The second Asheville Tea Party was a lot of fun. Folks said a thousand people had shown up. Hundreds were there when I arrived an hour late, and I did pass several leaving early because they got “colded out.” The signs were impressive, quoting the Founding Fathers on tyranny and regulation, complaining about the deficit with numbers, demanding in clever ways the fruits of one’s labors.

One guy wore a T-shirt that said, “It’s a cookbook.” I didn’t get it, so I asked. He reminded me about the episode of the Twilight Zone, “To Serve Man.” Most signs were clever. Some were obscene, reflecting a little more than frustration with legislators bent on socialism. One of the most memorable signs was a big cardboard box that read, “I can’t afford poster board.”

It was fun to be surrounded by people who admitted that government couldn’t continue to supply something from nothing; fans of history and economics who loved the principles upon which the nation was founded. It instilled the sensation that the world had not run amock. About 90% of passersby honked, waved, and/or gave a thumbs up.

One man got ticketed by the police. He decorated his bicycle with a big, cardboard dollar bill with spoofs (like $0 in the corners). He said the officer wanted to charge him for not wearing a helmet. He said it was not required and waited half an hour while two cyclists without helmets sped by and the officer checked the law. Finding the patriot was correct, the officer fined him $140 for obstructing traffic.

All in all, it was a great place to network and make friends. Some of the more prominent local conservatives had gone to Raleigh or the Alamo. Check out the strange comments online, though.