By Caleb Campbell
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkms/local-wkms-884080.mp3
Nashville, TN – The First National Tea Party Convention has attracted 600 leaders in the grassroots movement to Nashville for the weekend. And they all bring their own views of what the Tea Party is and should be. Nashville Public Radio's Blake Farmer reports.
Part of the reason for the convention is to chart a course for where the Tea Party movement goes after a year of rallies against bank bailouts and big government tat attracted thousands.
Diane Canney of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, says the movement is all about fiscal conservatism.
"There's all ages, all races. We have several gay members in our group. When I tell people, they look at me like, no way.' Yeah. If you truly know gay people, they like fiscal responsibility too."
But others like Grant Sowell from Tupelo, Mississippi say social issues should also be part of a Tea Party platform.
"I do personally bring in the social issues. As a youth pastor, if someone is gay, for instance, I don't condemn them. I share God's love with them and God's truth. And I council people and I've helped many people come out of that lifestyle."
One of the sessions in the convention is "why Christians must engage" and another is "5 easy fixes to the high cost of mass immigration."