The Alito Betrayal
by Bob Fertik on January 30, 2006 - 5:18pm.Sam Alito
http://www.democrats.com/alito-betrayal
We, the voters who elect Democrats in every election, were utterly and completely betrayed today by 17 Democratic Senators that we elected.
Akaka (HI), Baucus (MT), Bingaman (NM), Byrd (WV), Cantwell (WA), Carper (DE), Dorgan (ND), Inouye (HI), Johnson (SD), Kohl (WI), Landrieu (LA), Lieberman (CT), Lincoln (AR), Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Rockefeller (WV), Salazar (CO)
You do know that bush would’ve just appointed him anyway at the next recess. -TM
Monday, January 30, 2006
Friday, January 27, 2006
An Indictment of America
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0127-28.htm
Editorial
Published on Friday, January 27, 2006 by the International Herald Tribune
When Human Rights Watch, a respected organization that has been monitoring the world's behavior since 1978, focuses its annual review on America's use of torture and inhumane treatment, every American should feel a sense of shame. And everyone who has believed in the United States as the staunchest protector of human rights in history should be worried.
Many nations - Belarus, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe, Myanmar, Cuba, Sudan and China to name only some of the worst - routinely trample on human rights in a way that neither the United States nor any of its allies would ever countenance. But the United States wrote the book on human rights; it defined the alternative to tyranny and injustice. So when the vice president of the United States actually lobbies against a bill that bans "cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment," Human Rights Watch is justified in delivering harsh criticism.
The report does not let anyone else off the hook. The massacre of hundreds of demonstrators in Uzbekistan, the ethnic cleansing in Darfur, the restrictions on civil society in Saudi Arabia, the atrocities in Chechnya and all the other familiar episodes of human-rights abuse are reported and condemned.
But in the introduction by the executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, the United States is singled out not only because it has raised the heinous practice of torture to a "serious policy option," but also because in so doing it is sacrificing its ability to champion human rights in other countries. America is not the worst violator, Roth writes, but it is the most influential. Now, when Americans accuse Iraqi Shiites of torturing Sunni prisoners, the messenger's reputation taints the message.
The report says that 2005 made clear that abuse of detainees has become a "deliberate, central part of the Bush administration's strategy for interrogating terrorist suspects," and it accuses Britain of complicity in the practice. We have no illusion that the administration will pay any more heed to Human Rights Watch than they have to anyone else on this issue. But the report is also an indictment of the rest of the United States for failing to stop the destruction of its most cherished values.
© 2006 International Herald Tribune
Thursday, January 26, 2006
At last the filibuster
Sen Kerry calls for filibuster of Alito
Unclear if Massachusetts Democrat has votes needed to block nominee
Thursday, January 26, 2006; Posted: 4:23 p.m. EST (21:23 GMT)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/26/alito/index.html
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John Kerry has decided to support a filibuster to block the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, CNN's Congressional Correspondent Ed Henry reported Thursday.
Kerry, in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum, was marshaling support in phone calls during the day, Henry said.
He announced his decision Wednesday to a group of Democratic senators, urging they join him, Henry said. Kerry also has the support of his fellow Massachusetts senator, Democrat Edward Kennedy.
Some senior Democrats said they are worried that the move could backfire.
Republicans need 60 votes to overturn a filibuster.
Senior White House officials said the move makes the Democrats look bad, and Republicans already have enough votes to overcome any filibuster attempt.
Unclear if Massachusetts Democrat has votes needed to block nominee
Thursday, January 26, 2006; Posted: 4:23 p.m. EST (21:23 GMT)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/26/alito/index.html
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John Kerry has decided to support a filibuster to block the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, CNN's Congressional Correspondent Ed Henry reported Thursday.
Kerry, in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum, was marshaling support in phone calls during the day, Henry said.
He announced his decision Wednesday to a group of Democratic senators, urging they join him, Henry said. Kerry also has the support of his fellow Massachusetts senator, Democrat Edward Kennedy.
Some senior Democrats said they are worried that the move could backfire.
Republicans need 60 votes to overturn a filibuster.
Senior White House officials said the move makes the Democrats look bad, and Republicans already have enough votes to overcome any filibuster attempt.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
No Good
I know that I’m trying to stop the tide, and I’ve moved too far from the mainstream. But then again, I guess I always was.
Mr Alito’s personal and political views and philosophy are incompatible with the Constitution of the United States, as are those of the bush administration. We can be sure from his history, that he will do what he is told.
I don’t see any good coming from this.
Now would be a good time to call your senators and tell them to filibuster Alito. Tell them to look into their kids’ eyes and ask themselves what kind of America they want for them. We can see what kind the bushistas want. And it ain’t pretty.
Your servant here, he has been told
to say it clear, to say it cold:
It's over, it ain't going
any further
And now the wheels of heaven stop
you feel the devil's riding crop
Get ready for the future:
it is murder
Things are going to slide, slide in all directions
Won't be nothing
Nothing you can measure anymore
The blizzard, the blizzard of the world
has crossed the threshold
and it has overturned
the order of the soul
When they said REPENT REPENT
I wonder what they meant
from “The Future” by Leonard Cohen
Mr Alito’s personal and political views and philosophy are incompatible with the Constitution of the United States, as are those of the bush administration. We can be sure from his history, that he will do what he is told.
I don’t see any good coming from this.
Now would be a good time to call your senators and tell them to filibuster Alito. Tell them to look into their kids’ eyes and ask themselves what kind of America they want for them. We can see what kind the bushistas want. And it ain’t pretty.
Your servant here, he has been told
to say it clear, to say it cold:
It's over, it ain't going
any further
And now the wheels of heaven stop
you feel the devil's riding crop
Get ready for the future:
it is murder
Things are going to slide, slide in all directions
Won't be nothing
Nothing you can measure anymore
The blizzard, the blizzard of the world
has crossed the threshold
and it has overturned
the order of the soul
When they said REPENT REPENT
I wonder what they meant
from “The Future” by Leonard Cohen
Sunday, January 15, 2006
The Imperial Presidency at Work
January 15, 2006
Editorial
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/opinion/15sun2.html
…would have learned by now that you cannot deal in good faith with a White House that does not act in good faith
[…]
...Both of the offensive theories at work here - that a president's intent in signing a bill trumps the intent of Congress in writing it, and that a president can claim power without restriction or supervision by the courts or Congress - are pet theories of Judge Samuel Alito, the man Mr. Bush chose to tilt the Supreme Court to the right.
