Tea Party holds Independence Day event

HARLINGEN — Families gathered at the Harlingen Public Library on Saturday afternoon to ring in Independence Day with songs, face painting, ice cream and patriotic speeches in an event put on by the Harlingen Area Tea Party.

Event organizer Art Cohan explained that he and other Tea Party members wanted a local event to celebrate America and its long, proud history. Organizers initially played down Tea Party involvement in the event, Cohan said, explaining, “We didn’t want this to be a political event at all.”

Outside the library, volunteers handed out ice cream and other treats to children waiving American flags and nearby organizers had set up a face-painting booth.

Standing outside with her children, Amy Medrano said she came to Saturday’s event to make sure her young children would begin to understand the day’s importance.

“I want to make sure my kids learn what this is all about,” she said.

Cohan insisted that too often people forget to celebrate the history and importance behind Independence Day. “We knew we needed to do something for this day…Too many people ignore this holiday,” Cohan said.

Organizers gave away pocket-size copies of the U.S. Constitution, American flags and a small green flyer explaining the tenants of the Tea Party. Inside the auditorium, locals gathered to sing patriotic songs such as “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “America (My Country, Tis of Thee),” and hear speeches from local Tea Party members.

Speaking to those in the auditorium, Eric McCoy proclaimed proudly that Americans are blessed to live in “the greatest country on earth,” and said, “America has been that great blessing; it has been a shining city on a hill.”

Organizers also set up a voter registration table outside the auditorium, encouraging local residents to exercise their right to vote. “Claim that blessing, claim that responsibility that we all have,” McCoy told those in the crowd.