>Philip R. O’Connor has written an amazing piece of Americana. This item was published in the Chicago Tribune, on Sunday, October 3, 2010:

President George Washington signed the Tea Enhancement Act (TEA) requiring all Americans over the age of 12 to partake weekly of the stimulating beverage at a tea shoppe or pay a tax penalty. Penalty funds will be used to buy tea for low-income citizens and small businesses. “Regularly taking tea together will honor the brave men who carried out the Boston Tea Party, even though in their enthusiasm they insensitively impersonated Native Americans and polluted Boston Harbor,” said the president. “Tea kept us warm at Valley Forge and I believe that tea, rather than foul-tasting coffee, should be our national drink.” A New York senator supported the law, saying that “making tea parties mandatory will prevent some extremist group in the future from nefariously purloining the tea party brand.

George Washington did not know that in the future, most Americans would prefer “foul-tasting coffee” rather than tea.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

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Tags: Tea, Coffee, George Washington, Tea Enhancement Act