Molly Ivins: Giving thanks for freedom (must read!)

[Dudley_DUright]

This being the season, let us give thanks for freedom. As President Bush said in London: "Freedom is beautiful. It is a fantastic thing to come to a country where people are able to express their views." Indeed, freedom is so beautiful, so precious that one needs to be zealous, to be watchful, lest this priceless beauty come to harm.

Imagine my surprise to see in the headlines this Thanksgiving week that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is "targeting peace groups." Operation Cointelpro is back. Now, of the various menaces faced by our republic, I must admit peace groups are not high on my list. A motley assortment of vegetarians, Unitarians, Quakers, miscellaneous pacifists, unclassified idealists, sweet damn fools, followers of Gandhi and Dr. King, and some others I suspect are far ahead of the rest of us both morally and politically.

<snip>

In a repeated pattern -- Phoenix; Evansville, Ind.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; St. Louis; Trenton, N.J.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Neville Island, Pa.; Columbia, S.C.; Houston; Richmond, Va.; and Washington, D.C. -- protesters holding anti-Bush signs or antiwar signs have been either arrested or segregated further away, often into so-called "free speech zones," while demonstrators with pro-Bush signs are allowed within hollering distance of the president.

Since when have one's constitutional rights depended on one's political opinions? I have news for the Bush administration: This country is a free speech zone. There are no zoning ordinances that apply to our rights. Freedom is a beautiful thing, and it is fantastic to come to a country where people are free to express their views. Let us give thanks.

more...

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=16072

[indepat]

1. Just one of hundreds of utterances wherein W's actions are contrary

to what he says: he dare not tell the truth, for the truth would expose the man, the far-right PNAC ideology, and their plans for the future of our former Republic.

[xchrom]

2. not so funny this time

she's brilliant. i love her -- and all i can really say is -- wish i'd said that.

[kimchi]

3. Molly hits it on the head again.

She is a gem.

[Dudley_DUright]

5. I take it from your avatar that you are one of the "followers" of Gandhi

that Molly mentions in her article. :-)

[tom_paine]

4. kick