WHEN OUR STREETS ARE FILLED WITH THE SCREAMING MOBS OF REBELLION; WHEN OUR STREETS ARE FILLED WITH THE SMOKE OF DESTRUCTION, WHEN OUR STREETS ARE FILLED WITH VIOLENCE AND THE SICKENING CRACKLE OF GUN FIRE TEARING DOWN A FASCIST STATE IN AMERICA...RETURN TO THESE WORDS THEN!
WHEN GOVERNMENTS FAIL TO SERVE, AND PEOPLE FAIL TO ACT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN:
PROTEST, RESISTANCE, REBELLION AND DEATH.
THIS NEED NOT BE, IF WE WILL ONLY ACT NOW!
WHEN GOVERNMENTS FAIL TO SERVE, AND PEOPLE FAIL TO ACT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN:
PROTEST, RESISTANCE, REBELLION AND DEATH.
THIS NEED NOT BE, IF WE WILL ONLY ACT NOW!
Tomorrow we celebrate the historic observance I hold most dear. I have written many times that my favorite figure of our colonial fore fathers is Sam Adams, “The Grand Incendiary”.
I have left no uncertainty, no room for interpretation of my words that I hold The Declaration Of Independence as our “First Law” and “The Highest Law Of This Land” and that I have no time to waste on those who would in ignorance or attempts to side step those facts to avoid our ultimate responsibility and duty as citizens of this nation, heirs of that bequeathed to us by our fore bearers, protected and defended by the shed blood and anguish of generations that have preceded us, and the living stewards of their legacy.
Our ultimate, and for most, unthinkable responsibility is enshrined in these few words that defined the inclinations of man to avoid conflict, but chisel with icy precision the burden of our duty as citizenship and our responsibility to maintain and protect, perpetuate this great experiment we call America, to wit:
“…Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness… That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”
Yesterday, as we approach this annual observance, an observance I cherish as deeply as anyone can embrace and hold without compromise, any tenant of their religion; the President again in calculated precision commuted the imprisonment of Scooter Libby. I say “calculated” because the timing reflects not only his response to the execution of sentence, but in the diminished form of commutation, and not an out right grant of pardon, that his act would be both less inflammatory and lost in the media observance of the fourth of July.
No one really expected Libby to see a cell door close in his face. We all new that the administration would find some mechanism, legal or extra legal to prevent his imprisonment, after all loyalty has its’ rewards in this administration, he was the fall guy for higher placed officials, and would be dangerous imprisoned, disillusioned and angry, because he knows the truth! Dutifully he kept silent. Dutifully he betrayed no one! Dutifully he fell on his sword in the silence that brought conviction, bought administration protection and obligation of reward.
We know a full pardon will come in time. We know the words of our President are those of hollow, conviction less hypocrisy. We know that administration supporters’ defense funds will fulfill the financial penalty for Mr. Libby, and as is the way of the culture of corruption which envelopes this city at this time. Mr. Libby will be reinvented, redefined and will be properly employed. His book will have to be deferred for time yet.
The entire charade is a display of absolute contempt for every vestige of law in this nation, and we all knew it would happen.
The only questions I have are:
(1) when are the people of this nation going to rise up in resistance and rebellion and bring down this administration that has shredded the Constitution, cast it into the dumpster of history as a mere scarp of old, worn out meaningless, useless non applicable, to them, piece of paper; and
(2) when are the people of this nation going to rise up in resistance and rebellion and bring down this administration that has spat upon The Declaration of Independence as an archaic fading piece of parchment that no meaning in our historical memory as they are convinced that we have been sedated into inaction by their opiate of fear; and
(3) when are we going to shake off the fallacious belief that we have some eternal guarantee of existence as a healthy Democracy; that “It Can’t Happen Here” outlook, and all will be well after Bush is gone from The White House?
If you feel I am too shrill and that the ills will pass, the wounds will heal and that justice will somehow be restored magically, that there will be found some profound justification for the lives taken and shattered by the War in Iraq, that the consequences of our actions will fade and be absorbed by the forgetfulness of time you are wrong, and I hold you in the spotlight of Mark Twain’s words:
“In matters of differences of opinion, our adversaries are simply insane.”
