In a letter last week to the editor of the USA Today, Tom Geronimo, from Crystal River, FL, stated “Saturday, outside the U.S. Capitol, we saw people using the N-word and spitting on a black congressman. This demonstrated what we've known, and what the Tea Party has been denying, all along: this is not about policy; it's about race. Bigots control the conservative movement in this country, and the Republican Party panders to them.” Having framed the discussion as a racial one, Mr. Geronimo then went on to quote financial facts that he believes indicates the country is on right track.
While Mr. Geronimo is entitled to his own opinion, he is not entitled to his own facts. Subsequent news interviews and investigation by the Capitol police revealed no video evidence or audio evidence that supports his purported claim of racial epithet or spitting to be true. At best, we have one person’s word against another. Vitriolic, unsubstantiated attacks do little to advance the debate, which is not about race, but about smaller government, fiscal responsibility, personal accountability, and a return to constitutional principles.
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