I've had three days to digest Operation American Spring and the heartburn is only getting worse.It's not the numbers. or lack thereof, it's the reaction. The racist and sexist attacks have been a growing tsunami and no one's safe. The elderly, the infirmed, young, gay, Asian - the onslaught is not witty or ironic or good-natured snark. It's hatred. Pure bashyourfeckingfacein hatred.
And for what? Don't we all have the same Bill of Rights? Everyone's e-mails are being snooped, phones tapped, texts read, speech curtailed, protections infringed, media silenced, due process eroded, bags searched and consciences compromised.
I wish I'd been this engaged during the Bush presidency, because that was surely the sowing: Our government failed us on 9/11 and used it as a pretext for stripping civil liberties. Then they lied to us about a war and sent thousands of men and women into harm's way. Those lucky enough to return were branded domestic terrorists, permitted to die waiting on the V.A, and we were lied to again. Then the kabuki government which failed to protect us decided to fund, arm and train the very same group that attacked us and necessitated all these draconian measures in the first place.
But acknowledging your country's entire raison d'être is just SO gauche, right?
Anonymous is participating. Are they "teabaggers" and traitors, too? The former insult is a sophomoric softball, but the latter really cofuses me. Separatists actually believe that Citizens standing up in defense of the Republic's rule of law, founding principles and protocols of governance are engaging in sedition. Meanwhile, the lawless apparatus that's subverting all of the same is somehow within due bounds. How can one reason with such blind faith, ignorance and apathy?
When a lengthy series of violations are committed (which always have the same result of curtailing my natural abilities), I am empowered and obligated to reject the perpetrators and choose new, lawful representation. Those are Thomas Jefferson's words updated, and each forms the capstone of the Declaration of Independence. If adhering to these "obvious facts" makes me a domestically terrifying traitor, then that I proudly am.
In the meantime, I admire the resolve of those still in Washington and would be happy to post your stories, pictures and any other content related to OAS. I can be reached via e-mail here.
EDIT: How's this for instant validation? Immediately after posting this, I was accused of trying to overthrow the government, execute the President, deport all Muslims, and then lectured on living in the poor, bigoted South. Just as I said, there is no reasoning with madness.
Hey guy...you are a rational voice in this mess. I appreciate where you are coming from as I share much of what disturbs you. Here is the problem, though. I've spent a lot of time looking through the FB page OAS Live. A huge amount of what is posted there is outright hate for Muslims, gays and anyone who might want to take the time to tell the truth. I've seen people called traitors because they attempted to provide accurate counts of attendance -- one of those "traitors" actually being a member of the "security" group. Over and over, they accuse the government of jamming the cell phone signals and ustream channels -- even while their own members are using cell phones and ustream channels are streaming. I know -- I've been watching them. Often glitches cause interruptions but that is clearly because these people are amateurs and don't have the best of equipment. I've seen these people using vitriol against one another in ways I've never seen before.
ReplyDeleteThe whole idea that they could find 30 million people to come to DC is just preposterous. That many people could *never* get into Washington as the roads and metro couldn't come close to supporting it. To make matters worse, the organization, while claiming to uproot an elected government peacefully, makes it very clear that they hold in reserve the use of violent measures to get what they want. This is explicitly stated in Riley's comments.
Here is the thing...if they actually had 30 million plus people on board that would be way more than needed to influence the outcome of elections in their favor. Why march on Washington in an effort to force officials elected by the majority when you can just have all those people go to the voting booths?
Those of us who *have* chosen to use our voting option are, of course, not going to take kindly to some minority group trying to put *their* favorites in charge by skirting the voting booth. This has all the makings of civil war.
Frankly, I don't know you but I have read all of what you've had to write about your experience and your beliefs. I don't think you belong with these people. I think you are a much more rational person than the bulk of the OAS members, including their leader. I think you might want to look at other options like the Justice Party.
Hang in there, dude. We *can* change things for the better but we have to do it by way of the voting booth. Somehow, we have to find a way to get more Americans to show an interest in what their government is doing. I don't know how that will happen or if it can happen at all but this kind of insurrection (soft or hard) is not the way to go about it.
In the end, the extremely poor turnout for this event says it all -- Americans are just not interested in this approach. There is too much ugliness in it. Yes, I know, not everyone is like that -- I have seen some voices of reason --but far too many of the members *are* that way.
All the best to you. Cool of you to go down and document. ;)
Well said.
ReplyDelete"If voting made any difference, they wouldn't let us do it."
ReplyDelete~ Mark Twain
Lay off the doublethink, Anon 1.