Hundreds Attend Tea Party Rally At CourthouseHundreds of people stood on the Kosciusko County Courthouse lawn Saturday morning to show their concern for being taxed enough already.
Kosciusko County Silent No More held a two-hour peaceful tea party rally that was attended by approximately 250 people.
Attendees held signs and flags that said "Don't Tread On Me", "Give Me Liberty Not Debt", and "Tax And Spend Is There No End?"
Monica Boyer, Silent No More co-founder, said the attendees are not opposed to paying taxes, but concerned with the way the country is losing its freedoms and wreckless government spending.
"We wanted to get off our couches and be heard and I hope those who attended today are energized and educated on how to take back the house and country in November," Boyer said.
Al McClelland, Warsaw, was dressed as a patriot and held a sign that expressed his concern with Congress not reading the health care bill before passing it and said that was treason."We elected through a representative government people to protect our needs and defend our Constitution and they did not do their job," McClelland said.
He said he would like to see the House and Senate meet in an ethics committee and review the ethics performance of the senators and representatives. He said they are not representing the taxpayers of the country with their lack of responsibility to the Constitution.
Susan Bruce, Warsaw, said she attended the rally because she is fearful of her freedom being taken away.
"I believe our freedoms are slipping away from us and I want to do what I can to make a statement and be out here today with a group of people who are not sitting on the couch and being silent," Bruce said.
Max Beer, Milford, held a sign that read "Investigate 9/11."
"I'm here to support the tea party and I believe in lower taxes, less government and with God's will, a better world," Beer said.
He said he feels the country is under the control of a shadowed government and said President Barack Obama is a controlled puppet for international bankers and multinational corporations.
Bob Berbyshire, Warsaw, said he is concerned that the government is running the deficit up, and the value of the dollar is dropping and higher taxes will cost more jobs.
"It is a cycle running in the wrong direction and we need to get rid of the current administration," Berbyshire said.
Wes Arendt, Syracuse, said he also is concerned about the direction the U.S. is headed.
"I want to let people know I care and am concerned that government is too big and putting us into debt that we can't handle," Arendt said.
Emery Mclendon, a World War II veteran, from Fort Wayne, was the featured speaker.
"I feel it is important for us to be here as Americans because our country is slipping toward what other countries have," Mclendon said.
He said the U.S. is slipping to be a socialist country with the loss of liberty, freedom and the will of the people who want to stand up to defend their country and rights.
"People have died and fought wars to continue to have the rights we have and if we don't fight we will one day wake up and not have freedom," Mclendon said.
Dr. Tom Haney, former U.S. Senate candidate, and a surgeon at Kosciusko Community Hospital, spoke.
Haney said the health care plan is not about health care or reform.
"It is about taking away power and freedom from individuals, families, companies, communities and states under the guise of healthcare reform," Haney said.
He said the new health care law raises Medicare by half a billion dollars and essentially taxes physicians another 21 percent to take care of Medicare patients.
He said he is concerned that more than 95 percent of self-employed physicians will opt out of Medicare and about 50 percent of hospitals will close or restructure due to the health care bill.
