A large crowd of Hopkins County citizens braved the triple-digit temperatures on Friday night to

hear a series of political speaches headlined by U.S. Congressman Ralph Hall and Texas Governor Rick Perry.

 

Texas Governor Perry Urges Citizens
To Dial "Fed-Up 95613," Friday Night

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

 

It was prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, the posting of the colors, patriotic songs including "The Star Spangled Banner,"a series of political speeches, and some "Ol' Fashioned" gospel preachin' that got the crowd "reved-up" at Friday night's second Tea Party, on the downtown square. Some 600 local residents braved triple-digit temperatures to make their way to the square, as they brought signs and exercised their first amendment rights to complain about the current government and offer their own solutions to the nation's problems, on the eve of the United States of America's 233rd birthday!

 

Carol Miller, left, was one of the organizers of the Hopkins County Tea Party, and introduced Monte Burke, right, who served as
Friday night's Master of Ceremonies.

 

 

Friday night's event began with local vocalist, Lisa Preuss, singing "America" and soon brought Carol Miller, organizer of the event to the speaker's podium to introduce, Monte Burke, who served as the Master of Ceremonies for the night. Each of them offered their own "pet pieves" about what government was doing wrong and mentioned concerns about upcoming legislation.

 

 

The bevy of local speakers included Art Romanoff, Erwin Cain, Chairman of the Hopkins County Republican Party, and later featured, Jordan Horne, a nineteen year old young man who earlier this year entered the political arena, seeking a Sulphur Springs City Council seat. However, it was Pastor C.J. Duffey, who worked the crowd with his plea for a return to the basic principles of Christianity and a reading of the Bible to get our country "back on the right track!"

 

Pastor C.J. Duffey offers a prayer for America and encouraged the group to return to Biblical principles to
'place our country back in a right relationship with God!"

 

 

Then, it was U.S. Congressman Ralph Hall who brought the crowd to their feet, as he made his way to "the stump." Hall, who represents the Fourth District in the U.S. Congress and is a native of Rockwall, began his speach with telling of a recent conversation he had conducted with President Obama, in which he voted against the Stimulus Package eight times. "I tried to help you out all I could!" explained Hall to Obama. "I voted against it every time it came up, but you just wouldn't listen to me!"

 

Fourth District Congressman Ralph Hall brought steady applause from the crowd as he made
pleas for our country to return to the conservative values that have sustained us for over 200
years.

 

Hall, introduced Texas Governor Rick Perry, who came to the crowd and immediately related making childhood memories in the shadows of the Hopkins County Courthouse, when his father leased some 300+ acres of land from A.W. "Fred" Adams, "out north of Sulphur Springs to run beef cattle!" "I remember coming to Sulphur Springs as a child and being awed by this imposing structure and she still remains grand and the center of activities here in Hopkins County," related Perry. "But, I'm here tonight to offer Texas to the U.S. as a blueprint for a way to end the recession. We've managed to create jobs, cut government spending, and increase our exports, while the U.S. has 'missed the boat' in all of those areas!"

 

Texas Governor Rick Perry took the podium and offered the state of
Texas as a "blueprint" for the way the federal government should operate.

 

"I was an Animal Science major at Texas A&M University and it doesn't take a rocket scientist, to know that you can't spend and borrow your way to prosperity, like some in our federal government seem to think!" continued Perry. "It's time for the government to be responsible to the people and let the private sector do what they do best, without government intervention!"

 

 

"I encourage each of you to take your cell phone and program into it 'Fed-Up 95613' to let me know, so I can forward it on to Washington, that we're 'fed-up' with the way things are going!" declared Perry. "We've got to cut federal spending, cut federal taxes, shrink federal government, and get back to the basics of the U.S. Constitution that has served this country for over 200 years!"

 

Perry tells Hopkins County residents to program their cell phones to "Fed-Up-95613" to  register
their complaints to federal spending and taxation!

 

Perry ended his "stump speach" with "God bless you, and through you, God bless America! We need God's help to get this country back on track!"

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