The administration's behavior shows how high and immediate the stakes are in the Alito nomination, and how urgent it is for Congress to curtail Mr. Bush's expansion of power. Nothing in the national consensus to combat terrorism after 9/11 envisioned the unilateral rewriting of more than 200 years of tradition and law by one president embarked on an ideological crusade...
[…]
Again, Congress appears poised to appoint another unethical man to the US Supreme Court. The hearings were a farce. When one considers that Sammy "Sam I Am" Alito openly admits that he'd say or write anything to get a job he wants.
Sam the Sham's belief system and worldview will only be fulfilled when the US comes under the tyranny of the corporatistas. And again. this doesn't appear to bother the "opposition" overly much.
The fact that he may be brilliant doesn’t qualify him for the position he was appointed for. Many brilliant minds have been turned to evil purposes. And that is where Alito’s mind has taken him. He believes in, and I mean BELIEVES in, the corporatist nightmare vision for America. No rights, no protections, no social contract with the people, and a two class society, aristocracy and peasantry. A return to the feudal system, to put it bluntly.
At this point, any senator can toss out any claim they have to morality, decency, and belief in American values, by voting for this confirmation. If they want history to remember them as the one who put the final nail in the coffin of the “American Experiment”, they’ll vote for the green eggs and ham man, Sam the Sham.
Now, I think that there must be a majority of Senators still able to think logically.
So. Here’s the thought experiment. Sit down, and follow the logic, to the consequences, of the bushista and corporatist agenda that Alito believes in:
Unbridled President You may believe that bush is the most enlightened president the world has ever seen, and can do no wrong. But, he’s not going to be in office forever. Even if he decides to stay over after his (now) legal term, he’s not going to live forever. How sure are you that his successor won’t abuse the powers you’re giving bush? Once you’ve removed the last check on his power, you’re never going to be able to get it back, short of a violent revolution.
Now look at the children you see around you in your daily lives. Would you want them to live subject to the whims of a dictator? Or the fanaticism of a theocracy?
Or how about watching them scrabbling around in the dirt for their existence? Does that sound like something you’d enjoy? By all means then, vote for Alito. That is where the logic steps you to, if you look at it dispassionately, a bleak future for all, including the “elite”.
The cold vision that bush, Alito, and their cohorts and allies, have for the world is not one that I want for my grandkids. Or kids for that matter, because the consequences are going to be felt during their lifetimes.
So, go ahead, humiliate yourselves by once again groveling on your knees in front of your “leader”, your god.
Count me out.
Editorial
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/opinion/15sun2.html
…would have learned by now that you cannot deal in good faith with a White House that does not act in good faith
[…]
...Both of the offensive theories at work here - that a president's intent in signing a bill trumps the intent of Congress in writing it, and that a president can claim power without restriction or supervision by the courts or Congress - are pet theories of Judge Samuel Alito, the man Mr. Bush chose to tilt the Supreme Court to the right.
The administration's behavior shows how high and immediate the stakes are in the Alito nomination, and how urgent it is for Congress to curtail Mr. Bush's expansion of power. Nothing in the national consensus to combat terrorism after 9/11 envisioned the unilateral rewriting of more than 200 years of tradition and law by one president embarked on an ideological crusade...
[…]
Again, Congress appears poised to appoint another unethical man to the US Supreme Court. The hearings were a farce. When one considers that Sammy "Sam I Am" Alito openly admits that he'd say or write anything to get a job he wants.
Sam the Sham's belief system and worldview will only be fulfilled when the US comes under the tyranny of the corporatistas. And again. this doesn't appear to bother the "opposition" overly much.
The fact that he may be brilliant doesn’t qualify him for the position he was appointed for. Many brilliant minds have been turned to evil purposes. And that is where Alito’s mind has taken him. He believes in, and I mean BELIEVES in, the corporatist nightmare vision for America. No rights, no protections, no social contract with the people, and a two class society, aristocracy and peasantry. A return to the feudal system, to put it bluntly.
At this point, any senator can toss out any claim they have to morality, decency, and belief in American values, by voting for this confirmation. If they want history to remember them as the one who put the final nail in the coffin of the “American Experiment”, they’ll vote for the green eggs and ham man, Sam the Sham.
Now, I think that there must be a majority of Senators still able to think logically.
So. Here’s the thought experiment. Sit down, and follow the logic, to the consequences, of the bushista and corporatist agenda that Alito believes in:
Unbridled President You may believe that bush is the most enlightened president the world has ever seen, and can do no wrong. But, he’s not going to be in office forever. Even if he decides to stay over after his (now) legal term, he’s not going to live forever. How sure are you that his successor won’t abuse the powers you’re giving bush? Once you’ve removed the last check on his power, you’re never going to be able to get it back, short of a violent revolution.
Now look at the children you see around you in your daily lives. Would you want them to live subject to the whims of a dictator? Or the fanaticism of a theocracy?
Or how about watching them scrabbling around in the dirt for their existence? Does that sound like something you’d enjoy? By all means then, vote for Alito. That is where the logic steps you to, if you look at it dispassionately, a bleak future for all, including the “elite”.
The cold vision that bush, Alito, and their cohorts and allies, have for the world is not one that I want for my grandkids. Or kids for that matter, because the consequences are going to be felt during their lifetimes.
So, go ahead, humiliate yourselves by once again groveling on your knees in front of your “leader”, your god.
Count me out.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Jerry Texiero to be released from USMC
Breaking News--Jerry Texiero to be released from the Marine Corps
By: Jack Dalton
Wednesday, January 11, 2006, Camp Lejeune, N.C. – The Commanding General of the Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, N.C. has order the immediate Administrative Discharge of Jerry Texiero. Jerry is being moved from the brig to Camp Lejeune’s Separation Barracks for processing out of the Marine Corps.
While I am as happy as a man can be about Jerry’s being discharged without having to face a kangaroo court, we must remember that Jerry has been a prisoner for the past 5 months. When Jerry was transferred from the brig at Parris Island to Camp Lejeune it was with the recommendation to administratively discharge Jerry. The command at Camp Lejeune rejected that recommendation.
Knowing they did not have a real case against Jerry, LTC Annie Best chose to try and do a character assassination job on Jerry by release false info that was in his personal military file. To simply state that was against the law is an understatement. I will be keeping a close eye on the situation as I am way too familiar with the Separation Barracks at Camp Lejeune. There are a couple of people there, a 1st Sgt in particular that are not nice people to put it mildly.
