The Right to Remain Silent

[Mythsaje]

When your President declares war on a oil-rich nation that poses no threat to the United States, you have the Right to Remain Silent. If you choose to give up that right, you will be harassed, insulted, threatened, and otherwise treated as if you are no longer an American.

When you watch America's name being dragged through the mud by power hungry fools in incidents of torture and kidnapping--you have the Right to Remain Silent.

When you hear your President comment that he thinks the Constitution is just a "damned piece of paper," you have the Right to Remain Silent.

When you learn that the plans for war were already on the table before 9/11, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

When a CIA operative has her cover blown because her husband is considered an enemy of the administration, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

When that same Administration, and its corrupt partners in Congress pass laws that strip away the safety nets for vulnerable American citizens, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

When a powerful hurricane levels a great American City and you watch people suffering on television for days, while aid is turned away by the authorities, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

While this administration continues to subsidize the oil companies during times of RECORD profits, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

When viciously obnoxious pundits are welcomed onto American news programs and treated as if they're decent, hard-working folks, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

While thousands of our soldiers are sent to a dry and dusty land to kill or be killed, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

When you finally begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, having elected a majority of allegedly like-minded citizens to Congress to fight against the abuses of this administration only to find that they don't have the spine to pull it off, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

When you realize that the Iraqi people are NOT, in fact, better off than they were under a brutal dictator, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

When you discover that there's no easy way out of the war and our troops will continue to die while Iraq staggers its way through a horrific civil war, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

When you find that this administration, after nearly breaking our military with its incompetence and corruption, is trying to come up with a way to go to war with even MORE Middle Eastern countries, despite the fact that it hasn't managed even the ghost of a victory in either front it's currently fighting, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

While a sizeable portion of the population of your fellow Americans think you should be killed or thrown in prison for daring to have a different opinion about the way all this is going, and an unfavorable view of THEIR chosen leader, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

While this administration is busy carving a canyon of debt for you and your children to carry forward into perpetuity, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

While this government's economic policies are driving more and more people into poverty and a lifetime of debt, you have the Right to Remain Silent.

If you choose not to exercise this right, rest assured, the Corporate Media will exercise it for you.

[zabet]

1. K & R

:applause:

Momma always said my loud mouth would end up getting me in trouble.
Sadly true this day and time.

[Rainbowreflect]

2. K & R

:kick:

[4_TN_TITANS]

3. Excellent post! n/t

[VP505]

4. WELL SAID!

I haven't been very good at exercising that right with my Reps, I FAX, Email and snail mail and occasionally call but unfortunately is seems they are hard of hearing.

[Breeze54]

5. That is outstanding!!

I'm copying it, if that's ok and forwarding to all my e-mail buddies!
I think I'll also post it on the bulletin boards at my local library,
grocery store, and the laundry mat! Leave copies in shopping carts!

:kick: & Recommended!!

[Mythsaje]

7. Oh, absolutely!

Glad you liked it.

[SoonerPride]

6. Great post. K & R

:kick:

[bobbolink]

8. Liberals are exercising their right to remain silent on Poverty.

[Mythsaje]

9. Edwards isn't...

And neither have I.

Who are these alleged liberals to whom you're referring?

[bobbolink]

11. I didn't mention Edwards, knowing that I'd likely get kicked for that,

because if I'd said, "Except Edwards", I'd have been kicked for that, too.

"Who are these alleged liberals to whom you're referring?"

The ones in office.

Have you seen the housing cuts restored?

Have you seen the Medicaid cuts restored?

Do you see lots of big action on DU on those issues?

Do you see lots of action on DU whenever people are asked to call/write about poverty issues?

We're the throwaways.

[Mythsaje]

12. I agree with you on the politicians...

Most definitely.

The poor are being raked over the coals and the people who SHOULD be giving them a hand up are suffering now too, buried under more and more debt until they can barely keep their head above water. That, after all, is the plan.

The only Americans who are truly free are the ones who play golf in Miami in the morning, lunch in the Caribbean, and eat dinner in a swanky hotel room in NY City.

