The LaGrange Patriots is firming up plans for its “TEA party” on Labor Day.

The free event, which gets its name from “taxed enough already,” is one of many planned across the nation. Others have been held on April 15, the federal income tax deadline, and on July 4.

“Despite what you see on television, … (the TEA parties are) all completely peaceful,” said Daniel Bryan, Webmaster and IT director for the LaGrange group. “They’re just good patriotic Americans that are finally getting the point they’re fed up with what’s going on in the government.”

The local “Stand Up For Freedom Tea Party” will be from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on La-fayette Square in LaGrange and will feature live music, food and entertainment, along with speakers defining the Patriots and their beliefs.

“It’s completely grass-roots,” Bryan said. “It’s just citizens wanting to make a difference.”

What began as three people around a kitchen table blossomed into more than 100 since the LaGrange group’s first official meeting July 7. A few weeks later, there was a permit to use the square. Now, the group has locked in a number of speakers, including Jonathan Krohn, a 14-year-old political prodigy from Duluth who has gained national attention, and Zell Mil-ler’s grandson, Bryan Miller, who will read a note written by the former Georgia governor and U.S. senator.

“I sometimes think we’ve been doing this for months,” said core committee member Gloria Livingston. “They’re are people in our country that still care about the values we care about.”

The grassroots organization would like to see its values and message of limited government and individual responsibility spread to the White House, down through the cabinets and all the way into the legislature - at the state and local levels as well.

“We want our local officials to know that we, in the future, we’ll be looking at candidates,” Livingston said. “We hope to have forums for them to come and express their views and their stands on things so that the community can become more informed about who they are electing to represent them.”

Boasting more than 200 people on an e-mail list and 600 people in its Facebook group, the LaGrange Patriots expect visitors from Newnan, Thomaston and Blairsville to join in the festivities.

Whoever shows up will be part of the party, Livingston said.

“We’re just trying to amass, get enough members together that Atlanta and Washington take notice,” Bryan said. “I’d like to see a couple of thousand people there.”

Trey Wood can be reached at twood@lagrangenews. com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 228.