That said, it is a good thing that the Marine Corps has backed off its desire to prosecute him. But like I said, the Corps did in the end imprison Jerry for over 5 months.
Jack Dalton is a disabled Vietnam veteran, activist/writer who is widely published. His blog is Jack’s Straight-Speak and his email address is: jack_dalton@comcast.net. He was a contributor to the book, “Neo-Conned! Again!”
.............................................
"Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another" (Vietnam Veterans of America) "If they ask you why we died, tell them 'cause our fathers' lied" (Rudyard Kipling)
By: Jack Dalton
Wednesday, January 11, 2006, Camp Lejeune, N.C. – The Commanding General of the Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, N.C. has order the immediate Administrative Discharge of Jerry Texiero. Jerry is being moved from the brig to Camp Lejeune’s Separation Barracks for processing out of the Marine Corps.
While I am as happy as a man can be about Jerry’s being discharged without having to face a kangaroo court, we must remember that Jerry has been a prisoner for the past 5 months. When Jerry was transferred from the brig at Parris Island to Camp Lejeune it was with the recommendation to administratively discharge Jerry. The command at Camp Lejeune rejected that recommendation.
Knowing they did not have a real case against Jerry, LTC Annie Best chose to try and do a character assassination job on Jerry by release false info that was in his personal military file. To simply state that was against the law is an understatement. I will be keeping a close eye on the situation as I am way too familiar with the Separation Barracks at Camp Lejeune. There are a couple of people there, a 1st Sgt in particular that are not nice people to put it mildly.
That said, it is a good thing that the Marine Corps has backed off its desire to prosecute him. But like I said, the Corps did in the end imprison Jerry for over 5 months.
Jack Dalton is a disabled Vietnam veteran, activist/writer who is widely published. His blog is Jack’s Straight-Speak and his email address is: jack_dalton@comcast.net. He was a contributor to the book, “Neo-Conned! Again!”
.............................................
"Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another" (Vietnam Veterans of America) "If they ask you why we died, tell them 'cause our fathers' lied" (Rudyard Kipling)
Sam Alito, no ethics, and a liar
There are many pressing issues that Congress needs to address. For the Senate to be talking to a felon that has been appointed by the bush seems to me a waste of their time.
We already know that Sam I Am will say or do anything to get a job that he wants. In an application for a position with the Reagan administration: “advance legal positions in which I personally believe very strongly. I am particularly proud of my contributions in recent cases in which the government has argued in the Supreme Court that racial and ethnic quotas should not be allowed and the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion.” Now he says that was just to get the job, and not necessarily what he really believes..
As for the felony, lying to Congress is a felony. In 1990, while being considered for the Circuit Court, Sam the Hustler promised to recuse himself in any case involving Vanguard, in which he had a considerable financial interest. Well, he didn't. Of course, now he says it was caused by a computer error. (see point 1 above)
So, why is any Senator, much less the "opposition", even considering appointing this unethical person to the Supreme Court. Oh yeah, I forgot about the Roberts standard. You remember. While Roberts was on the Court of Appeals, he was ruling on a case while he was interviewing for a job with one of the parties to the case, the president. And now, look, he's chief justice of the Supreme Court.
I guess if Green Eggs and Ham gets the boot, and rightly so, we'll probably be seeing Tom DeLay or Jack Abramoff appointed by the bush. The two of them have certainly demonstrated the highest ideals of the bush himself.
More on Jerry Texiero and the Marine Corps
After extensive conversations about Jerry with Elaine, she sent me the following press release. – Jack Dalton
-PRESS RELEASE - January 10, 2006
Jerry Texiero and the Marine Corps Willingness to Lie to “Convict” Him
Elaine Smith
Marine Corps Base: Camp Lejeune
Jscksonville, NC
Jerry Texiero--Senior citizen, arrested August 12, 2005, is facing desertion charges pending from 1965. After 4 months of solitary confinement in Florida, he is now being detained in the brig at Camp Lejeune, NC (as of December 14, 2005), and is awaiting a decision: separation in lieu of trial with no conviction (as we were told would happen) or special court martial with a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment.
WE WERE LIED TO!
Since Jerry’s incarceration in Aug, 2006, I have worked quietly behind the scenes to obtain Jerry’s release. I have tried to respect the fact that our troops are involved in Iraq and have been very fearful that Jerry would be held up as an example to the many Iraqi war deserters. However, due to recent events, unkept promises by the military, and the false allegations of larceny “leaked” to the press by the military, it is time I speak out.
My father and I went to Camp Lejeune the same day as Jerry. We can only see him on weekends. We spend the rest of the week working for his release. Jerry must go endure the humiliation of a “strip search” every time we visit. And although we have been told that Jerry is being treated as “any other” UA, it has become apparent that our gentle friend and family member is in fact being used as an example to the many US soldiers who have refused to return to Iraq.
First of all let me say this. Jerry never went to Vietnam and never had orders to deploy there. He has always, however, had an aversion to the killing of innocent men, women and children. He logged at least six years in the military, receiving an Honorable Discharge after three, including an overseas tour in Okinawa. I was told by personnel at Quantico that Jerry had an “excellent” military record.
Secondly, Jerry emphatically denies any knowledge of or any wrong doing concerning the alleged larceny charges which were recently illegally “leaked” by Camp Lejeune press relations. I am assured that this was only an “allegation” by the military, NOT a formal charge as reported to the press. It was, in my opinion, an attempt by the military to further discredit Jerry. I have been advised by military defense counsel that it has now been discovered that “no investigation records exist” and therefore there will be no charges.
Over the last 5 months I have been in constant contact with 4 bases (Camp Pendleton, Quantico, Camp Lejeune and Parris Island) where I was reassured that Jerry would receive a UA separation in the same manner as everyone else these days; i.e., separation in lieu of trial with an administrative discharge and NO conviction. Now I’m told they want at least 100 days and a guilty plea. (He has already spent 5 months behind bars, most in solitary confinement.) His separation in lieu of trial is going “up the chain of command”, but his case has now been “referred” for a special court martial where I’m told he could face up to one year in a military prison. When I mention that US Army defector Charles Jenkins served less than one month for deserting to North Korea in 1965 and allegedly aiding the enemy, I am told “that was the Army, this is the Marines”.
