Meridian Tea Party will be hosting its first Patriots in the Plaza Fundraiser this Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Dumont Plaza in hopes of raising money to further their billboard campaign.

    The Meridian chapter has been active since June of last year, and they have recently decided to start reaching out to people beyond the community. Their goal is not to form a third political party, but to inform the public.

    “What [the Tea Party] is is people’s neighbors and friends getting together and finding out they are not the only ones out there that feels the way they feel,” Paul Tarver, Meridian Tea Party board member said. “It is an opportunity for people to get involved in the political process.”

    Contrary to what has been seen in some national news coverage, Tarver said that waving picket signs, screaming and yelling is not how they intend to get their points across. They have instead been working on a billboard campaign for the past few months.

    The first billboard is already up and reads: “Help take our country back…one politician at a time.” They are hoping to raise enough money at the fundraiser this weekend to have the next one up by the election this fall.

    “We have been raising money to keep the billboards up until November to raise awareness, remind people to vote, give them a chance to visit our website, become more familiar with the issues and maybe see things from a different perspective,” Tarver said.

    Tarver said the Tea Party name comes from the Boston Tea party, “in the early days of America when people got frustrated with taxation without representation.” The people expressed their frustration, and the Meridian Tea Party is an organization that allows the members to do just that in a healthy way.

    “[The Tea Party] is the most unique organization that I have ever seen,” Tarver said. “It started from scratch in separate communities all over the country independently. Every Tea Party is different.”

    The three principles that the Tea Party focuses on are constitutional fidelity, fiscal responsibility and personal responsibility. The members keep their ideas cornerstoned around those central ideas in their pursuit of informing the public and becoming actively involved in politics.

    “In our minds, the billboard campaign fits in perfectly with those three things because constitutionally we still have freedom of speech, so we are saying what we want to say; from a fiscal standpoint, we are working really hard to keep our costs down, and there is no cost for anyone to be a part of Meridian Tea Party; and it is our personal responsibility to raise money if we want to do stuff that helps us get these messages out,” Tarver said.

    Squealers BBQ plates will be available for $7 each, and companies or groups who buy 10 or more get them delivered for free. There will also be live music. Plates will be sold the day of the event, but pre-orders are preferred.

    “If you’re planning a big weekend for July fouth, why not start a little bit early on the second and get a great lunch, help out a good cause, save some money and come out and listen to some good music?” Tarver said. “Come enjoy the day with us.”

    To reserve your Squealers BBQ plate, volunteer, or simply ask a few questions, call (601) 323-3363.