What would you Sacrifice for Democracy?

[bleedingheart]

I finished reading Howard Zinn's A People's History of the US a few months ago and the key thing that stands out for me in that book was how average people were willing to sacrifice something in order to make things better for the majority.

Men and women endured prison terms, they were shot to death, beaten, lost their homes, lost their children...all to fight for what was right. Most of them had nothing to lose because they were already at rock bottom.. People like my grandfather, who willingly went on strike knowing that that he might not be able to feed his kids...just to get a union started in a coal mine. But he knew things had to be better than where he was...he had left the autocratic empire of Franz Joseph to find himself in the autocratic empire of the Fricks and Carnegies...and he was not going to take it.

What is really interesting is that the sacrifice of those who came before us is why we have had such a great place to live...it is what eventually scared the corporate bastards into concessions.

So what do we sacrifice? What can we do to take back our country? Do we have to lose it all ...be reduced to nothing in order to realize what we lost and be willing to fight?

So what would you be willing to sacrifice????

[atreides1]

1. Everything

[Double T]

2. For a real and true democracy, I would fight to the death.

[fooj]

10. Me, too.

If I'm not willing to fight like hell for the the preservation of my country...then WHO will?

Peace.

[MercutioATC]

3. A kitten.

:hide:

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. I think you've misread Zinn

The sense that I got from reading the same book was how the privileged class was willing to concede small things to appease the masses and, thus, obtain a relatively large amount of security from the masses. In other words, nothing was sacrificed so much as exchanged, to the poor's slight benefit and rich's great advantage.

[bleedingheart]

9. When the masses were willing to sacrifice their very lives...

they were able to force the rich to the bargaining table....

The labor movement did not make the progress it did without great sacrifice. The poor lost the first battle at Homestead, for example, but it showed the utter lack of compassion of the rich and public sentiment shifted to the plight of labor...with future strikes the owners decided it was better to bargain...

However reading that book, I was very aware of what people sacrificed....

[TechBear_Seattle]

14. Point taken

You are right: the masses did have to sacrifice a great deal, including their own lives, to force those few concessions from the privileged. I sit corrected.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

5. Probably not as much as I should...

too pragmatic. I think I have been lucky to have lived this long in a democracy.

I wouldn't sacrifice my children or grandchildren. I would sacrifice my own life so they could live in a democracy. I wouldn't sacrifice my husband.

I'd give everything I own, I think.

Well, you know..it depends on the democracy. One like we have now where our votes are questionable? Not so much.

[madmom]

6. our current pResident.

[BOSSHOG]

7. The republican party

The freedom of those who have no concept of freedom or constitutional liberty. Apparently they wouldn't mind. bush's base know's not of democracy or its value otherwise they wouldn't be part of bush's base. Democracy is in jeopardy in this country because millions of Americans place no value on it; ergo lets sacrifice them to maintain our freedoms. Give them Texas perhaps? No offense to Texans. Maybe Northern Mississippi?

[sasha031]

8. what I find amazing and depressing is they fought and died for us

and it wasn't that long ago. It is shocking the lack of understanding people have for basic history.because of the blood sweat and tears of our ancestors a middle class was created.the gilded age wasn't that long ago and yet people are clueless!
I just ordered the book, big fan of Zin.

[hwmnbn]

11. I'm done sacrificing......

We've already sacrificed our civil rights, a fair economy, a clean environment, a responsive government, our prestige in the world, our moral standards, and a secure future for our children.

Fuck NO, I'm DONE sacrificing!

The chimp and his minions must sacrifice their power. And when convicted, they must sacrifice their right to walk among us as free men. No pardons for those bastards!

[Horse with no Name]

12. I think a Biblical sacrifice of our current administration

would be sufficient...

[Cleita]

16. Yes, under a full moon with plenty of libations afterwards. n/t

[SmokingJacket]

13. Here's some people who have sacrificed...

http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060124/NEWS01/60124002

Four to six months in jail for protesting at a military recruiting center.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

15. For Truth, everything

actually, my husband and I figure that there is a possibility that we'll be rounded up and sent to detention camps either because of our faith or because of our political beliefs. So we are continuing to speak out-better to have done something than to be carted away without having done anything.

[Blue Belle]

17. I'd sacrafice all the Republicans in the House and Senate...

:+

[ClintonTyree]

18. For a TRUE Democracy..........

everything, my life if necessary. But not THIS bastardized version of democracy we are currently suffering.

[Skidmore]

19. Can we create a pact? Not for money, but for action.

Identify ways that we can sacrifice--glaringly meaningful ways. Agree to do these things. And act. In the tradition of Gandhi. Remember the sea salt? The cotton? How can we sacrifice?