Philly Tea Party: Don't Condemn All Of Wall Street

The Independence Hall Tea Party Association, a group dedicated to free enterprise and respect for the U.S. Constitution, announced yesterday that while it supports the free speech rights of all, including Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Philadelphia, it roundly deplores illegal behavior, including sit-ins that block the free movement of people and cargo.

"Was it really necessary for Occupy Wall Street to takeover the Brooklyn Bridge--and interfere with the rights of others to travel freely--in order to get their point of view across to the general public?" asked Association President Teri Adams.  "The Tea Party rejects such behavior and challenges Occupy Philadelphia to consider the rights of others when it protests on Thursday."

"The idea that Wall Street is the root of all evil is also an anathema to us.  Like any other institution, Wall Street has its corrupt figures--and such individuals should be dealt with accordingly," said Adams.  "But to condemn Wall Street, en masse, is akin to condemning our entire free enterprise system.

"Our Association deplores corporate bailouts (GM), corporate subsidies (Solyndra), and corporate welfare.  At the same time, however, we recognize the contributions and achievements of America's chambers of commerce. 

"If Occupy Philadelphia wishes to reform a corrupt corporation let it start with the world's largest, the United States government, which routinely wastes billions of taxpayers dollars and seeks to interject itself into every aspect of our lives--threatening our very freedoms," she said.

"Currently, the federal government, led by the Obama Administration, is stifling the American economy with its reckless deficit spending and zealous over-regulation of the private sector economy.

"The result has been a disastrous three-year-plus recession (which many are now calling a depression) that has devastated American families with its high unemployment rate and its built-in cost of living increases."