s i x 0 6

never forget [no, not 9/11]

i recently heard this report on NPR about the stances each president elect is taking on relinquishing executive power that was given [taken?] during the bush administration. i’m more comfortable with obama’s statement, but not all that convinced that the dangerous precedence that was made by bush didn’t start a slippery slope that neither elect is willing to hand back over.

during his first administration, it was all too evident to me, an ignoramus, that what was happening was wrong. how did i know? it wasn’t because i’m familiar with constitutional law [because i'm not]. no, it was something i learned when i was a wee little person:

then again, a lot of it was just common sense. i wonder how many people, citizens and administrators alike, now regret getting carried away by their emotions following 9/11 and allowed for the atrocities that followed. not just allowed, but frothed at the mouth for vengeance, believing what was put before them. oh, the time was right for such things. i’m sure it was a wet dream for many of those in power. an opportunity to bend the law, infringe on our liberties and create an orwellian nightmare like Homeland Security. illegal wiretaps? torture? breaking the rules of geneva convention? total disregard of the united nations? pre-eminent strike? i feel as if our government failed us as they mocked the very existence of the Constitution. but our government wasn’t the only one, it was our people. fueled by ignorance, fear and thirst for revenge [never forget!] that made it all too easy to end up where we are.

and it has only gotten worse. some folks are doing a 180, finding a way to clear their names and remove themselves so very far from that fury. but as they do, they are forgetting one thing … accountability. i’ve always held the position that we should have never invaded afghanistan or iraq, but since we did, we have a duty to its people to fix what we destroyed. [hospitals, basic infrastructure like water and electricity, schools] many have argued that that is their responsibility and they deserve what they got. but did they really? you can’t lump them all in one group. you may as well say that every american was behind bush the entire time.

we turned our guns [[sic]] on the dissidents. at many protest rallies across our country, people suffered at the hands of the authorities. we were called traitors and “unpatriotic”. what could be more patriotic than dissidence, i ask? question your government, let your voice be heard. i didn’t do as much as i could have during those days, and for that i’m ashamed. i am no better than those who were for the war, as i was too afraid to come under scrutiny of the ever watchful eye of big brother. the air was thick with an all too familiar history … mccarthyism, and i wanted no part of it.

but we have a duty now to demand more, expect more, and protect the very core of this country … the Constitution. it’s easy to be lead by the heart during times of crises, but remove yourself for a moment and use common sense. never forget, i say, never forget the common thread that binds us is found in a parchment written over 200 years ago.

I disagree with you. If you consider the past 10 to 20 or so years and what has actually happened to our basic rights guaranteed by the constitution it is very clear that it is dead in the water. It’s been dying for years. We all stood by like peasants watching an execution and watched it bleed to death. Even more so if you consider the last eight pivotal years under W.

“October 2001

The USA Patriot Act becomes law. allows the FBI to monitor and tape conversations between attorneys and clients, allows the FBI to order librarians to turn over information about patron’s reading habits, allows the government to conduct surveillance on internet and email use of US citizens without notice. The act also calls for expanded use of National Security Letters (NSLs), which allow the FBI to search telephone, email and financial records of US citizens without a court order, exempts the government from needing to reveal how evidence against suspected terrorists was obtained and authorizes indefinite detention of immigrants at the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities.”

“May

Department of Justice authorizes the FBI to monitor political and religious groups. The new rules permit the FBI to broadly search or monitor the internet for evidence of criminal activity without having any tips or leads that a specific criminal act has been committed.”

“June

Supreme Court upholds Nevada state law allowing police to arrest suspects who refuse to provide identification based on police discretion of “reasonable suspicion.”

June

Supreme Court upholds the right of school administrators to conduct mandatory drug testing of students without probable cause”

“June 2005

Supreme Court rules that the federal government can prosecute medical marijuana users even in states which have laws permitting medical marijuana.”

- Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression

Not if you’re Muslim these days. Kep an eye on theDNC this week. The same dissidents you mentioned who had guns turned on them will be silenced. the fear you have of speaking out because of neo-mccarthyism is a direct result of this violation.

- Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure

Not if you’re muslim or mexican. Try taking a walk in Arizona these days without being stopped and asked for your “papers”. They run tanks through neighborhoods there in “sweeps”. Not to mention all of the “camps” that were built around the country for possible “terrorists” to be housed in.

- Amendment 12 - Choosing the President, Vice President

W. violated this so brazenly it was disgusting. Twice!

He also invaded two countries, started a war on false pretenses, lied about it repeatedly, all without the permission of the so-called people or congress.

Religious influence is at an all-time high in government.

They are recording what you say, read, write and do. And there’s not a thing you can do about it because it is so out of control it’s sickening.

This is freedom? No. But as long as we have guns, fast food, porn, sports and american idol all is good in the land of rape and honey.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/gutzman/gutzman17.html

http://www.thoughtcancer.com/2007/12/constitutional-violations-under-bush.html

SJR 08.23.08 / 8am

I hear what you’re saying but things are too fucked up. Dare I say that this time in history will go down as one of the darker periods of the modern age…and we’re still not done.

It’s going to take decades to even have a chance at reversing what W and his cronies did. ‘Never forget’ should be an oxymoron because the way our culture is now we can’t remember beyond the last 15 seconds. It’s always what’s new and what’s next?

No one remembers what Regan did, or what Bush Sr. did or even what Clinton did or didn’t do. Soon no one will remember what W did either. All of the old dissidents are dead and the new ones have no sense of history.

People are almost dumber now than when they made up the bible and more willing to believe whatever the fuck you tell them.There’s a reason everything went shit and it’s called stupidity.

You speak of a fear of McCarthyism but I have always lived by what E. Zapata said: “I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees”. But how lonely it is these days to be standing in a world of kneeling slaves.

The Constitution is long dead. It’s been reduced to a bargaining tool for pathological liars and crooks.This country is dying. We have to teach our children to build something new that doesn’t so closely resemble hell.

six06 08.24.08 / 4pm

it’s in my nature to be hopeful, what can i say.

it’s easy to point out the ills of our society, take on a dire mentality, but what good is it to perpetuate it. it would be like announcing everyday that the sun is shining. this is nothing new.

i get the Zapata quote. i do. but here it is … kneeling slaves … with no direction. that’s the worst part. there’s no organization, just a lot of anger and bitterness. when i see these people, i don’t see hope, i don’t see direction. this isn’t our father’s revolution. this isn’t even our grandfather’s revolution.

i don’t believe the Constitution is dead. like Fundamentalist Christians use the scripture as the basis to their belief system, so i too believe this document is the basis of our government. [the Constitution, not the bible ... clearly. lol]

Bill Shirley 08.24.08 / 6pm

(p.s. i think your pre-emptive came out Freudianly pre-eminent)

six06 08.24.08 / 7pm

my freudian slips are lacey. and revealing.

SJR 08.25.08 / 1am

six06 08.25.08 / 3am

you’ve obviously done your research [i applaud you]. and this is where when i call myself a “conservative”, people lift their eyebrows and wonder what planet i came from. the supreme court is obviously doing a poor job of conserving our rights. too late? disagree? hell, even prohibition was repealed. i say it’s not to late to right the wrongs. what we need are logical folks not swayed by their fears or emotions or pander to certain factions. it’s not just the presidency, or even the supreme court, but the congress, as well.