The Facts:

A group of about 1,000 Tea Party members went to the state capitol Thursday to protest taxation and federal influence.

Our Opinion:

The Tea Party deserves representation, but so do the millions of other North Carolinians. It does them a disservice when major political parties play to the likes of the Tea Party.

Many law-abiding Americans spend April 15 each year putting the last touches on their tax return, fulfilling one of the basic tasks of citizenry and contributing back to the system which provides all residents with rescue services and basic law and order — just to acknowledge a small part of what taxes go toward.

This image was in stark contrast to what members of the Tea Party did Thursday. The fringe element of about 1,000 people at the state capitol seized the day as an opportunity to protest Tax Day and, presumably, the state of the government.

The right of speech and protest are essential to American democracy, without them people are little more than pawns in the hands of the empowered.

But it’s disturbing to see political leaders — the empowered — acquiesce to a radical group like the Tea Party for fear of isolating a political base. Honestly, it’s pathetic to hear that the likes of Claude E. Pope Jr., chairman of the Wake County Republican Party, would go to speak at an event for the Tea Party. Radicals deserve representation, but not from a political party attempting to serve as an umbrella for a broad group of interests.

It speaks to the inefficiency of the U.S.’s two-party political system when an umbrella party which should represent a majority of constituents feels the need to hone in on a group of people defined by a desire to avoid taxes and fight federal influence.

Regardless of your political preferences, liberal or conservative, it’s disheartening to see this sort of mindless politics. For successful political discourse, political parties must be allowed to actually represent their constituents; neither umbrella party does that right now, with both playing preference to some of their most extreme elements. It’s not just the Tea Party; it’s the lack of political diversification.

Until Americans have a choice of viable third parties, these groups will continue to play a part in larger umbrella-like organizations.

Hence, it’s incumbent on students, the state’s future leaders, to press for real change. It’s essential students press the drive for a system that accommodates representation for a fringe like the Tea Party and the nearly 10,000,000 other North Carolinians.