[bobbolink]

13. If "the plan" is for us to die, it's working.

The rest... doesn't hold water.

We simply aren't a sexy issue, and won't be any time soon.

"Debts" don't keep people from pressuring on poverty issues.

There's still lots of pressure on the war, on gay marriage, on FISA, on impeachment.

We're just not important.

How many times do you notice anything about "poverty" on lists of what's most important to liberals?

[Mythsaje]

14. The causes of poverty are,

among other things, lack of education, adequate healthcare, community support, and, in general, far less options than those with more money. Many of us would like to see all of these things improved, or simply provided to those in need. I'd like to see universal education AND universal healthcare, personally. I've BEEN poor. I've been homeless. I KNOW how much it sucks. And I know that the road out is long and harsh. But the fact is that the list of things we need to do is daunting. Most of the middle class is one misfortune away from being exactly where you're talking about...

We don't have a magic wand to wave to eliminate poverty. What we have is an entrenched interest that will do ANYTHING to hold onto what it has at the expense of everyone else...you and me and everyone like us. And people are trying to attack that entrenched interest from every angle possible. It's currently consuming our young people in a useless and expensive war, driving up the costs of higher education, killing thousands of Americans through inadequate access to healthcare, and doing everything it can do eliminate "entitlement" programs that are, in fact, a safety net vital for the future of everything we hold dear.

We're skating uphill in a blizzard. But we've still got our skates on.

[bobbolink]

15. I have a fine education. Still poor.

Lots of things happen, especially to women.

I agree with a lot of what you say, but I CAN'T excuse the lack of action on the part of either politicians or activists or DUers because "there's too much to do". It's a matter of priority and concern, and both are pretty much lacking. IT HURTS.

You may be one of those who IS active concerning poverty. I don't know. I haven't been spying on you. :) If you are, I thank you. If you aren't, all those reasons don't matter.

This isn't aimed at you, specifically. I'm simply stating that poverty, for the most part (Edwards and a few DUers excluded) ISN'T EVEN ON THE RADAR. IT HURTS.

If I gave specific examples of this, I'd be shot for "flaming" other groups, so it's a no-win situation.

Doesn't mean it's not true, and doesn't mean it doesn't HURT.

After Katrina, I realized that even death doesn't matter. That means my death, the deaths of poor people in NOLA, or the deaths of any other poor folk. That realization brings hopelessness, despair and HURT.

When a country is so corrupt, and a party is so corrupt that even death doesn't matter, then it's time to BRING IT TO A BOIL.

Let it all go to hell QUICKLY, so the middleclass can be homeless, hungry and facing death.

THEN you can be sure there would suddenly be energy to do something.

Until then, we just die, quietly, one by one.

And that HURTS.

[Breeze54]

17. Well stated, bobbolink but I was wondering

what is your story, how did you get there and what can anyone at DU do to help?

I'm not rich at all. Hand to mouth recently but even earlier in my life, when divorce,

two kids and bills up the ying/yang came my way, I didn't give up. It was very bleak

for a very long time for me and my kids. It took my reaching out for help and having

others respond and reaching back that helped me step up again. I got slapped down

again by the outsourcing and I still haven't recovered and I'm getting older and grayer

and scared. I'm just wondering, if you care to share, what your situation is and if there's

anything that you can do to change it. I don't think attacking members at DU is the answer

though. I've read many posts, by people here, that are active in helping the less represented

through their work and deeds. Are you homeless? That is my biggest question right now! I care

but I hope you'll calm down a bit and know that you aren't alone on DU with a crisis problem

but yelling at people isn't making your case. :hug: PM me if you want to talk.

[Breeze54]

10. Do you mean the 'Blue Dogs'? Because the liberals

in office in my state have been very loud about protecting the poor. This week they were mad
about some trying to screw the poor by de-regulating car insurance. It benefits the well to
do, not the working stiffs, as usual. What else it new? :shrug:

[Breeze54]

16. Kick! The evening crowd should read this too!

;)

:kick: