I recently wrote a LTE to my local paper concerning the disparaging comments of a LTE concerning the war in Iraq and what it is costing the American people. I also just read the diary by ePluribus Media and the freepers responses concerning Cindy Sheehan. It appears that anyone who deviates from the talking points of the Administration, who heaven forbid, disagrees with the logic that moved us into this war, is well in a word, a Traitor.
I have been called many things over the course of my life, SOB, MF asshole, stupid f##k, ignorant d##khead and many others too numerous to state in this diary. I have also done some incredibly stupid things, like jumping off the back of a moving pick up, trying to jump over a moving car, jumping into a river from a bridge and many other stupid things that I will not press into the light of day.
I am many things, I have done many things and I will continue to do many more things in this life, for as long as I draw breath. I will not, nor shall I allow anyone to place the moniker of Traitor upon me, simply because I demand to exercise my rights under the Constitution of the United States of America.
I am thoroughly disgusted that so called Republicans, the champions of freedom, small government and no government interference in our personal lives have deemed it necessary to denigrate, slander, disparage and defame other Americans simply because they are left of Attila the Hun.
I have heard the word Liberal used like a curse word, that being progressive makes me a communist and that I Hate America, because I believe in the living breathing Document that is our Constitution. I believe that challenging my government to tell the truth, to clearly have a vision and to carry that vision out in a way that enhances the lives all Americans is my profound right and one that I strive to keep in the forefront of my political life.
I am sickened by the Extreme Right’s call that anyone who does not agree with the President is guilty of Treason, we are endangering the lives of our military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan and we Hate America. I love my country, even when it is lead by a group of individuals who hate my freedoms to challenge them when they violate our own Constitution and International Laws. I love my Country because it is my country and its Constitution guarantees me the right of Free Assembly, Free Speech and the right to petition my Government when I deem they are wrong.
I have strived to not call those who are right of center, fascists or Nazi’s, I do however have no qualms of giving that label to anyone who wants to take away my Freedoms. The Extremists on the right, have little regard for Free Speech unless it is their own, little regard for Free Assembly unless it is in support of their talking points, and for heaven sakes shut up and stop bothering the President while he is trying to get on with his life. The Freepers who call for the elimination of our rights as Citizens of the United States, would do well to look inward and ask themselves, what would I do if the shoe was on the other foot and they were calling for the elimination of My right of dissent. I doubt seriously if that could happen, but one can wish can’t they.
I have watched over the last 15 years, the slow disintegration of the Bill of Rights and in the last 4 years, I have watched that same Bill of Rights dissipate at an alarming rate. The Real ID Bill signed by the President, a bill in the House that would make it a felony to not report a drug crime, seems to me that the US is losing its way. I am fearful for my country, my fellow countrymen and my children, that our government has succumbed to the extremist’s viewpoint, that dissent is unwelcome and not to be tolerated, frightens me to no end. The Freepers attack those who disagree with them with such vitriolic hatred and outright animalistic vengeance, in order to suppress dissent and keep the home front safe from the liberal commie hippie progressive leftists.
I am sick and tired of being vilified because I am left of Attila the Hun. I have decided that I will continue to voice my concerns, that I will address the attacks against me without utilizing my first line of defense, I will not slap them down with angry words, disparaging comments about their heredity or their parents marital status.
I will engage in constructive dialog designed to open the door of communication and hopefully to open the minds of those who despise me because I am a Progressive. I know many of you will say what an exercise in futility, yet I must do this as I continue to hear disparaging language and out right hatred concerning those of us who don’t walk lock step with the current administration. I place the responsibility of so much of this hatred and contempt for us that are progressive, squarely upon the shoulders of many in the Republican party, who have made it their mission in life to splinter our country, simply so their own fortunes will improve. I will tirelessly work to address these issues, to open the doors of communication between moderate republicans and progressives, who are seeking to return our government to some sense of sanity.
