A Little Something To Think About...
Hello again loyal readers. I trust everyone is in good health.
The subject of today's post is "A Little Something To Think About". I arrived at the subject after reading several newspaper reports on the current NSA wiretapping scandal. After reading a few that basically said that Congress is about to waffle on the scandal and let Bush slide on the legality of it all, I came across one report that said that, according to an AP-Ipsos poll, 48% of Americans now think it is "OK" to conduct warrantless wiretaps as long as it is to stop terrorism.
It depresses me to think that 48% of Americans are willing to give up their Constitutional rights just to obtain a little security. Are you really that afraid of the big bad terrorists? The terrorists are an unconventional enemy, but they are not the omnipotent, omnipresent bogeymen that Bush has fashioned them into. If Bush gets away with warrantless wiretapping in the name of fighting terrorists, when and where will he stop (or be stopped)? If the blatant disregard of the Constitution continues, pretty soon we will have no rights whatsoever! With no rights, you won't have any protection against the government. Who's going to tell the government "No, you can't do that" when they want to take away your guns, or your property, or you? Are you going to be the one to stop them? How about your neighbor? No, you in the 48% will stand idly by and watch people who disagree with the government be dragged off to God-knows-where, just as long as you are safe, secure, and comfortable.
How long will it be before we are reciting Martin Niemoller's 1946 poem to express our own regrets at letting our government get out of our control. How long will it be before we are saying...
First they came for the gays, and I did not speak out - because I was not gay;
Then they came for the civil libertarians, and I did not speak out - because I was not a civil libertarian;
Then they came for the liberals, and I did not speak out - because I was not a liberal;
Then they came for the Muslims, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Muslim;
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.
I changed the groups contained in the original to more contemporary political targets, but the sentiment is the same, as is the message. (The original and a biography of the author may be found here.)
Think about the poem and think about the actions of the Bush Administration. Then think about how long it will be before they come for you or your family. The only solution, the only way to avoid this, is to demand that the Bush Administration adhere to the rule of law and the Constitution. If we fail to do that, then these things will come to pass, the poem will become an American lament, and we will only have ourselves to blame.
I am Chuck and I can see the writing on the wall. Can you?
The subject of today's post is "A Little Something To Think About". I arrived at the subject after reading several newspaper reports on the current NSA wiretapping scandal. After reading a few that basically said that Congress is about to waffle on the scandal and let Bush slide on the legality of it all, I came across one report that said that, according to an AP-Ipsos poll, 48% of Americans now think it is "OK" to conduct warrantless wiretaps as long as it is to stop terrorism.
It depresses me to think that 48% of Americans are willing to give up their Constitutional rights just to obtain a little security. Are you really that afraid of the big bad terrorists? The terrorists are an unconventional enemy, but they are not the omnipotent, omnipresent bogeymen that Bush has fashioned them into. If Bush gets away with warrantless wiretapping in the name of fighting terrorists, when and where will he stop (or be stopped)? If the blatant disregard of the Constitution continues, pretty soon we will have no rights whatsoever! With no rights, you won't have any protection against the government. Who's going to tell the government "No, you can't do that" when they want to take away your guns, or your property, or you? Are you going to be the one to stop them? How about your neighbor? No, you in the 48% will stand idly by and watch people who disagree with the government be dragged off to God-knows-where, just as long as you are safe, secure, and comfortable.
How long will it be before we are reciting Martin Niemoller's 1946 poem to express our own regrets at letting our government get out of our control. How long will it be before we are saying...
First they came for the gays, and I did not speak out - because I was not gay;
Then they came for the civil libertarians, and I did not speak out - because I was not a civil libertarian;
Then they came for the liberals, and I did not speak out - because I was not a liberal;
Then they came for the Muslims, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Muslim;
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.
I changed the groups contained in the original to more contemporary political targets, but the sentiment is the same, as is the message. (The original and a biography of the author may be found here.)
Think about the poem and think about the actions of the Bush Administration. Then think about how long it will be before they come for you or your family. The only solution, the only way to avoid this, is to demand that the Bush Administration adhere to the rule of law and the Constitution. If we fail to do that, then these things will come to pass, the poem will become an American lament, and we will only have ourselves to blame.
I am Chuck and I can see the writing on the wall. Can you?
posted by Chuck | 03:12
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