His prayers were answered.
In the last year there has been a groundswell of protesters around the country calling themselves Tea Partiers. They are firmly aligned against taxing and government spending in general, and the Obama administration's economic policies in particular. They have expressed themselves through big rallies, confronting congresspeople at town hall meetings, and voting Republican. And the Tea Party is even active here in NYC.
Urban Infidel is a NYC blog that chronicles the Tea Party movement and this new conservative counter-culture. And it does it in a very interesting way. Instead of regular blog posts and links, it documents it through original photography and on-the-scene reporting (unlike most of us thumbsucking bloggers, Urban Infidel actually enters the fray and chronicles it first-hand). Although Urban Infidel claims not to be either an official Tea Partier or a straight-line Republican voter, the blog strongly supports the Tea Party's goals. Urban Infidel was kind enough to answer my questions about the blog and the Tea Party movement here in NYC:
What's your blog about and why did you call it Urban Infidel?
My blog is a photo-documentary of the political scene in New York City. I photograph mainly political demonstrations and political street art. I also like to cover parades such as the Veterans Day Parade and the Muslim Day Parade. Unlike most bloggers, I don’t blog everyday –who has the time?—and I don’t do running commentary on day-to-day news items. All of the content is original, so there may only be a couple of new posts each month.
I initially created the blog to entertain my friends and then it just evolved from there. I was inspired by zombie at zombietime.com who has been doing an amazing job photographing political demonstrators among other things in San Francisco. I thought, ‘Hey, I have a camera and I live in NY. I can do that too!’ The name ‘Urban Infidel’ just came to me. The words had a nice ring to them. It just felt right.
What's your blog about and why did you call it Urban Infidel?
My blog is a photo-documentary of the political scene in New York City. I photograph mainly political demonstrations and political street art. I also like to cover parades such as the Veterans Day Parade and the Muslim Day Parade. Unlike most bloggers, I don’t blog everyday –who has the time?—and I don’t do running commentary on day-to-day news items. All of the content is original, so there may only be a couple of new posts each month.
I initially created the blog to entertain my friends and then it just evolved from there. I was inspired by zombie at zombietime.com who has been doing an amazing job photographing political demonstrators among other things in San Francisco. I thought, ‘Hey, I have a camera and I live in NY. I can do that too!’ The name ‘Urban Infidel’ just came to me. The words had a nice ring to them. It just felt right.
Starting out I never thought anyone would actually even read it but then things took off and my work began appearing in places like Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, Jihad Watch, The American Thinker, National Review Online, Instapundit, FrontPage Magazine, Atlas Shrugged, The Religion of Peace, Islam Watch and Pajamas Media and many more. All of which makes me very proud.
What made you join the Tea Party movement? Is it hard to be a Republican/Tea Partier in NYC?
I’ve been attending political demonstrations since 2006, so in a way the Tea Party kind of joined me. For years in this town there were only a very small handful of conservative activists countering the rampant leftist madness. So I am thrilled to see Americans who have never been to a rally of any kind in their lives freely exercising their First Amendment rights.
I support the Tea Party movement. But I am not a member. I haven’t joined anything as I am not generally a joiner. The Tea Party movement is one of the best things to happen in America. It has reinvigorated our political process. I am not a Republican. I am an independent voter and a former Democrat. I will be registering as an Independent. Is it hard to be a conservative in NYC? Yes, sometimes. Most of my friends and colleagues are liberals, but I’m used to that. But I stick to my guns and vote for the best person for the job, never just along party lines. I voted for Rudy Giuliani three times; the first time when he ran against Dinkins and lost and then again for his two victories. I took a lot of heat from my friends for that.
The Tea Party believes that the Federal government spends too much money. What should the government should spend less money on - and how much less?
...
The top marginal income tax rate is 35%. How much lower should it be?
President Bush racked up huge deficits during his eight years in office. Why didn't the Tea Party get started then?
The Tea Party started because of the mortgage bailouts and went from there. It was accelerated by the healthcare and stimulus bills and Obama’s government spending that has far exceeded the Bush administration. I think that the current administration is also viewed by many as the most radical that this country has ever seen. This has people understandably worried about the future.
I am a native and have a deep relationship to this city. New York is the greatest city in the world and a place for opportunities of every kind imaginable. I am truly lucky to have been born here.
The future of the Tea Party in NYC? There are over 70 Tea Party organizations in New York State. The Tea Party, in whatever form, loose or organized, isn’t going anywhere. I hope it encourages more people to run for office and get involved in our political processes.
Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please keep it civil, intelligent, and expletive-free. Otherwise, opine away.