by Matt Kibbe , President, www.FreedomWorks.org 

RELATED: Action Alert: Tax Increases face April 21 deadline

This past week was a historic one for those who love freedom. Hundreds of thousands of Americans came out to protest the massive government spending that is burdening our country with huge debt and future tax increases. From main streets in small towns, to county courthouses and state capitols, your voice was heard loud and clear. The sight of over 15,000 freedom-loving Americans protesting in downtown Atlanta was incredible. I was thrilled to be a guest at that "tea party" and was inspired by the local organizers who put it together.

People came out of their homes and into the streets to stand together and say "Enough!" But the liberal media and some pundits would have you believe only a few people showed up, and that those who did were not representative of the American people. Of course you and I know the truth and we know that April 15th, 2009 was just the beginning of something huge.

We must keep our momentum going, and keep the pressure on our elected officials as they vote on how much more of our money they will spend, and how much more of our money they will confiscate. Congress is back in session this week, and the champions of big government will be working to pass a massive budget, a new national energy tax, government-run healthcare, and other policies that would cripple our economy even further.

Many of you have been discussing the next steps for the "tea party" movement. I've heard some great ideas about how to follow up on our historic day. I'd like to share some of those with you, and ask you to save the date for another big day: 9-12-2009.

FreedomWorks will be partnering with other like-minded grassroots organizations and local organizers to plan a massive, historic March on Washington on September 12, 2009 at the U.S. Capitol. Please sign up today, and keep checking our website for updates and travel information for the March on Washington. We have been inspired by your involvement in this cause, and we believe that we can work together to send a message to the politicians in Washington that we've had enough of the wasteful spending, trillion dollar deficits, bailouts, and taxes.

While you plan for the March on Washington on 9-12-2009, you should also remain active in this movement in your own community. Here are some ideas to do just that:

1. Stay active and organized. Don’t let the momentum fade away by becoming dormant. Keep the fire lit with regular meetings, and regular online communications.

2. Get some political training. Take advantage of institutions like FreedomWorks and The Leadership Institute that offer grassroots leadership training. Read books about organizing, and apply the best practices to your own group.

3. Recruit new people to the cause. Take advantage of the national media attention and find people that want to get involved in the movement. Focus on getting all of your volunteers to bring new people to each meeting, and motivate the new members to get involved in specific activities right away.

4. Plan a tea party outside your congressman’s district office on July 4th. Office locations can easily be found on the House of Representatives website.

If we continue to stay involved and focus on recruiting more people to our cause, we can make a huge impact this year to disrupt the “road to serfdom” that is being paved with our own tax dollars. Please join FreedomWorks and the other great organizations combining forces to make this the moment when the American people rise up to defend our liberty against those who would plunder our treasury and burden our children and grandchildren with debt and devastating new taxes.

Together, we can write our own history as a people, and take our country back.