I offer to all of you this challenge, seek out those moderates, who don’t lock step with the freepers, let them know what your values, principles and spiritual values are, let them know that you are not some communist infiltrator who wants to destroy their way of life. I have been amazed and profoundly pleased that some of my neighbors whom I had assumed were freepers, are indeed wondering what has happened to their country. I hope that others in communities all over the US will reach out and talk to those who are indeed moderates, show them that progressives are not out to destroy America, but to restore America to sanity, to bring back that America that cared for all of its Citizens, not just those who have lots of money. Share with them that you too are concerned for the well being of your children, your school system, and your community. It will be amazing, that you and that republican moderate, have a lot more in common than you thought. They have less in common with the freeper and the current Administration and a lot more in common with those of us who truly do love our country and want to preserve our Constitutional rights..
Well said, gdw!! I have found what you say to be true — there are more of “us” than them and much can be accomplished by apporaching people on their own terms — there are moderates among us! 😉
I have several friends who voted for W in 2000, who did not in 2004 — they are more soically conservative than I am, personally and that is aok with me because we respoect each others’ views and agree that legislating personal morals and/or faith is waaay out of bounds. We can talk about issues like abortion and gay marriage, because while we disagree on the way we personally feel about these two things, we can see the other’s point of view as accpetable for that person.
Many here in Texas are fiercely independent, and people still are surprised that I am not for ALL gun control (“but aren’t you a liberal?” they ask), I find we agree that have access to rocket-launchers at gun shows is innane. Most folks I know are responsible gun owners who actually do use them for hunting and self protection — and I am fine with that. If I didn’t have two samll children in the house, I would most likely own a firearm myself (actually, I DO, but they stay at my father-in-law’s).
Anyway, rambling, but my point is that most ANY two people can find SOMEthing they agree on, the trick is patience, humility and a truely open ear.
Thanks for posting!
that with a few people, that one thing may only be that it would really suck to get an ice pick in the eye — but hey! Gotta start somewhere, right?
“I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” — Thomas Jefferson
There are reasons for every word in our Constitution, including those in Art. III, Sec. 3. From Justice Jackson’s Opinion in Cramer v. U.S., 325 U.S. 1 (1945):
The Framers obviously anticipated the danger of rhetoric disguised as reason.
As Always, GDW, you ahve place into this the content that we are now facing, the truest feelings, motives, words, thoughts and anything I have left out. YOu have it it on the ball that’s for sure. Thank you so very much. We all know that feeling of being progressive. I read the article calling us all names from FreeRepublic and it is so horrid it like to broke my heart that ppl can call others names like that. The devious methods to down someone is just criminal. The question is not now, WHY, it should for what reason you debate in this method. Might I call them a name here? PLEEEEEZZZZEEEEE!!!???? Well, I will anyhow…I call them all cowards just like their leader…..spineless cowards..They are afraid to ask their fearless leader any questions as to their whys and therefores…I never hear them ask why…it is always they accept just like the sheeple they are. They are mindless, spineless,sheeple cowards……
Bush has done much to disconnect himself even from those who voted for him. 🙂
This morning I found out that I’m possibly thought of as a terrorist because I signed up with CodePink. sigh
Maybe this is so they can keep us from flying to DC?
Oh and consider yourself squeezed and hugged and love-ed 🙂 GhostDancerWay!
You know Janet, and I’m not being tinfoil-y here, but that might be JUST the reason…why not tie up all of the people headed to DC at the airports, push them around and intimidate them a bit — I’ll bet that they’re betting one or two might snap, then all of the news coverage would be on the “terrorists wreaking havok/rioting at the airports” not on the tens of thousands descending on DC — ya’ll need to be very careful out there (and remember to leave your zippos, fingernail clippers and letter openers at home!)
Yeah, very careful. I seem to remember a bunch of nuns from a few years ago on their way to some peace demonstration and guess what. They were detained so long they missed their flight and the demonstration. Don’t remember all the details but it had to do with them supposedly being on the ‘no fly list’..but why?
Maybe they friends with these nuns, the ones associated with Sacred Earth & Space Plowshares (national nuclear disarmament organization) whom the feds sent up the road for “interfering with the national defense” in their peaceful anti-nuke protest. Gotta watch out for them nuns, now.