How we came from “excellent record” and a quick homecoming to all this would be baffling except for one thing. Our worst fears have come true. Our pleas for compassion have been to deaf ears and Jerry is being held up to our Iraqi troops to show them that if they desert, they will be caught and punished, no matter how long it takes to find them.
Here’s what I was previously told:
In September, 2005, Camp Pendleton advised that they had a 25 year UA detainee (August, 2005) that has been there about 30 days, was in work clothes, free to roam, and was just awaiting his administrative separation -which was in the process. We were told that Jerry most likely would not be sent to that coast, but if he was he would likely receive an administrative discharge and be separated quickly.
In October, 2005, Quantico advised that they have Jerry’s original file, that Jerry has an “excellent military record” and that there is “nothing in his file to prevent him from receiving a quick separation in lieu of trial / administrative discharge / no conviction, as is the normal procedure these days.
At the same time, Camp Lejeune advised me that Jerry would “most likely” be in barracks, not the brig, and that the ‘norm’ presently is “separation in lieu of trial, administrative discharge, no conviction” and that it might take 4 to 5 weeks. I was advised to tell him “not to worry”.
Parris Island – I was finally told by Quantico that PI would most likely be the place receiving Jerry as they were getting all Florida and South Carolina UAs. After contacting PI and providing several letters of support from friends to defense counsel there, I received a call advising me that they had orders to “expedite his separation” and that there was even talk of “sending his papers to him”; but that he would need a physical in order to be discharged, so that would be hard to do. I was told he would receive an “administrative discharge, separation in lieu of trial, with NO conviction”. They said the physical could be done the day after his arrival and the paperwork would take only 1 or 2 days. I was told, “Hopefully we’ll have him back home in time for Christmas.” (FYI: I was also told that a recent 25+ years UA received a separation in lieu of trial within 2 weeks.)
My Dad and I were so confident and trusting of this information that my 84 year old father left his VA hospital bed to travel to Parris Island with me in order to bring Jerry home in time for Christmas. We had a special reason for this which you will read about below. On December 14, 2005, the day Jerry was transferred from Florida, we had already begun our trip to Parris Island when we received information that Jerry was actually being taken to Camp Lejeune instead. So far nothing we were promised has come true. We were misled, lied to.
We’ve been here through the holidays, almost 4 weeks now. Dad’s already been to the emergency room once. We’ve met with everyone from the General on down. They are all courteous, saying they will “get back to us” but they have no compassion. They don’t care that he’s a senior citizen, in ill health, or that the cold barracks and icy cold showers at the brig worsen his health. Jerry’s legs and toes swell and go numb, causing him to fall down. His kidneys hurt. He has some tightness in his chest. A large blood vessel in his eye burst and he is, of course, very stressed out. He has a recent history of high blood pressure and chronic bronchitis. Still it took 3 weeks of pressuring Camp Lejeune officials to have him evaluated by a doctor. Just today I was told he is now receiving treatment. I hate to think what would have happened to Jerry had Dad and I not been there to insist that he be seen by a doctor.
The powers that be also don’t seem to take his early life into account. After all, we’re talking 40 years ago, not now. They don’t care that Jerry was a foster child (after the sudden death of his father) since the age of 5, living with poor farm families and in Boys Towns. They don’t care that Jerry was coerced by a Marine recruiter during his senior year to quit school and join the Marines just months before graduation. It was for Jerry, after all, a job and a place to live; Jerry’s next “foster” home.
His recruiter also didn’t care that his right eye was so damaged from acid during a childhood accident that he was forced to learn to fire a weapon left-handed, or Jerry enlisted with metal rods holding him together; injuries he received only 3 years earlier during a tragic car accident which claimed the lives of two of his friends and his young girlfriend. They don’t consider now that in 1965 he may have been living with the stress and guilt of surviving that accident or, for that fact, just surviving foster homes.
They don’t care if he was a conscientious objector back then, or now, or that a broken heart and life’s stresses may have played a part in his decision. The “war”, as they refer to it, has been over for years. Even President Carter wanted our country to be healed of that mistake! Jerry has never done anything to hurt anyone. His only crime was not knowing how to cope so many, many years ago.
And, this is the one I really have trouble with: they really, really don’t care that Jerry’s 86 year old birth mother and his younger sister have been found since his incarceration, and that they, along with 16 other family members whom Jerry has never met, are waiting to reunite with him. Years of misinformation led Jerry to believe his mother was deceased and she had long thought he was dead and she’d never see him again. Years of foster care separated Jerry and his younger sister. It’s been 50 years since he’s had contact with her. Our hopes were high for a Christmas reunion, but so far they haven’t even spoken by phone. Jerry and his mother have been waiting eagerly for 4 months (actually 44 years) to meet again, and yet one of the JAG officers at Camp Lejeune told me, “well, I won’t get to spend Christmas with my mother either.” It’s beyond my comprehension how anyone could even think of keeping them apart a moment longer. (Note: Due to Jerry’s mother’s age and health, she and Jerry have asked that her privacy be respected.)
I am writing this from a hospital room in a neighboring state. My younger sister is dying. I buried my older sister two years ago. Jerry helped me care for her for four long years. The Marines know this. They don’t care that we, Jerry’s family, need Jerry home with us during this time. Jerry is just a notch on someone’s belt and a pawn in a political arena. All they care about now is that he allegedly left during a time of “war”. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe Congress ever declared Vietnam a “war” and in 1965 (I’m old enough to remember), we were told we were just “advising”. The “war” is over. What are we proving by imprisoning senior citizens? If they think it is sending a message to the troops, they’re right, but it certainly isn’t the one they think.
Dad and I will return to Camp Lejeune soon. We promised Jerry that we would not go home without him. He is a gentle, loving, honest and compassionate man who has spent his life helping others. His friends back home whole-heartedly support him. His employer is still holding his job open. His family awaits the miracle of a reunion. It is our hope that the Marines will honor their promise to us, and that common sense and compassion will prevail.
Our thanks to the GI RIGHTS HOTLINE, CITIZEN-SOLDIER, VETS FOR PEACE, the DALTON GANG and Jerry’s many supporters.
"Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another" (Vietnam Veterans of America) "If they ask you why we died, tell them 'cause our fathers' lied" (Rudyard Kipling)
-PRESS RELEASE - January 10, 2006
Jerry Texiero and the Marine Corps Willingness to Lie to “Convict” Him
Elaine Smith
Marine Corps Base: Camp Lejeune
Jscksonville, NC
Jerry Texiero--Senior citizen, arrested August 12, 2005, is facing desertion charges pending from 1965. After 4 months of solitary confinement in Florida, he is now being detained in the brig at Camp Lejeune, NC (as of December 14, 2005), and is awaiting a decision: separation in lieu of trial with no conviction (as we were told would happen) or special court martial with a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment.
