or Click Here> | HOMESCHOOLING LESSON: The generally accepted meaning of July 4th is well presented under About.com's homeschooling category, which explains: "Independence Day is celebrated on July 4 because that is the day [in 1776] when the Continental Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence." For About.com's "Celebrate Independence Day, History and Origin of Independence Day," Click Here> | For a quick lesson about the real Tea Party and Samuel Adams' involvement, visit wikipedia.com or Click Here> | BEER HERE: For information about Samuel Adams beer to celebrate the 4th, visit samueladams.com or Click Here> | To celebrate the 4th AND local homegrown brews, Click Here> | To salute the flag AND fire up the grill, visit allrecipes.com, or Click Here> | NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE TEA PARTY PROTEST: On the evening of July 3, 2009, the Grove Park Inn & Resort features a party for inhouse guests only. This event is also known as the Asheville Tea Party, and is intended to celebrate the original Boston Tea Party. An Inn concierge confirmed for DowntownAsheville.com that the Inn's celebration has nothing to do with the protest sporting the same name. For the Grove Park Inn's July 4th weekend itinerary, visit groveparkinn.com or Click Here>

A TALE OF TWO TEA PARTIES UPDATES:

JES EVANS' RESPONSE TO ABOVE ARTICLE:

To Byron at MediaBear,

Your "article" about the Asheville Tea Party is obviously slanted and biased.

You speak as if being angry about injustices is wrong yet you seem to [be] very angry that someone is doing something about it.

We can't help it if the majority who want to show up have the tendency to be a certain color. All of us are getting screwed equally.

You are right about the spirit behind Independence Day and that's even more the reason to protest an out-of-control government of the last several years.

We are concerned about the continued freedom of our country as we are threatened with slavery to China, Russia, North Korea, Iran because of a debased currency and insurmountable national debt. However, using about.com as a legitimate source shows the level of your site.

Those of us who support the Tea Parties are well aware of the factual history of the original Boston Tea Party. It isn't about the specific issue, it's about the action of protest.

Of course, you know all of this but still like to slant your writing to make all of us out as idiots.

If you were truly concerned about the GP [Grove Park] Inn's function, you wouldn't have spent so much time crafting your politically tinged slight.

-Jes Evans

**

RESPONSE BY BYRON BELZAK TO JES EVANS EMAIL:

Hello Jes Evans,

Thank you for your comments, although I never understood why angry people always feel it's okay to hurl insults at anyone who runs even slightly counter to their beliefs. Your insults do nothing to promote your cause or reveal your obvious intelligence.

However, I do honor your comments, those of yours that are thoughtful, those about your outrage and your fear of the nation heading down the wrong economic road. I honor your right to speak up, and am glad that you do. It is certainly of great concern to all of us, and no one person has all the answers as to what needs to be done to upright our economy, not even the president or past presidents. We got into this mess together, and we'll get out of it together.

And, I certainly don't consider the Tea Party protesters to be IDIOTS; those are your words. I too have been in the streets to protest against U.S. government policies, and have been tear-gassed by police for my trouble. I understand your fervor and support your right to protest against real and perceived inequities and injustices. Rest assured of that.

What I do take issue with -- and that is my right to do so, and if that is a slant and bias, then so be it -- you too have your slants and biases as you've indicated in your email; that's called being human.

My news commentary that you referenced has to do with the day chosen by your group to protest. Maybe I didn't make that clear enough and expected the reader to read between the lines.

So how can I say it better? I respect your right to protest; however, I do not respect the day that you have chosen. Yes, you do have the right to protest on any day you want, but that doesn't mean that you should -- and if you do, then you should be ready to bear the brunt and burden of criticism that will surely arise. For every action there is a reaction.

I believe that your group of Tea Party protesters is trying to piggyback on July 4th, and that in my mind remains a mixed metaphor at best. At worst, your picking July 4th to protest against OUR American way is an insult to most citizens who would rather celebrate our unique oneness on that day. You deserve to be called on the carpet for tarnishing that day of celebration, of being happy to be united. Don't trend on my day to forward your particular political views.

It's the 4th, Jes with the single "S." Lighten up. Celebrate. Have a little fun. Hug a liberal. Hug a black person. Hug a Yankee. Hug someone you'd never think of hugging. Rejoice in our nation's oneness for one day. It might do all of us some good.

FURTHERMORE, your protest is by far and large a REPUBLICAN protest. Refer to your website. The first link in the upper right says Republican. The woman who has organized and fuels the anger in your 4th of July protest goes by the pen name of Jane Q Republican. That's not Republican? July 4th is not just Republican. It's for everyone. It's for all of US Americans.

