Controversial Film Gets Local Tea Party Support

The controversial film Agenda: Grinding Down America (2010) was screened at the Sun City Library in Menifee on June 30, and its moving across the Southland -- sparking debate along the way.

The film, created by former Idaho Rep. Curtis Bowers and released in September 2010, was screened Thursday night for about 100 people during the Redlands Tea Party Patriots monthly general meeting.

Tea Partiers say several liberal groups and organizations, such as the ACLU and labor unions like teacher’s associations, are slowly chipping away at the nation’s foundation by eroding family values and moving away its Christian roots, and the film addresses this theme, they say.

The documentary-style film looks at “the people and groups that have successfully targeted America’s morality and freedom in their effort to grind America down,” according to the film’s promoters.

Images of Stalin, Hitler and Lenin are peppered throughout the film. Charts to illustrate the connections from so many socialist leaders upward to President Barack Obama and the White House are shown.

“What we’d like you to do is get the movie, invite people to your home and share it,” said Phillip Naman, member and spokesman for the Redlands Tea Party Patriots. “Let them see what’s happening. Buy some more copies and pass them on. That’s really what we want to see happening.”

Members of MoveOn.org who attended the screening were said they were appalled by some of the images. Zoe Lane, MoveOn.org Redlands council coordinator, said she was saddened by the producer’s constant appeal to members of the Christian faith.

The film makes reference to liberals and socialists working to erode Christian and family values.

“They blatantly use peoples' faith to guilt them and scare them into supporting a specific political ideology,” Lane said. “And I think that's very wrong. There is nothing in Christianity that tells you to hate and fear your neighbor the way this film promoted, with such lines as, and I believe this is a direct quote, ‘These are not just people with different ideas, they are a dangerous, dangerous enemy, intent on overthrowing the country.’

“And to not see how they are the ones taking a page right out of the Fascism playbook, I mean, the lack of self-awareness among this crowd would be laughable if it weren't so disturbing,” Lane continued.

Tea Party members, however, say the information in the film is true.

“I think the movie is very real,” said 18-year-old Lindsey Livoni. “And I think the movie is very scary.”

She said she has seen the degradation of education. It concerned her that homosexually themed subjects are discussed with children as early as kindergarten.

The night went smoothly for organizers, even after opposition arose from members of the MoveOn.org district that recently launched in the area. Individual members of the organization sent requests to Assemblyman Mike Morrell, who was scheduled to speak to the group, not to attend.

The assemblyman chose to attend, but arrived after the film started and had dinner in another part of the restaurant while the movie played to its end.

Prior to the , Sun City resident Ted Wegener, a member of the Mid Empire Republican Assembly and founding member of Conservative Activists, a local group that also promotes GOP ideals, said Agenda provides a closer look at “this country’s Communist path.”

“The Democrats have a dangerous Socialist agenda that is really Communism,” he said.