WE WERE LIED TO!
Since Jerry’s incarceration in Aug, 2006, I have worked quietly behind the scenes to obtain Jerry’s release. I have tried to respect the fact that our troops are involved in Iraq and have been very fearful that Jerry would be held up as an example to the many Iraqi war deserters. However, due to recent events, unkept promises by the military, and the false allegations of larceny “leaked” to the press by the military, it is time I speak out.
My father and I went to Camp Lejeune the same day as Jerry. We can only see him on weekends. We spend the rest of the week working for his release. Jerry must go endure the humiliation of a “strip search” every time we visit. And although we have been told that Jerry is being treated as “any other” UA, it has become apparent that our gentle friend and family member is in fact being used as an example to the many US soldiers who have refused to return to Iraq.
First of all let me say this. Jerry never went to Vietnam and never had orders to deploy there. He has always, however, had an aversion to the killing of innocent men, women and children. He logged at least six years in the military, receiving an Honorable Discharge after three, including an overseas tour in Okinawa. I was told by personnel at Quantico that Jerry had an “excellent” military record.
Secondly, Jerry emphatically denies any knowledge of or any wrong doing concerning the alleged larceny charges which were recently illegally “leaked” by Camp Lejeune press relations. I am assured that this was only an “allegation” by the military, NOT a formal charge as reported to the press. It was, in my opinion, an attempt by the military to further discredit Jerry. I have been advised by military defense counsel that it has now been discovered that “no investigation records exist” and therefore there will be no charges.
Over the last 5 months I have been in constant contact with 4 bases (Camp Pendleton, Quantico, Camp Lejeune and Parris Island) where I was reassured that Jerry would receive a UA separation in the same manner as everyone else these days; i.e., separation in lieu of trial with an administrative discharge and NO conviction. Now I’m told they want at least 100 days and a guilty plea. (He has already spent 5 months behind bars, most in solitary confinement.) His separation in lieu of trial is going “up the chain of command”, but his case has now been “referred” for a special court martial where I’m told he could face up to one year in a military prison. When I mention that US Army defector Charles Jenkins served less than one month for deserting to North Korea in 1965 and allegedly aiding the enemy, I am told “that was the Army, this is the Marines”.
How we came from “excellent record” and a quick homecoming to all this would be baffling except for one thing. Our worst fears have come true. Our pleas for compassion have been to deaf ears and Jerry is being held up to our Iraqi troops to show them that if they desert, they will be caught and punished, no matter how long it takes to find them.
Here’s what I was previously told:
In September, 2005, Camp Pendleton advised that they had a 25 year UA detainee (August, 2005) that has been there about 30 days, was in work clothes, free to roam, and was just awaiting his administrative separation -which was in the process. We were told that Jerry most likely would not be sent to that coast, but if he was he would likely receive an administrative discharge and be separated quickly.
In October, 2005, Quantico advised that they have Jerry’s original file, that Jerry has an “excellent military record” and that there is “nothing in his file to prevent him from receiving a quick separation in lieu of trial / administrative discharge / no conviction, as is the normal procedure these days.
At the same time, Camp Lejeune advised me that Jerry would “most likely” be in barracks, not the brig, and that the ‘norm’ presently is “separation in lieu of trial, administrative discharge, no conviction” and that it might take 4 to 5 weeks. I was advised to tell him “not to worry”.
Parris Island – I was finally told by Quantico that PI would most likely be the place receiving Jerry as they were getting all Florida and South Carolina UAs. After contacting PI and providing several letters of support from friends to defense counsel there, I received a call advising me that they had orders to “expedite his separation” and that there was even talk of “sending his papers to him”; but that he would need a physical in order to be discharged, so that would be hard to do. I was told he would receive an “administrative discharge, separation in lieu of trial, with NO conviction”. They said the physical could be done the day after his arrival and the paperwork would take only 1 or 2 days. I was told, “Hopefully we’ll have him back home in time for Christmas.” (FYI: I was also told that a recent 25+ years UA received a separation in lieu of trial within 2 weeks.)
My Dad and I were so confident and trusting of this information that my 84 year old father left his VA hospital bed to travel to Parris Island with me in order to bring Jerry home in time for Christmas. We had a special reason for this which you will read about below. On December 14, 2005, the day Jerry was transferred from Florida, we had already begun our trip to Parris Island when we received information that Jerry was actually being taken to Camp Lejeune instead. So far nothing we were promised has come true. We were misled, lied to.
We’ve been here through the holidays, almost 4 weeks now. Dad’s already been to the emergency room once. We’ve met with everyone from the General on down. They are all courteous, saying they will “get back to us” but they have no compassion. They don’t care that he’s a senior citizen, in ill health, or that the cold barracks and icy cold showers at the brig worsen his health. Jerry’s legs and toes swell and go numb, causing him to fall down. His kidneys hurt. He has some tightness in his chest. A large blood vessel in his eye burst and he is, of course, very stressed out. He has a recent history of high blood pressure and chronic bronchitis. Still it took 3 weeks of pressuring Camp Lejeune officials to have him evaluated by a doctor. Just today I was told he is now receiving treatment. I hate to think what would have happened to Jerry had Dad and I not been there to insist that he be seen by a doctor.
The powers that be also don’t seem to take his early life into account. After all, we’re talking 40 years ago, not now. They don’t care that Jerry was a foster child (after the sudden death of his father) since the age of 5, living with poor farm families and in Boys Towns. They don’t care that Jerry was coerced by a Marine recruiter during his senior year to quit school and join the Marines just months before graduation. It was for Jerry, after all, a job and a place to live; Jerry’s next “foster” home.
His recruiter also didn’t care that his right eye was so damaged from acid during a childhood accident that he was forced to learn to fire a weapon left-handed, or Jerry enlisted with metal rods holding him together; injuries he received only 3 years earlier during a tragic car accident which claimed the lives of two of his friends and his young girlfriend. They don’t consider now that in 1965 he may have been living with the stress and guilt of surviving that accident or, for that fact, just surviving foster homes.
