Greenville American Patriots make opinions heard

Dozens of Hunt County residents gathered last Thursday afternoon in front of Crossroads Mall in Greenville, braving wind and the occasional heckler to express their anger and fear at the direction the United States is headed. The protesters were part of the Greenville Area Patriots (GAP), an organization born of the local Tea Party movement.

"This is not any kind of political party," Gary Moses, 60, of Greenville said. "We're the ‘sick and tired' party."

GAP members acquired signatures for a petition they plan to hand-deliver to Texas Governor Rick Perry, asking that Texas reject the health insurance reform legislation passed by Congress on March 21.

"Health care [reform] is not about health care," Barb Ashcraft said. "It's about power."

President Barack Obama's election and the success of his health insurance reform legislation has caused Tea Party groups and other similar organizations to spring up across the U.S.. According to a poll published Wednesday on the New York Times' Web site, 18 percent of Americans identify with the Tea Party movement. These people are typically white, male, better-educated and wealthier than the general population, according to the poll.

"Obama's from Chicago, and he brought the thugs with him," Barb's husband, Mike Ashcraft said. "That's Chicago politics."

The protesters held Texas, American and Gadsden flags, as well as numerous signs expressing their distaste with the current U.S. government. The messages focused on high government spending and liberal fiscal policies.

"Basically, we're scared and worried for our country," Ashcraft said. "We feel like the early patriots; they probably felt the same way."

While a few drivers disagreed with the protesters, they received far more honks of support than negative feedback. The group plans to continue petitioning and protesting as the mid-term November elections approach.