Crossposted on
Truth 2 Power I'm not watching TV today. I'm not reading the paper. It's high time we all took a step back and took stock of what this day really represents to us as individuals, and as a nation - and the constant prattering of dim bulb talking heads is not going to help.
Five years ago 19 People Changed the World.
That's less than half the number of people on the roster for the Green Bay Packers. It's not even enough to be considered a decent street gang.
And we've been losing freaking our minds over it ever since? I don't think they deserve that much credit. Just what have they changed us - no, what have we LET THEM change us into?
We desperately need to end the pity party and start refocusing our energies in positive directions.
Yes, of course, 9-11 and the attack on the Pentagon were both massive tragedies. So was Oklahoma City, so was Pearl Harbor, so was Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Katrina. I'm not trying to belittle its importance, I'm saying that it's well past time we finally put our big britches on and started to look forward instead of morbidly fixating on the past.
Since 9-11 occured we've let the mere mention of that term or ground zero become like a religion. Mayor Nagin of New Orleans dared after being insulted by the stupid question "Why's it taking so long (to rebuild an entire freaking city that only took 100 years to make the first time around)?" with "Well, they're still working on that hole-in-ground in New York." and as vilified for it.
But Hello people, look at the pictures - it is a hole in the ground, and it's going to stay that way for quite a long time. That's simply the reality of the situation, but daring to "defile our sacred ground" with like - the truth - was just too much for some people. Clearly, some of us need to grow up.
This country so needs an enema I swear to God... Maybe after we clear out all the bullshit that's backed-up in our systems over the last five years we might finally begin to see things a little more clearly.
Yes, someone committed Mass Murder on American soil. Its happened before - it. will. happen. again! How exactly does that give us the right to commit Mass Murder in Iraq?
It doesn't, but you know what is supposed to be sacred? THE CONSTITUTION!
We've let this event twist us around so far we elected a chimp to the Presidency - again. A man who'se openly admitted to violating the 4th Amendment, the 8th Amendment and the 1st Amendment. He's a Fearmonger, a Hatemonger and War Criminal - and we've let him get away with it. So far.
We've forgotten who it is we're supposed to be. We've let this nitwit who only believes in a feudal Lord/Serf version of America, with it's Corporate Aristocrats who take every oppurtunity to grow fat on extravagant tax breaks and milk yet another dime out of their Worker/Servants - cutting their pensions, benefits, access to higher learning and healthcare while sending their sons and daughters into a endless, pointless, unneccesary meatgrinder of a war - seriously stear us astray. His vision is Anti-Education. Anti-Science. Anti-Fact. Anti-Freedom. If we truly want to fight the islamo-fascist-nazi-scumbag-bastards who brought down the towers (and blasted a big hole in the Pentagon - let's not leave that out) we need to learn to win this War on the stage of ideas.
So far we haven't even had a rehearsal yet.
It's time to put down the sack cloth and ashes on 9-11, a more than respectful mourning period has been observed. Now it's time to talk seriously about what are we going to do about it all. Who are we as a nation and where are we going? Better yet, where should we be?
How are we going to become the country that George Bush talks about eloquently in his speaches - a beacon of hope for the world - but doesn't truly believe in? The one that respects and protects the freedoms of all individuals, even jihadists. The one that values personal liberty as highly as we do the illusion of security and safety. The one that doesn't just talk about protecting people - it does. The country that the soldiers at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, the Alamo, Guadalcanal, Normandy and the Tet Offensive all died for?
If we don't want any of these people - including those in New York and Washington five years ago - to have been sacrificed in vain, we need to get our act together and begin to reenvision an America that is more than just platitudes, more than just rhetoric, more than just pretty streamers, parades, and poinantly staged photo-ops.
(Oh the Humanity, save me from another damn photo-op!)
We need to make this the Country it's supposed to be - the one that truly does stand for Freedom, truly does respect the rule of law and justice. We need to rekindle our ideals, rekindle our hope for the future - relight the passion for the Real America once again.
One Nation, under God or the Celestial Diety of your choice, with Liberty and Justice for All.
It's certainly better than letting 19 assholes drive us further into self-flagelating psychosis.
I'm taking Door Number 1 Johnny, how 'bout you?
Vyan