Teabag Encounter

Last week, the racist anti-immigrant American Border Patrol founder, Glenn Spencer, hosted a tea party event on his land which borders Mexico. I attended.

I drove about five miles of rutted desert roadway to his property where I saw canopies, flags, and a few hundred people milling about (some press reported a few thousand). I have a few bumper stickers I knew those in attendance wouldn't approve of. I didn't want to cause a problem, and I sure didn't want my car damaged, so I parked right in front of a sheriff's deputy, a half-mile hike to the property. Safe.

I was noticed walking up the dusty road, so of course one of the security men (no security women) drove on down to look at my car. Saw the offending bumper sticker. Soon, I was tracked down and told to leave the property. I was referred to as "that woman who has the SUV with the 'no to SB1070' sticker on her car."

I'd been there long enough to hear JD Hayworth disparage John McCain and, of course, the President. I'd seen reactionary, right-wing signs and t-shirts for sale. I'd seen plenty of gun-toting men and women. I was there long enough to hear the rush of excitement ripple through the crowd when sheriff Joe (racist Maricopa County sheriff) was introduced.

As I was listening to Joe's opening remarks, a man laden with all kinds of gear approached me. He told me the owner of the property wanted me to leave. I asked why, saying I was listening and learning, and his only response was that the owner wanted me off the property.

I asked him to call Glenn Spencer, and that if he asked me to leave, I would. I told the man there was no reason for me to know what his authority was, and repeated that I wanted to have the owner ask me to leave. Instead, he called someone else who told him to notify the sheriff and have me ticketed and/or arrested.

I told the man in front of me that this wouldn't look very good, told him I had a press pass, but to no avail. I left, mostly because I didn't want to make a scene. There were some, to me, VERY scary looking people there - all armed. I didn't want a reason for them to take notice of me.

Strolling back to my car, I wondered how it is we can ever know one another if one side refuses to let the other even listen to what they have to say. How can we engage in a dialogue if one side won't speak to the other? How can we ever find common ground?

About my car: A number of people photographed it, the license plate, and the offending bumper sticker. I was glad I'd parked across from a deputy.