Ever since the election of President Obama, there has been an emerging movement on the right. Independent groups such as the Sandpoint Tea Party Patriots and Friends of Liberty have all been lumped together under the grand banner of the Tea Party. With Constitutions and Federalist Papers in hand, they are the emerging face of the far right. They are a mixed bunch with a wide range of views. Ending gun control and the abolition of the Federal Reserve are just a couple of examples of the rather extremist ideas of these people. They are organized, passionate and are growing in numbers by the day. In many ways, it shows a sense of political activism that few Americans once had. However, for those who hold leftist or more moderate views, this is kind of scary.

This isn’t just a simple emergence of a new political party, but something entirely different. Now I can understand the need for extremist action every now and then. Sometimes it’s the only way to bring about real change. But when you’re stockpiling guns in order to combat the inevitable tyranny of the current administration and the oncoming rule by marshal law, maybe that’s taking dramatic actions a step too far. In fact, it kind of freaks me out. Passion and fear are both very dangerous things. Mix in politics, and you have a problem on a completely new level. While they’re still just under the radar now, they have the potential to do something extreme, possibly dangerous.

The Tea Party and its place in the American politics is a powder-keg issue that has the potential to explode in a violent uprising. Now, I’m normally not one to hate on Fox News, but organizations such as Glenn Beck’s 9/12 group are just egging these people on. Security and change won’t come through hoarding food and ammunition and telling these people that it will is no honorable way of spreading activism. I don’t know what it is more of: a national reflection of ego or twisted sense of a political agenda. Whatever the case, the Tea Party has grown to a level that I don’t think it was ever intended to reach.

What separates the current Tea Party, still just a myriad of grassroots campaigns, from becoming a truly mighty political force is a leader. No one has yet been able to unite these groups into a single force. Maybe it’s because their goals and ideas vary so greatly. Maybe it’s because of the nature of these organizations; no one is able to wear the mantle of leader. If it does happen, however, it’s going to be a scary day. There’s a possibility that something very unexpected could occur. There could be a dramatic shift in American politics where what was once considered the extreme becomes the norm. You can’t rule out the possibility of violence. All it takes is one wrong word or a simple misunderstanding to ignite the fuse on this issue. I can’t say I completely hate the Tea Party and what they’re doing to raise awareness on American politics, but their actions are misguided and can only lead to violence and a growth in the dichotomy that already exists in America.