/sarcasm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0927-01.htm I had to go see if I could remember article I was thinking about. Group of nuns who have a group called Peace Action that are a targeted group apparently..they were taking a group of students for a protest but couldn’t get on board…this was back in 2002…crazy shit…as it seems nuns happen to be a particular target and are on no fly lists(due to their peace activities..those stinken pacifists anyway..who do they think they are.)
Thank you Ghostdancer for such an inspiring message. This is what we were asked to do in Crawford. Do not engage with their name calling, smile, wish them well, do not engage in violence, if attacked move back down the road and allow the peace officers to handle the situation. It was VERY difficult Sat. morning at Camp I to not respond to the name calling, the rhetoric but I swallowed my words and remembered what my Mom used to say…Honey, kill them with kindness. Love can and WILL conquer them all.
You know ghost I really envy you. You’re an incredible writer. You always manage to write what so many of us feel or take my jumbled up thoughts and make a passionate yet succinct manifesto of what a real patriot sounds like that I just want to write like you when I grow up-oh right I already am and I ain’t the writer you are.
I don’t know what you’re job is in real life but you should be writing speeches somewhere, somehow where you’d have a lot bigger audience than here.
No matter how crappy the subject, like traitors, the way you write your diaries always leave me feeling more hopeful. Something we really need right now.
It seems to me that there is an undercurrent of discontent in this country and that makes the Freepers feel threatened and skittish. They respond by becoming shrill and accusing. Please remember that the hardcore Bush backers are the loudest and perhaps the shallowest of thinkers. If you continue to do what you have been doing, people in the middle, who perhaps can be swayed, will have no choice but to compare your calm intelligent passionate love for democracy with the Freepers, who are outrageously extremist. You know, we don’t need millions of converts, just millions of Republicans who may just sit out a few elections rather than vote for what their party has become.
Progressives are not the ones who ignored the warnings of 9/11. The traitorous Halliburton Republicans did.
Progressives did not let bin Laden go so we could redeploy our troops to invade Iraq. The Halliburton Republicans did.
Progressives did not tear up the Constitution. The Halliburton Republicans did.
Progressives aren’t the most corrupt politicians in modern history. The Halliburton Republicans are.
Progressives did not run up a deficit that will keep our grandchilren in hock. The Halliburton Republicans did.
Progressives are not making profits off of the deaths of American soldiers. Halliburton Republicans are.
Bush and his corrupt Halliburton Republicans are the traitors. You are a patriot.
Speaking of corrupt repugs(bit redundant)did anyone else read about the Kentucky governor who had a Pardon Partying Party I guess yesterday and pre-emptively pardoned a dozen or so I believe people who worked for him that were either going to be indited or have to go before the Grand Jury?….I believe one of the articles only half jokingly suggested he would be pardoning himself next. How do all these fuckers keep getting away with such blatant shit like this?
There’s crap like this going on all over the country with repugs on various charges and it’s like the citizens in those areas just don’t seem to care one way or another. What the hell is wrong with them.
It is slowly bringing them down. The three states where the Repubs seem MOST corrupt are Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky (see my blog, linked in my comment above). The three Repub governors from these states are among the five LEAST popular Governors in the nation…I mean ROCK BOTTOM numbers. The Republicans in these states are very vulnerable because of this issue. AND Randy Cunningham in CA and Tom DeLay in TX are looking more vulnerable than expected because of corruption issues.
We need to hammer this issue and we need to start focusing on defeating the Repubs in Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky because Republican corruption is giving us the best opportunity in years to do this.
the FBI is targeting Code Pink, Greenpeace and other organizations as terrorist organizations. They would be better served to target some of the right wing orgs as terrorists. That stupid Fred Phelps come to mind. And the idiots bombing planned parenthood facilities. Us lefties are by and large a peaceful lot, but that can change.
Do I hear the voice of my ancestors, or
Do I hear the voice of echos
Do I hear the voice of freedom
Do I hear the voice of the soul
Do I hear the voice of anger (taking the poison)
What I need to hear… is the voice of the Ghost Dancer… that is truly, the voice of the people, the Human Beings, for that is the true voice.
You must find that voice my brother, for only it is true.
Wado my brother