Thursday, May 1, 2008

Premonition or Just the Same Gripe?

I found this letter, that I wrote in January of 2004 (before the Kerry/Bush election)


Thought it was interesting:


The case for America's crimes could be made from> our> state sponsored assainations and attempts, our> support> of dictators and installing puppet regimes, on our> playing God on the world stage and damn the> consequences; BUT what about the crime of NOT doing> the right thing, of not supporting the ideals we set> forth in our Declaration of Independence and> COnstitution, of not being a leader instead of a> bully, of not helping our fellow man. We left> Afghanistan to waller in their own filth after they> helped us by getting rid of the Russians, and look> at> the price we paid, and yet we do it again, complete> attention has been turned from Afghanistan to Iraq,> why because we only keep our attention where the> action is, Afghanistan is conquered and subdued for> the moment we can leave them alone but we played> that> game once before and we payed a heavy price.> In the Middle East they call Ammerica the great> Satan, and the Christian right goes bezerk, but in> Islam Satan is not the harbringer of evil, and> antithesis of GOd he is in Evangelicalism, he is a> trickster, a deciever, someone whol lies and> manipulates you for his own good, to get his way. > Do> we really need to draw out the comparison anymore,> just> in that description of their concept of Satan we> stand> accused and condemned and yet we still do NOTHING.> > MY GOd, I am so taken over by this grief and anger. > The scales need to fall from the eyes, we need to> wake> up the apathetic voting bloc, Damn the ignorant> masses> for the time being we've got to get ourselves above> water. I don't do enough, not just to help right> the> situation but to help my fellow man. I let my voice> and cry be diminshed because I'm concerned with> status> quo, I'm guilty becasue I don't say enough, or I> don't> say it loudly. WHO will speak for the Truffula> trees,> the tres have no tongues they can't speak for> themselves, or the Brown Barbaloots, or the> SwammeeSwans or the Humming Fish. I should be> speaking louder lest I regret my attempt like> Schindler, I should be shouting louder lest ther be> no> one to speak when they come for me.> We stand at a crossroads, with unimaginable power,> yet> we have lost respect. and how do we remedy that? by> demanding it, by forcing it, by fear, by conniving,> by> subversion, by ignorance! I repeat the prayer of> St.> Francis of Assisi "God grant me the ability to> change> the things I can, accept the things I can't and the> wisdom to know the difference" All too often I've> looked at that from the standpoint of not fighting> some battles, of accepting life, and while that is> true, the converse is true as well. We ned to look> at> the things we accept and seee if they can be> changed.> My heart will not stop crying out, beging for a> voice, yearning to right the wrong. Where are the> true patriots, the ones willing to stand up for the> universal rights and betterment of man. Where is> our> Thomas Paine, where is our Common Sense. And dare I> say it, not in literal sense but figuratively where> is> our Brutus, where is our well meaning believer who> only wants to save the republic? Where is he, the> one> who with altruistic purposes joined the conspirators> against a comrade because he was first a friend of> Rome. I do not advocate violence of any sort, and> I'm> being more literary than literal, but where are our> patriots?> I know I'm preaching to the choir, I know I'm a> voice> crying in the wilderness but surely I'm not speaking> in vain, surely there are others who feel as> passionate, why don't I know them, why aren't I> involved. I must be a Thoreau lest by my inaction I> am judged a hypocrite or worse, a conspirator by> apathy> and inaction, by those who come after me.> It is WE the people not THEY who hold power, THEYonly have power when WE give it to them. I must bemore active as a WE, I alone will not help fight the"THEY" For the sake of the WE, we must shout loudenough to wake US up!

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