25 December 2005 (# 20)
How does one know what the teachings of Christ mean when the term “collateral damage” is applied to frying the skin on an Iraqi child’s body with white phosphorus?
How does one know what the word God means when those loudly proclaiming his existence contaminate a mother’s drinking water with depleted uranium?
How does one know what the word democracy means when it is common knowledge that no one in America can verify that their vote was counted as they intended?
How does one know what anything means that emanates from the mouth of Bush, Cheney, and of way more than half of all the Members of Congress (e.g., www.mediamatters.org/items/200512240002), when everything one reads and hears is readily shown to be a lie?
What does Christmas mean when those most concerned with what a tree is called are only too willing to label war of aggression, the murder of thousands of innocent civilians, the destruction of the economic, social and civil infrastructure of a Nation, the incarceration and torture of countless numbers of individuals – “spreading democracy”?
When one confronts a situation in which the expected meaning of a word or a statement is persistently undermined -- is constantly contorted, distorted, and done so intentionally, recourse is limited to either complacent cynicism, or robust rebellion.
My choice is robust rebellion against the vast crimes of Bush, Cheney, and their neoconster associates and enablers (financial and media).
For me, robust rebellion means comprehensive, unrelenting application of the law to those who have committed crimes.
I call upon every person who has taken a Federal oath of office to decide if they either mean what they swore, or not.
For those who mean it, I call upon them to join forces and bring Bush and Cheney to impeachment in the House of Representatives and trial in the Senate.
Thereafter, Bush, Cheney and their co-criminals should be rendered either to an American War Crimes Tribunal (e.g., www.bushcommission.org) or to The Hague as to enable all those whom they have harmed to hold them accountable before the law.
The DNC should mandate that no candidate will receive one dollar of financial support, one moment of endorsement who does not proclaim their unswerving commitment to bring Bush, Cheney and their neoconster minions to impeachment and prosecution by the US Congress, as well as, holding them to the fullest personal accounting to all those whom they have harmed via civil and war crimes tribunal proceedings.
What meaning “Christmas,” if those defending it are willing to wage imperialistic aggressive war, torture anyone, deny habeas corpus, deny due process, contaminate drinking water and soil with radioactive substances, sear the skin of a person with white phosphorous, and vaporize a child and his mother with a “smart bomb” only to label the brutal termination of the only life they will ever have as “collateral damage.”
Let’s make a decision, Gov. Dean, now – “America, Or Not?” We both know exactly what I mean.
I’ve made my decision, what’s yours?
Peace,