They don’t care if he was a conscientious objector back then, or now, or that a broken heart and life’s stresses may have played a part in his decision. The “war”, as they refer to it, has been over for years. Even President Carter wanted our country to be healed of that mistake! Jerry has never done anything to hurt anyone. His only crime was not knowing how to cope so many, many years ago.
And, this is the one I really have trouble with: they really, really don’t care that Jerry’s 86 year old birth mother and his younger sister have been found since his incarceration, and that they, along with 16 other family members whom Jerry has never met, are waiting to reunite with him. Years of misinformation led Jerry to believe his mother was deceased and she had long thought he was dead and she’d never see him again. Years of foster care separated Jerry and his younger sister. It’s been 50 years since he’s had contact with her. Our hopes were high for a Christmas reunion, but so far they haven’t even spoken by phone. Jerry and his mother have been waiting eagerly for 4 months (actually 44 years) to meet again, and yet one of the JAG officers at Camp Lejeune told me, “well, I won’t get to spend Christmas with my mother either.” It’s beyond my comprehension how anyone could even think of keeping them apart a moment longer. (Note: Due to Jerry’s mother’s age and health, she and Jerry have asked that her privacy be respected.)
I am writing this from a hospital room in a neighboring state. My younger sister is dying. I buried my older sister two years ago. Jerry helped me care for her for four long years. The Marines know this. They don’t care that we, Jerry’s family, need Jerry home with us during this time. Jerry is just a notch on someone’s belt and a pawn in a political arena. All they care about now is that he allegedly left during a time of “war”. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe Congress ever declared Vietnam a “war” and in 1965 (I’m old enough to remember), we were told we were just “advising”. The “war” is over. What are we proving by imprisoning senior citizens? If they think it is sending a message to the troops, they’re right, but it certainly isn’t the one they think.
Dad and I will return to Camp Lejeune soon. We promised Jerry that we would not go home without him. He is a gentle, loving, honest and compassionate man who has spent his life helping others. His friends back home whole-heartedly support him. His employer is still holding his job open. His family awaits the miracle of a reunion. It is our hope that the Marines will honor their promise to us, and that common sense and compassion will prevail.
Our thanks to the GI RIGHTS HOTLINE, CITIZEN-SOLDIER, VETS FOR PEACE, the DALTON GANG and Jerry’s many supporters.
"Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another" (Vietnam Veterans of America) "If they ask you why we died, tell them 'cause our fathers' lied" (Rudyard Kipling)
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Advice From An Old Man
Due to a craze of events around the world, the United States may find it necessary to reinstate the draft; that is, the U.S. government might be forced into telling our nation’s youth that they have no choice but to honor the call of Uncle Sam, don a military uniform, and go to war.
The precipitating factor for such an emergency will likely be that of a joint venture between Israel and the United States, a coordinated military attack upon Iran sometime around late spring or early summer of 2006. Iran has apparently decided to do whatever it must in order to develop its nuclear facilities. On the other hand, Israel and the United States have made it clear that they will not allow Iran to do such a thing. Short of a miracle there seems to be no way out, no way to avoid such a clash.
Now, if such a war does become a reality, I suppose that our government could decide to forgo a ground war, and simply bomb the hell out of Iran. However, although such a strategy would likely “fill the bill” in the primary stages of the war, it would not be long before ground troops would be needed.
Believe me, there is no way Iran will simply roll over and play dead. As the dominant Shiite player in the Middle East, they will fight to the bitter end to protect their rights as a sovereign nation. If attacked, they can be counted on to retaliate by launching missiles upon Israel, encouraging the Shiite-dominated government of Iraq to battle coalition forces, coordinate an Iranian-Syrian “squeeze attack” upon U.S. ground forces stationed in Iraq, blockade the Strait of Hormuz impeding the flow of oil around the world, as well as activating a worldwide dormancy of “sleeper cells” set up for the purpose of attacking American interests at home and abroad.
Even worse, such an attack would provide ample evidence to the rest of the world that the United States has in fact become what it had suspected……. a lawless, viciously inspired, bully of a nation, a terrorist with little regard for the rights of other nations around the world. Indeed, a rather sad state of affairs for a nation whose president so vociferously boasts of its regard for freedom and democracy for everyone on the planet.
However, if such a scenario plays out, the government will find that it does not have enough soldiers to fight such a war. This will be the case because: those who have already fought in Iraq are exhausted, “used up,” and in no position to continue on; reenlistment rates have hit an all time low; the military has been unable to meet its recruiting requirements due to young people’s unwillingness to fight in an increasingly unpopular war; and most of America’s coalition partners have decided to either decrease the number of troops allowed to serve in Iraq, or they have recalled them, telling them to get out and to come back home.
The only plausible alternative, in order to field an adequate number of soldiers to fight an expanded war in the Middle East, would be that of a draft, a forced military conscription of our nation’s youth. However, such would be a bitter pill for politicians to swallow. It would no doubt place our political leaders into a very difficult position…… that of being unable to follow through on a preemptive war of their own making (kind of like starting a fight they are not able to finish), or, on the other hand, that of asking parents to send their kids into an increasingly unpopular war. The 1960’s protest of the Viet Nam War showed that nothing will destroy a government faster than that of forcing young people to fight a war the people back home do not support. However, if such a thing occurs once again, it will make the Viet Nam era’s protests look like mere child’s play. In the 1960’s it was just the hippies, the liberals, and college-age folks who were against the war. However, this time it will be mainstream America, the parents of our own children, who will be in the streets protesting; Cindy Sheehan multiplied by as many parents as it takes to bring down a government utterly dominated by a cohort of Bush-Cheney crazies, fundamentalist sympathizers, and corporate-stained politicians.
But what about the kids? What advice might one give to young people who may well be forced to make such a horrid decision; one of fighting in a war they do not believe, five years in prison, or perhaps even compelled to leave the country of their birth…… the kind of burden no self-respecting country would place upon its children!
As the parent of a thirty-one year old son, a teacher who has spent the past forty years teaching college age folks how utterly important it is that they develop the capacity to think for themselves, that they have the courage to challenge the status quo, I pray that the president of this country (one who will likely end up being impeached) is not insane enough to lead our country into another war, one that just might represent the beginning stages of another world war, a conflagration that could spell the end of civilization as we now know it. But if our president (occasionally referred to as “the village idiot”) chooses to do such a thing, my advice to the young people of this country is the same I have given my son.
