Seeds of Wisdom: "There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of happenings." -- Dorothy Thompson, a prominent journalist, political commentator (1893-1961)
I've been suffering from brain freeze lately. You know, like when you eat something cold and you get that pain between your eyes. I've been taking in too much information. It freezes up my brain and I can't write, even though I desperately want to. I have to do something, so I've just decided to grab a random thought and run with it. I hope I don't babble incoherently.
When Ned Lamont won the Democratic primary in CT last Tuesday, I listened as the Republicans quickly started cranking up sirens of fear. "Over here, over here," they cry, "We'll keep you safe you from the big bad Terrorists!" Yeah right. The only thing they are keeping us safe from is freedom and democracy.
I don't know why people think Bush & Company will protect them, but far too many still do. And those same people will vote Republican in 2006 and again 2008 (that is if we are still having elections then.) What is it about that man, about this government that makes people think they are intent on keeping the nation safe? If they were, they would have continued to chase and capture Osama bin Laden. But they didn't. Instead, they followed the Neo-Con white rabbit down this hole they call "The war in Iraq."
It was a war back when it started in March of 2003. An illegal war foisted on us, and the Iraqi people, through lies and intimidation - fear, plain and simple. Members of this administration frightened us with "Weapons of Mass Destruction" and "smoking guns" in the form of "mushroom clouds." Donald Rumsfeld told us the war would last "6 days, maybe 6 weeks, I doubt 6 months." In one way he was correct. On May 1, 2003 Bush strode out onto the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and declared "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed." What we now have is an occupation that the administration and the mainstream press persist in calling "The War"
It is no longer a war. It's an Occupation! How can we ever hope to take back control of the country if we can not even control the language.
Way back in December of 2001, I had an argument with a friend about the searches the management of the Meadowlands Sports complex had put into place to "keep us safe" from terrorists while watching hockey games. Way back then, I saw the beginnings of the freedom erosion. Way back then, I knew it was just beginning and would never stop. I told my friend that I thought the searches were ridiculous, and weren't doing the least bit to keep us safe. I told him that that aura of safety that he and others felt was just an illusion. It wasn't real safety. I also told him that most Americans don't know about hockey, so why would a terrorist chose to blow up a hockey game - but that's another issue altogether.
Or maybe it's not. Maybe that is the crux of the issue. This administration and those that are doing their bidding are just doing the window dressing of safety. They are like those sets in Hollywood where the buildings look real, but they are just facades. That's what we have - just safety facades with no real safety supporting them. It's all flash and mirrors. All style and no substance. Or as they say in Texas, all hat and no cattle.
The things that might serve to protect us - border security, port support, cargo screenings, nuclear and chemical plant security, money for first responders - aren't being attended to. Funds are cut (and given to Halliburton, and their subsidiaries, then the money vanishes into thin air), or not appropriated at all. No, instead we take off our shoes at the airport and leave our creams at home. We surrender meekly to pat downs and bag searches at hockey games. Mothers are forced to drink their own breast milk just to take their babies on a plane. And I don't even want to know what airport security does with colostomy patients.
The world isn't a safe place, and most of you should know that. We are surrounded by things that can hurt us, or even kill us. You could slip and fall in the bathtub or down your cellar stairs. You could get hit by a truck or a bus on your way to work. Your laptop computer could catch fire next to a box of ammo that you carry in your car. You could choke on a bit of sirloin and have no one around to do the Heimlich Maneuver. Danger lurks around every corner from the moment you set your foot on the floor every morning. And your chances of encountering any one of these things is far greater than any chance you have of being the victim of a terrorist's evil deeds. Could it happen? - Sure, but so could a million other random bits of bad luck. You can't cower in the corner forever if you really want to live your life.
Come on people! This is America! We are Americans! We live in "the land of the free, home of the brave" - not the land of the scared sheep. Stand up. Stand tall and proud. Wave your flag defiantly in the face of this reprehensible administration and tell them in no uncertain terms that you "are mad as hell and you're not going to take it anymore."
Don't let them intimidate you. Don't let them coerce you into keeping them in office. They need to be thrown out and thrown out NOW!
This November will be one of THE most important elections you have ever voted in - and if you've never voted, shame on you! We must restore the checks and balances to this government, if nothing else. I'm not such a huge fan of the Democrats either. I tend to chose candidates individually, rather than by party, but this November, you have to vote Democratic. We have to put a leash on this out of control government. We need inquiries and investigations and I think if the Democrats gain control of the House and Senate we'll see that. Write to them. Tell them that they are on notice. We want our country back and if they don't do it, we'll find someone who will.
Posted by Cyberkat at August 13, 2006 3:50 PM | TrackBack