Which side of the fence are you on

[dcsmart]

it's a new year. A new president, and the hounds of hell are already licking their chops and calling out for blood. fine. let them lick the oily bones of the last 8 years. we are at least Democrats here and our president is soon to lead. we need to keep a constant voice, guiding, protecting, and chastising when necessary, but we must still keep the grassroots power that put him into the white house alive. And, we must decide which side of the fence we are on. Will it be: people before profits, or profits before people. Will it be a "government of the people, by the people, for the people," a government that believes and protects the idea that all people are created equal and have unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A government that will "form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility and promote the general welfare (read common good) and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity"...."and 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 a new government laying its foundation on these principles."
a government based on a secular Constitution with a secular Bill of Rights, where it is the RIGHT of the people to "peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances"

We see the horror in the world. Real, real horror. Which is indefensible. Solidarity must be vowed. Either we take these principles and apply them to the global community or we give up and let those on the other side of the fence destroy our common humanity. Civil disobedience is more american than apple pie. We need to continually rally behind the ideals of equality, and in the USA....behind our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, and overall, behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is the fence we need to decide which side we are on...it is partisan. I have found DU to be this place, on the right side of fence. Justice united.

here is a last word from Dickens

Scrooge to Marley,

"But you were always a good man of business, Jacob," faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.
"Business!, cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business."

[JeffR]

1. Welcome to DU, dcsmart

and thanks for a great post.

[leftstreet]

2. Universal Declaration of Human Rights

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

:thumbsup:

[ColbertWatcher]

3. Welcome to DU!

We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Sing along: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_TXJRZ4CFc

[democrank]

4. Welcome to DU, dcsmart

and thank you.