By now, you’ve read Frank Rich’s latest warning about the Tea Party movement. You share his concern — fear might be a more accurate word — that a cadre exists within the movement, however loose it may be, that will have no qualms about using violence to further their aims. And while “getting rid of government” may seem like their real goal, Tea Party hero and philosopher-in-chief has a different goal in mind:

“Progressivism is a cancer in America,” said Beck, “and it’s eating our Constitution — and it was meant to eat our Constitution.”

Beck’s prognosis? Progressivism “must be cut out of the system.” That’s right. Our movement to bring full civil rights to all people, to end Washington’s disregard for those who are not wealthy, to use government to serve the American people, to end war and American military-corporate hegemony overseas, and ensure all elections are free and open — our movement to ensure “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for all Americans is seen as a cancer destroying America and must be eradicated.

And yet a vast, possibly unbridgeable gulf exists between progressives and the Tea Partiers. Why? We both oppose much of what’s going on in DC, we want to be left alone to live our lives, we hate the Patriot Act, we don’t believe American wealth should be used to prop up governments around the world, and we believe in the Constitution. Going through that abbreviated list points out the problem, of course: government. Progressives support a representative democracy that serves all people, and the Tea Partiers pretty much hate all government.

That’s a hell of a gulf.

The majority of Americans, I believe, share some of the Tea Partiers’ fear and dislike of government, but they also want the services provided by government, be it Medicare, the highway system, police and fire, safe food and the possibility that medical care might become affordable again in the future. Few Americans actually want to get rid of government; they just want it to be responsive to “them”. More and more Americans think they are getting ignored while others — bankers, illegal immigrants, welfare cheats, rich people, whoever — are getting are getting preferential treatment.

That is the Progressive Challenge: working to restore a government “of the people, by the people, for the people”. That is why my progressive motto is “Progressive is a verb”. Until we who call ourselves progressives get involved in the political process and work to make government at all levels responsive to “we the people”, the threat from the Tea Party movement will continue to grow. Congress won’t help; even when they pass good legislation, it’s watered-down and the Dems do a crap job of selling the benefits to the American people. At best we can hope for adequate legislation that makes a positive difference for the people who need it most; the health care reform being proposed is an improvement on the status quo and will help millions.

But in so many ways, that kind of outcome from Congress is so far from good enough.

Republicans will make gains in November’s election, and Congress will become even more gridlocked. Obama’s re-election may hinge on voter anger shifting back to the GOP and the lack of any credible opponent in 2012. Meanwhile, anti-government feelings will continue to grow, dangerously as Rich points out, leaving progressives with only one choice: We have to take over government.

Peacefully, of course; through the political process. Not just elections, although those are important. There are a multitude of opportunities to become part of the process and influence what our governments are doing. Cities and counties have citizen committees (I belong to the Multnomah County Citizen Involvement Committee), as does Metro. All government meetings are open and invite public comment, both in general and to specific actions. Many local politicians provide access via Facebook and Twitter. Organizations exist to bring together citizens who care about an issue and work effectively. Grassroots candidates are stepping up to challenge ineffective incumbents — Jesse Cornett is poised to oust Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who has made a terrible mess of the Police Bureau — and citizens can work to support those candidates.

The list is nigh-on endless: things you can do to change and impact government, to further the goals of the progressive movement. And guess what? If you don’t, the more extreme elements of the Tea Party movement will gain time, traction and energy. The next Joe Stack, as Rich writes, may be better equipped to emulate Timothy McVeigh. We have the power and responsibility to stop that from happening by proving the Tea Partiers wrong on the most important issue of the day:

Government is not the enemy; government is us.