What does it take?

[davsand]

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…"

What does it take? I’m not advocating anything, I’m just curious about how far the people will allow a government to go.

We saw little outrage at the events during the 2000 election. Voters were denied access to the polls in many cases, and those who were lucky enough to be allowed to cast a vote didn’t always see their vote count. The pervasive belief that the right to vote is sacred was proved wrong.

When we were attacked on our own soil we mounted little to no resistance at the time of the attack. Our “fighters” were unable to get off the ground in time to protect us. Our systems were either shut down or ineffective—and to this day nobody has any idea why. Nobody has questioned it; nobody has been called to account. Still, the people do not question our leadership.

In the wake of that same attack, there was a massive erosion of civil liberties. Our Bill of Rights was eviscerated. You can be held without counsel, indefinitely, in secret. Your home is no longer safe, your papers are no longer safe, your privacy is gone. We now live in fear. Our “leaders” voted overwhelmingly to pass this abomination—and we re-elected most of them in the next election cycle!

We have record unemployment, millions of jobs lost, record numbers of our people without access to health care because they had health insurance that vanished along with their job. Children are going hungry because funding is gone for food programs. Homelessness is on the rise. Programs like Head Start are under attack. Funding for schools is cut and federal mandates have increased. Our domestic conditions are deteriorating, and still there is no outrage.

Our sons and daughters are on the firing line on multiple fronts—because we invaded other nations—and now we are looking into yet another military operation in another location. Our kids and their kids are dying every day—and the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of our “leaders”. They lied to us, they broke international laws, and their aggression brings death every day.

What does it take? When do “we the people” stand up and give voice to our outrage and our anger?

How much further can it go before we start to look to the Declaration of Independence for guidance?

Laura

[Maeve]

1. "Mankind is more inclined to suffer

While evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed"

Until a large enough number find the evils unsufferable, nothing will change dramatically. That doesn't mean we are without hope, just that it will require a bit more patience. (I know, not what you want to hear right now! Sorry.)

[davsand]

2. I fear for what is coming, actually.

I am not advocating for anything except sending Monkey Boy back to Texas in the next election. What I'm wondering is WHAT will it take to wake up the folks who have not noticed the mess we are in?

Will it take more of our kids dying?

Will it take twenty or thirty years of kids going uneducated and without opportunity?

Will it take tanks in the streets?

Will it take them kicking YOUR door in and carting off your family?

What IS the break point where no sane person can turn a blind eye?

Laura

[Maeve]

5. I'm afraid, too, dear

I've got two teenaged boys and a fear of the chickenhawks-in-charge.

Some folks will never wake--they are in a self-induced coma. And some just aren't sane enough to care. But it only takes a percentage (I believe only 1/3 of the colonials was enough to kick out our last King George.) and I think that percentage is being approached. (Hang in there!)

[Allah Akbar]

3. You got me

Considering a few penny tax on tea was what drove our fore fathers over the edge, I can only imagine they are spinning in their graves like tops about right now.

[Homer12]

4. Natural cycles

This is what happens to s culture and a society when it is fat and ignorant on entertinment and a fast food social structure.

It's what happens to republics when the powerfull and rich line the pockets of politicians.

All the lessons we need find on how nations fall are in the history books. Republic downfalls in particular can be found in the roman model of republic-to-empire.

The United States is at the most ripe for takeover, the people are fat on ignorance and apathy and fearfull of the world.

A few rich powerful men decided that their time is now, and the siezed upon it, a fact they know well.

They fear us, as much as most Americans fear an unkown enemy from an unkown location with an unkown weapon.
Americans should really fear the neo-conservatievs and the puppet Bush Administration, and the zealot Ashcroft.

Bin Laden used are strengths against us, not are military or even are planes, it was PRIDE and knowing he needed an enemy as fantatical extrme as his self-serving twisted version of Islam.

And Bush and company were glad to reply in kind, becuase it was thier chance to seize power.

[lakerace1]

6. vote

we can only vote those in who best represents our views