Put Down the Kool-Aid and Stand Up For Democracy
"And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils
with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the
rights of the citizenry.
Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer
up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is
what I have done. And I am Caesar."
~from the play "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare
It's time to stop living in fear. We have been witness to the murder of
American troops and innocent Iraqis because of lies, propaganda and manipulation
through fear. We have seen an administration that has violated not only
international law and signed treaties, but the American ideals generations have
fought to preserve. We have stood by silently while our Constitution, rights and
freedoms have been eroded. We have tolerated the dismissal of our rights in the
name of the War on Terror, given up what has been won for us with the blood of
past patriots, given them unto the leader and gladly so. We have, as a nation
condoned torture. We have allowed our elections to be questionable because of
partisan controlled voting machines and not insisted that our high officials be
held accountable for unbridled corruption and what amounts to High Crimes and
Misdemeanors. How long will we continue to cower in fear instead of shouting in
one voice that will echo from sea to shining sea, "ENOUGH!"
We have allowed the War on Terror to terrorize us. No one will forget the horror
we all felt on 9-11. Have we been made more safe or less safe by the Bush
policies?
As the British playwright and essayist Harold Pinter observed, "People do not
forget. They do not forget the death of their fellows, they do not forget
torture and mutilation, they do not forget injustice, they do not forget
oppression, they do not forget the terrorism of mighty powers. They not only
don't forget. They strike back."
Who are these 39% of Americans who approve of the job Bush is doing in the
latest poll? What can they possibly approve of? They can't be the Americans
who benefited from the tax cuts. Only the top 1% made out on those. What about
the other 38%? The majority of Americans got a $300 refund from those cuts.
That's a pretty paltry sum to sell our rights for. It isn't even a good
investment. That $300 has cost every man, woman and child in America $30,000 as
our portion of the National Debt.
Just because someone is a Republican doesn't mean he's capable of running
the country. That goes for any party. Our first loyalty should be to our
country, not a party. We, as Americans, have to stand for honest, transparent
government, the rule of law, and accountability by those who are supposed to
represent us.
The Roman Empire collapsed during the reign of the Caesars. A president who acts
as if he is Caesar will take our country down the same way.
Stop living in fear! Stand up for democracy! Don't allow our Constitution to
be shredded!
People shouldn't be in fear of the government. Governments should be in
fear of the people."
V For Vendetta
3-27-06