The lesson of Nuremberg was quite clear. Man is sacred. He is more than a mere citizen, more than the holder of a simple deed on “a petty piece of property.” He is a human being, a shareholder in a much greater assemblage of men. He is a member of the human race. As such we must not allow ourselves to be bound up by the laws of our own land. The only law large enough to contain the heart of man is that which serves the best interests of mankind. Each of us will be held accountable for upholding the laws of justice, peace, and love. There are no exceptions. Every human being on this planet will be held responsible for his own actions. No one, regardless of his country of origin (even if he happens to be a citizen of the United States of America), will be allowed to escape judgment simply because he inadvertently assumed that he had no choice but to follow “his orders,” the commands given to him by “his superiors,” the government. The Nazis learned this the hard way. The people of Germany should have known better than to follow in the footsteps of a mad man. Surely we, as a people, have learned from the horrors of an earlier age. Surely we will not allow the president of our country, George Walker Bush, to do the same. Surely we understand that the only sure response to evil is to say no!
As men and women of conscience, we need to realize that we have no choice but to do what we honestly believe to be the right thing to do. Anything less than this will destroy the fabric of a nation, desecrate the human spirit, and lead to perdition. So, if called upon, that is, if you, as a young adult, are conscripted into military service, ask yourself this question: would it be better for me to appease my country by choosing to kill others in the name of a coin-engraved, cookie-cutter, American-sized God, or might it be more appropriate, more noble even, to choose to be an advocate for life by having the courage to say yes to humanity and no to the draft, by having the guts to make a determined stand against the God awful madness of war?
Someday when you become an old man (or an old woman) like myself, you will have the opportunity to look back upon your life. And when you do, you will wonder about the things you did, the way you chose to live your life. It is then you will be assessed the task of figuring out if you in fact lived a good and decent life. So, when that moment arrives, that time when you must decide if you will go to war for your country, do the right thing, do that which will enable you to stand tall as a man of integrity, honesty and good will, one who, no doubt, chose life over death, one who will one day be proud of who he had chosen to become as a human being, an old, old man who will not be afraid to look at himself in the mirror and say “Yes Lord, take me, for I have lived my life, and I am not afraid to die.”
Doug Soderstrom, Ph.D.
Psychologist
January 8, 2006
The precipitating factor for such an emergency will likely be that of a joint venture between Israel and the United States, a coordinated military attack upon Iran sometime around late spring or early summer of 2006. Iran has apparently decided to do whatever it must in order to develop its nuclear facilities. On the other hand, Israel and the United States have made it clear that they will not allow Iran to do such a thing. Short of a miracle there seems to be no way out, no way to avoid such a clash.
Now, if such a war does become a reality, I suppose that our government could decide to forgo a ground war, and simply bomb the hell out of Iran. However, although such a strategy would likely “fill the bill” in the primary stages of the war, it would not be long before ground troops would be needed.
Believe me, there is no way Iran will simply roll over and play dead. As the dominant Shiite player in the Middle East, they will fight to the bitter end to protect their rights as a sovereign nation. If attacked, they can be counted on to retaliate by launching missiles upon Israel, encouraging the Shiite-dominated government of Iraq to battle coalition forces, coordinate an Iranian-Syrian “squeeze attack” upon U.S. ground forces stationed in Iraq, blockade the Strait of Hormuz impeding the flow of oil around the world, as well as activating a worldwide dormancy of “sleeper cells” set up for the purpose of attacking American interests at home and abroad.
Even worse, such an attack would provide ample evidence to the rest of the world that the United States has in fact become what it had suspected……. a lawless, viciously inspired, bully of a nation, a terrorist with little regard for the rights of other nations around the world. Indeed, a rather sad state of affairs for a nation whose president so vociferously boasts of its regard for freedom and democracy for everyone on the planet.
However, if such a scenario plays out, the government will find that it does not have enough soldiers to fight such a war. This will be the case because: those who have already fought in Iraq are exhausted, “used up,” and in no position to continue on; reenlistment rates have hit an all time low; the military has been unable to meet its recruiting requirements due to young people’s unwillingness to fight in an increasingly unpopular war; and most of America’s coalition partners have decided to either decrease the number of troops allowed to serve in Iraq, or they have recalled them, telling them to get out and to come back home.
The only plausible alternative, in order to field an adequate number of soldiers to fight an expanded war in the Middle East, would be that of a draft, a forced military conscription of our nation’s youth. However, such would be a bitter pill for politicians to swallow. It would no doubt place our political leaders into a very difficult position…… that of being unable to follow through on a preemptive war of their own making (kind of like starting a fight they are not able to finish), or, on the other hand, that of asking parents to send their kids into an increasingly unpopular war. The 1960’s protest of the Viet Nam War showed that nothing will destroy a government faster than that of forcing young people to fight a war the people back home do not support. However, if such a thing occurs once again, it will make the Viet Nam era’s protests look like mere child’s play. In the 1960’s it was just the hippies, the liberals, and college-age folks who were against the war. However, this time it will be mainstream America, the parents of our own children, who will be in the streets protesting; Cindy Sheehan multiplied by as many parents as it takes to bring down a government utterly dominated by a cohort of Bush-Cheney crazies, fundamentalist sympathizers, and corporate-stained politicians.
But what about the kids? What advice might one give to young people who may well be forced to make such a horrid decision; one of fighting in a war they do not believe, five years in prison, or perhaps even compelled to leave the country of their birth…… the kind of burden no self-respecting country would place upon its children!
As the parent of a thirty-one year old son, a teacher who has spent the past forty years teaching college age folks how utterly important it is that they develop the capacity to think for themselves, that they have the courage to challenge the status quo, I pray that the president of this country (one who will likely end up being impeached) is not insane enough to lead our country into another war, one that just might represent the beginning stages of another world war, a conflagration that could spell the end of civilization as we now know it. But if our president (occasionally referred to as “the village idiot”) chooses to do such a thing, my advice to the young people of this country is the same I have given my son.
The lesson of Nuremberg was quite clear. Man is sacred. He is more than a mere citizen, more than the holder of a simple deed on “a petty piece of property.” He is a human being, a shareholder in a much greater assemblage of men. He is a member of the human race. As such we must not allow ourselves to be bound up by the laws of our own land. The only law large enough to contain the heart of man is that which serves the best interests of mankind. Each of us will be held accountable for upholding the laws of justice, peace, and love. There are no exceptions. Every human being on this planet will be held responsible for his own actions. No one, regardless of his country of origin (even if he happens to be a citizen of the United States of America), will be allowed to escape judgment simply because he inadvertently assumed that he had no choice but to follow “his orders,” the commands given to him by “his superiors,” the government. The Nazis learned this the hard way. The people of Germany should have known better than to follow in the footsteps of a mad man. Surely we, as a people, have learned from the horrors of an earlier age. Surely we will not allow the president of our country, George Walker Bush, to do the same. Surely we understand that the only sure response to evil is to say no!
