TEA party questioned

Dear Editor,

Here are some questions to ponder…

In an article in the Aug. 20 Star-Observer, Mayor Dean Knudson characterized the pro-handgun/anti-government event scheduled for Oct.17 as an open carry picnic and indicated that he didn’t have any problem with an open carry event being held in Hudson. Police Chief Jensen concurred. Yet in his Oct. 8 letter to the editor, “Ole” Olson revealed that he did not meet with the two men until Aug. 30. Why did Knudson and Jensen commit Hudson to hosting such a controversial event before they met with its organizer?

In his previous letter to the editor “Ole” labeled as a “gross misstatement” a quote concerning the merging of the TEA party and the open carry picnic. The most startling fact is that those are his words. On 9/5/09 I accessed a website called twincitiescarry.com that carried an interview with “Ole” in which he made the following statement: “We are billing this as an Open Carry TEA Party for the purpose of dispelling the hysteria created by the drive-by media about citizens recently showing up at town hall meetings armed.” A story in the Oct. 9 St. Paul Pioneer Press carried the same quote attributed to “Ole”. In both cases, he was talking about the upcoming event in Hudson. Tel us, “Ole”, did you or did you not make this statement?

Is the presence of the TEA party folks supposed to make the gun-toters more palatable to the concerned citizens of Hudson or vice versa? What is clear is that both groups will unite under the big Republican tent of anger right here in River City. What Hudson gets is a bigger armed and angry crowd. What the mayor gets is the chance to schmooze and polish up his conservative credentials. At the same time, he wants us to think that he had no choice but to let this event take place in Hudson. Do you believe that? I don’t.

Is Lakefront Park offered free of charge to “Ole” Olson? If not, what is the tab for using the park and who is picking up the tab? Who pays for the M.C. services of Sue Jeffers of Fox Radio affiliate KTLK-FM, home of Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck? How much money in county and state Republican party funds bankrolled this celebration of handguns and anti-government propaganda? I bet we don’t get any answers!

Tags: open carry, tea party, opinion, letters