This I firmly believe and have the right to say so long as I have the right of free speech purchased for us in blood on the anvils and war fields of our history. I hold in contempt every man and woman who dishonors their commitment and sacrifices by their personal complacency and unwillingness to accept our responsibilities as Americans to stem the Fascist tide flowing in, preferring to allow someone else to bear the fulfillment of them in their name.
This I cannot tolerate; this I cannot respect; this I cannot accept!
I have left no uncertainty, no room for interpretation of my words that I hold The Declaration Of Independence as our “First Law” and “The Highest Law Of This Land” and that I have no time to waste on those who would in ignorance or attempts to side step those facts to avoid our ultimate responsibility and duty as citizens of this nation, heirs of that bequeathed to us by our fore bearers, protected and defended by the shed blood and anguish of generations that have preceded us, and the living stewards of their legacy.
Our ultimate, and for most, unthinkable responsibility is enshrined in these few words that defined the inclinations of man to avoid conflict, but chisel with icy precision the burden of our duty as citizenship and our responsibility to maintain and protect, perpetuate this great experiment we call America, to wit:
“…Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness… That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”
Yesterday, as we approach this annual observance, an observance I cherish as deeply as anyone can embrace and hold without compromise, any tenant of their religion; the President again in calculated precision commuted the imprisonment of Scooter Libby. I say “calculated” because the timing reflects not only his response to the execution of sentence, but in the diminished form of commutation, and not an out right grant of pardon, that his act would be both less inflammatory and lost in the media observance of the fourth of July.
No one really expected Libby to see a cell door close in his face. We all new that the administration would find some mechanism, legal or extra legal to prevent his imprisonment, after all loyalty has its’ rewards in this administration, he was the fall guy for higher placed officials, and would be dangerous imprisoned, disillusioned and angry, because he knows the truth! Dutifully he kept silent. Dutifully he betrayed no one! Dutifully he fell on his sword in the silence that brought conviction, bought administration protection and obligation of reward.
We know a full pardon will come in time. We know the words of our President are those of hollow, conviction less hypocrisy. We know that administration supporters’ defense funds will fulfill the financial penalty for Mr. Libby, and as is the way of the culture of corruption which envelopes this city at this time. Mr. Libby will be reinvented, redefined and will be properly employed. His book will have to be deferred for time yet.
The entire charade is a display of absolute contempt for every vestige of law in this nation, and we all knew it would happen.
The only questions I have are:
(1) when are the people of this nation going to rise up in resistance and rebellion and bring down this administration that has shredded the Constitution, cast it into the dumpster of history as a mere scarp of old, worn out meaningless, useless non applicable, to them, piece of paper; and
(2) when are the people of this nation going to rise up in resistance and rebellion and bring down this administration that has spat upon The Declaration of Independence as an archaic fading piece of parchment that no meaning in our historical memory as they are convinced that we have been sedated into inaction by their opiate of fear; and
(3) when are we going to shake off the fallacious belief that we have some eternal guarantee of existence as a healthy Democracy; that “It Can’t Happen Here” outlook, and all will be well after Bush is gone from The White House?
If you feel I am too shrill and that the ills will pass, the wounds will heal and that justice will somehow be restored magically, that there will be found some profound justification for the lives taken and shattered by the War in Iraq, that the consequences of our actions will fade and be absorbed by the forgetfulness of time you are wrong, and I hold you in the spotlight of Mark Twain’s words:
“In matters of differences of opinion, our adversaries are simply insane.”
This I firmly believe and have the right to say so long as I have the right of free speech purchased for us in blood on the anvils and war fields of our history. I hold in contempt every man and woman who dishonors their commitment and sacrifices by their personal complacency and unwillingness to accept our responsibilities as Americans to stem the Fascist tide flowing in, preferring to allow someone else to bear the fulfillment of them in their name.
This I cannot tolerate; this I cannot respect; this I cannot accept!
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1 comment:
I agree with every word.
You said it !!!
I can hardly wait to see where he goes to work next. If Blair wasn't already the 'mideast peace envoy' (LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) he'd snap up THAT job.
I'm sure he'll find something fitting.
I honestly didn't feel good about him going down for everyone but hoped for the fallout from same. Not to be.
And, this I figured, too.
I actually think his timing was MEANT to be another smack at the American people. It's all he knows how to do.
If Scooter had been black or mentally ill he might have gone to jail, after all.
Now he'll just heart attack quietly and that will be that.
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