TEA Party Heads to Williamsburg to Question the Founding Fathers

by Karen Hatter | August 2, 2010 at 08:53 am

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Of late, executives of Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia report an increase in those associated with the TEA Party in attendance at the theme park.

At the park, in Colonial Williamsburg, where one is meant to be transported to the early American 17th century, it has been noted TEA Partiers engage the actors portraying Patrick Henry and George Washington, loudly applauding their speeches and seeking the advice of actors, in character as Founding Fathers, on how to overcome the present day tyranny in which they believe they find themselves currently living.

The over 300 acres of Colonial Williamsburg offer the re-creation of numerous buildings constructed with concern for detail and authenticity.

The tourist, a self-described conservative activist named Ismael Nieves from Elmer, N.J., nodded thoughtfully. Afterward, he said this was his fifth visit to Colonial Williamsburg.
"We live in a very dangerous time," Nieves said. "People are looking for leadership, looking for what to do. They're looking to Washington, Jefferson, Madison."

"I want to get to know our Founding Fathers," he added. "I think we've forgotten them. It's like we've almost erased them from history."

It's a common point of view among tea party activists. They say their unhappiness with Washington reflects how far the federal government has strayed, through taxation and regulation, from the Founders' intentions.

"They all should come here and listen," said Bob Rohrbacher, a retired plumber from Floral Park, N.Y., who opposes President Obama and was inspired to visit Williamsburg while watching Glenn Beck on Fox News. "They've forgotten about America."