Also, to try and rename your protest as part of a Tea Party -- and not identify yourself as who you are, the Republican Party -- is to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. The word DESPICABLE comes to mind. Trying to obfuscate and confuse people with name changes does not fly. Americans are smarter than that. Witness the last election: The many Republican candidates who tried in the most recent presidential campaign to rename themselves as the Maverick Party did not mask the reality that they were the Republican Party.

So now is the Republican Party morphed into calling itself the Tea Party? Fess up. Honor your Republican beliefs. That's fine. A strong two-party system has well served these United States for a long time. I think that all political tents should be large. The Republican tent needs to get larger, not smaller, as it has become.

BUT BACK TO THE CENTRAL POINT OF MY ARTICLE THAT YOU CALL SLANTED: July 4th, at least to my way of thinking, is the day that all of us Americans celebrate together, united, as one. Of course we Americans are diverse. That is the very definition of what it is to be American, especially today.

Whoever we are and however we perceive ourselves to be ... whether that is as Democrats, Independents, Republicans, Libertarians, Greens, white, black, liberal, conservative, religious, non-religious, young, old, single, married, smart, dumb, happy, angry, northern, southern, low country, high country, or somewhere in between -- you name it -- I believe we can and should every year for just one blasted day, and that day is the 4th, put those labels and divisions aside.

On the 4th we as a nation have decided to come together and make it a national holiday, and celebrate the fact that we are ONE ... not divided ... not under the domination of another country, as we were under the British back in 1776 when the real tea party was held. To compare our own government today as an outside government of yesteryear is part of your Tea Party protest's mixed metaphor.

If you really want to be a patriot, give your Tea Party protest a rest on this one day, July 4th. It is OUR independence day, ours to celebrate together. Celebrate THAT singular fact.

This year, or any year, don't tread on that day which means much to me and to most other Americans, including those who read About.com or Wikipedia.com, even though you have indicated that is beneath you.

I get your point. Get mine: Pick your OWN day to protest that you can own ALL BY YOURSELVES, not July 4th. As an American -- and that my fellow American (and I assume you ARE American) -- July 4th is OUR Independence Day.

Don't try to highjack OUR 4th. If you are a true patriot, as the Tea Party Republican Party Maverick Party Whatever You Call Yourself Today Party likes to say it is, leave one day out of the year -- set it aside -- as a day that we decide to come together united, and celebrate our unique national oneness. Of course, if you don't want to, that's fine, and I will continue to criticize your mixed metaphor and lack of respect for what it means to be American, at least on this one day.

Looking forward: Will the next Tea Party protest be on Christmas Day? If so, you will get noticed, and not in a favorable light. To protest on the 25th is a mixed metaphor of a different sort, as in: One nation, under God, indivisible, if you are Christian ... or something along those factional lines.

In the meantime, grab a bottle of Samuel Adams or some French Broad brew and have a Happy, not Angry, 4th this year and every year. It's that simple.

To you and yours,
Byron Belzak

**

PAT WILLIAMS RESPONSE TO BYRON BELZAK

Byron,

Nice response, but you spent far too much time on it.
People like this are as immovable as the Rock of Gibraltar. You are never going to get through to them no matter how courteous or rational you try to be.

They aren't really interested in what anyone who does not already agree with them has to say.

-Pat Williams

**

BYRON BELZAK'S RESPONSE TO PAT WILLIAMS

Hello Pat Williams,

Thanks for your thoughtful comments. You are probably right. I probably did respond to a Rock of Gibraltar. However, my response was intended for the movable as well.

Happy 4th to you and yours,
Byron Belzak

Norbert Irvine's “Tipsy Cake,” mixed media diptych

UNC Asheville hosts mixed media exhibition by Asheville artist Norbert Irvine
"Reflective Iridescences on Canvas," a major exhibition of stunning mixed media pieces by one of Asheville's best contemporary artists, Norbert Irvine, at UNCA July 1 - August 6; public reception with artist July 13
*PUBLIC INVITED to free opening reception at noon on July 13, 2009, to meet contemporary artist Norbert Irvine | The unique show features some 12 colorful mixed media pieces. Irvine's works incorporate prismatic papers, glitter, acrylic, opalescent colors, permanent inks and commercial holographic paper. | One must see the works in person to experience the ever-changing play of colors that one enjoys viewing the works from different angles and in different lights. | The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. Irvine's works will be on view at UNC Asheville's Highsmith University Union Gallery July 1 - August 6, 2009. | A reception and artist talk will be held at noon Mon., July 13, in the gallery. For details and directions, Click Here>