As men and women of conscience, we need to realize that we have no choice but to do what we honestly believe to be the right thing to do. Anything less than this will destroy the fabric of a nation, desecrate the human spirit, and lead to perdition. So, if called upon, that is, if you, as a young adult, are conscripted into military service, ask yourself this question: would it be better for me to appease my country by choosing to kill others in the name of a coin-engraved, cookie-cutter, American-sized God, or might it be more appropriate, more noble even, to choose to be an advocate for life by having the courage to say yes to humanity and no to the draft, by having the guts to make a determined stand against the God awful madness of war?
Someday when you become an old man (or an old woman) like myself, you will have the opportunity to look back upon your life. And when you do, you will wonder about the things you did, the way you chose to live your life. It is then you will be assessed the task of figuring out if you in fact lived a good and decent life. So, when that moment arrives, that time when you must decide if you will go to war for your country, do the right thing, do that which will enable you to stand tall as a man of integrity, honesty and good will, one who, no doubt, chose life over death, one who will one day be proud of who he had chosen to become as a human being, an old, old man who will not be afraid to look at himself in the mirror and say “Yes Lord, take me, for I have lived my life, and I am not afraid to die.”
Doug Soderstrom, Ph.D.
Psychologist
January 8, 2006
Saturday, January 07, 2006
bush trimmed?
I doubt the bush will be impeached. Right now, if the 'opposition' party was serious about wanting to gain control of congress this year, they would be pounding the anointed one and all his acolytes, non-stop. And using the words that the repugs cherish so dearly: lies, murderers, traitors, thieves, immoral, corrupt, craven, divisive. Let’s stop dancing around it. All these words describe the bush administration and its allies and apologists.
The situation in Iraq and Afghanistan is falling apart. The other day, Snow warns congress that the US is about to hit the debt ceiling, and it needs to be raised. the republicans just passed a massive spending cut in social spending, and is pushing for a more massive tax cut for the rich. The military is losing faith and confidence in bush, according to a recent poll. And the bush himself just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. And also, we’ve just learned the bush has said the US will no longer be funding the reconstruction of Iraq. So, after destroying the infrastructure, and poisoning the environment of that unlucky people, we’ll be leaving them to themselves, and the tender mercies of the IMF.
All this from recent newspaper articles. The same media that has turned a blind eye to the corruption, cronyism, and lying, of the bush administration and its allies for 5 years. Hell, the NY Times held onto the wiretap story for over a year… makes me wonder what else they’re holding onto… So. Anyway. And less than a year from the mid-term elections.
the net is thrown
the lines are set
to right the wrong.
and at the side
the righteous cheer
in the neon night
that which they will rue
in the morning light.
--TM [1-3-06]
So where are the dems in all this? Still dancing around, trying to find a coherent message that will resonate in the polls? Damn. The message is right there in the headlines. ‘bush admits wiretapping’, ‘2 US troops killed’, ‘DeLay indicted’, Cunningham pleads guilty’, ‘Abramoff pleads guilty’, ‘workers wages down again in ‘05’, ‘benefits cut’, ‘republicans eye tax cuts’, ‘pensions in danger’, ‘more living in poverty in US’. Do I need to go on?
So. What will happen? Nothing. Not if we leave it up to our politicians and ‘leaders’. It’s not enough to sit on the sidelines and feel smug about the repugs’ current troubles. The moment will pass quickly, is passing right now. All these things need to be kept in the headlines, and the only way to do that is to make so much noise about it, that you can’t be ignored. And keep making noise.
I believe Americans are looking for a stark choice from the bushista regime. A complete course change. And now is the time for them to be offered that choice. Timidity in the face of tyranny will lose. And that, my friends, is what the choice boils down to.
Now is the time for each of us, individually and collectively, to loudly and proudly, and publicly, declare whether we oppose the bushistas or not. Be bold, be angry. And remember, “Take no guff, when you strut your stuff”.
The situation in Iraq and Afghanistan is falling apart. The other day, Snow warns congress that the US is about to hit the debt ceiling, and it needs to be raised. the republicans just passed a massive spending cut in social spending, and is pushing for a more massive tax cut for the rich. The military is losing faith and confidence in bush, according to a recent poll. And the bush himself just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. And also, we’ve just learned the bush has said the US will no longer be funding the reconstruction of Iraq. So, after destroying the infrastructure, and poisoning the environment of that unlucky people, we’ll be leaving them to themselves, and the tender mercies of the IMF.
All this from recent newspaper articles. The same media that has turned a blind eye to the corruption, cronyism, and lying, of the bush administration and its allies for 5 years. Hell, the NY Times held onto the wiretap story for over a year… makes me wonder what else they’re holding onto… So. Anyway. And less than a year from the mid-term elections.
the net is thrown
the lines are set
to right the wrong.
and at the side
the righteous cheer
in the neon night
that which they will rue
in the morning light.
--TM [1-3-06]
So where are the dems in all this? Still dancing around, trying to find a coherent message that will resonate in the polls? Damn. The message is right there in the headlines. ‘bush admits wiretapping’, ‘2 US troops killed’, ‘DeLay indicted’, Cunningham pleads guilty’, ‘Abramoff pleads guilty’, ‘workers wages down again in ‘05’, ‘benefits cut’, ‘republicans eye tax cuts’, ‘pensions in danger’, ‘more living in poverty in US’. Do I need to go on?
So. What will happen? Nothing. Not if we leave it up to our politicians and ‘leaders’. It’s not enough to sit on the sidelines and feel smug about the repugs’ current troubles. The moment will pass quickly, is passing right now. All these things need to be kept in the headlines, and the only way to do that is to make so much noise about it, that you can’t be ignored. And keep making noise.
I believe Americans are looking for a stark choice from the bushista regime. A complete course change. And now is the time for them to be offered that choice. Timidity in the face of tyranny will lose. And that, my friends, is what the choice boils down to.
Now is the time for each of us, individually and collectively, to loudly and proudly, and publicly, declare whether we oppose the bushistas or not. Be bold, be angry. And remember, “Take no guff, when you strut your stuff”.
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