Sponsored by We Surround Them - Jones County, T.E.A. Party II attracted a large number of citizens from Laurel and the surrounding area fed up with the current state of the nation. T.E.A. stands for Taxed Enough Already, a core of the 9-12 Project and its Laurel-based affiliate.

Richard Conrad, president of the local We Surround Them, said the purpose of the T.E.A. parties, scheduled to take place across the country, was to help citizens adopt the “Spirit of 1776.”

“Do you believe in the U.S. Constitution, the founding fathers’ principles and their documents?” he asked those gathered. “Then, you just might be a radical. We can no longer sit on the sidelines. We have the right to assemble, the right to petition our government and the right to vote. If our elected officials don’t abide by the U.S. Constitution, we have the power to vote them out.”

That message was further elaborated on by guest speaker Charles W. Pickering Sr., a former federal judge for the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Pickering said the U.S. has shown the “Spirit of 1776” in several areas, such as coming to the aid of other countries and breaking race and gender barriers. However, in other areas the country “has strayed from our moorings and heritage,” he said.

“Judges are now making laws, deciding democracy is too slow and people are not significantly enlightened,” Pickering said. “The Congress and the President are also passing an enormous tax burden on to our unborn children and grandchildren. That is taxation without representation.”

Pickering noted that spending is out of control with the national debt likely to double within 10 years at the current rate. That equates to a further devalued dollar and increased difficulty for young couples purchasing homes, automobiles, etc.

Pickering said the culture war has further polarized America on issues such as abortion, God in the public arena, pornography and marriage. But, he added that there is still hope.

“We can’t solve problems by playing the blame game, using stronger language or a louder voice,” he said. “We must use logic and reason of ideas. We must have politicians who set aside personal interests and partisan gains. It’s not a race and not easy or quick. We have to be in for the long haul if we want to make a difference.”

Pickering concluded by referencing a famous quote from a speech Winston Churchill delivered to a group of students in 1941. “When it comes to reinstilling the ‘Spirit of 1776,’ never, never, never give up.”

Throughout the event, many including Pat Troop, waived an American flag or displayed signs with such sayings as “You Can’t Multiply Wealth By Dividing It.”

“We’ve got to have big business,” Troop said. “Because without it, people won’t have places to work. We also can’t continue to give stuff away because people will stop working hard to get it.”

Other supporters praised Pickering, who knows firsthand about dealing with partisan politics. “I appreciate Judge Pickering so much not only for what he’s done in Mississippi but for our country,” said James Nichols, a member of We Surround Them - Jones County. “In order to turn our country around, we have to put God back in the situation.”

Sharon Howard, a member of the We Surround Them - Jones County steering committee, said those who support the Constitution and share similar beliefs must remain active. “We have to find patriotic sites on the Internet and write articles,” she said. “It’s so important in keeping our country. We’re going to lose our independent nation if we don’t get involved.”

The 9-12 Project is a non-partisan political group that advocates “a return to principles and values in our government and which encourages citizen involvement to let Congressmen know the individual preferences of the voters.” The group has espoused nine principles and 12 values to spread its message.

We Surround Them - Jones County will next sponsor a Youth T.E.A. Party at 6 p.m. July 11 at the Jones County Courthouse, as well as a coffee discussion at 9 a.m. July 25. For more information, visit www.meetup.com/wesurroundthemjonescounty.