I thought we were done with this horror

[blues90]

I would have never dreamed I would be here in the year 2007 with such a corrupt government and another so called war along with all the other horrible things that have grwon out of this mess .

I thought we were done in the mid 60's when I have hope for an end to all of this but this took until the mid 70's .

I also never thought for a second we would be in such an economic disaster with computers and easy outsourcing of jobs and a min wage that is not much better than it was in the 70's .

No one seems to have any answers and no one seems to be doing anything to solve this disaster .

Looking back I now wish i as a boomer would have done more but to see this as the future I don't know what I could have done .

All I can sit here and ask myself is what is there to do when you need the support of millions and if you had this where would one start .

I know this is a worn out record with the needle jumping the groove but each day I wake up in this nightmare or reality and I don't know how much more killing and slaughter and death I can handle .

A job is now just a job if there is no goal or a hope for a future , it is just existence if you don't have children to provide for and teach and watch them grow . I would not have children now even if I were still in my 20's .

I suppose I should consider myself lucky I have made it for 57 years .

[Monkeyman]

1. You Speak for allot of us

[Mr. Ected]

2. The Young People of America Are AWOL

The university students were the voice of their generation.

Today's students are totally disaffected...could be the lack of a draft?

It's sad to see so few of them involving themselves in the world they will inherit.

What have we done wrong to end up in this spot?

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. bingo it is a lack of a draft

and the recent study showing them to be highly narcisistic went me go ... NOW I GET IT... they will not show up until their personal asses are on the line

[Cabcere]

15. Some of us are trying.

But there's this overwhelming sense of hopelessness at times. The Bush administration has made it abundantly clear that they don't give a flying f*ck about what anybody besides their cronies thinks, and sometimes it just seems completely futile - these people who are in power are truly mad, and neither truth nor reality nor facts nor mobilization will stop them. Some of us do have a personal stake in this war - there may not be a draft (at least not right now), but I'm from a rural area where a lot of kids from my high school joined the military right after graduation, and I've already watched one of the nicest, funniest, most honorable guys I've ever known be lowered into the ground before his twentieth birthday. This administration may be trying to hide the pictures of coffins draped with flags, but I have seen it with my own eyes, and even if I had been "disaffected" before then, I wasn't afterwards. I saw the seven Marines in their dress blues fire the 21-gun salute for my friend. I heard the bagpiper play "Amazing Grace" and the Marines' Hymn as his casket was lowered into the ground. I felt the grief of his mother as the officer presented her with the flag from her son's coffin. I was there, and I was not detached or disaffected or disinterested. And I'm still not. I constantly worry about my other friends who are serving in the military - like the guy I've known since elementary school who's the only one allowed to call me by a certain nickname, or the guy who took me to the homecoming dance my freshman year, or the girl I used to play youth league basketball with. And it's not just these people, either. I'm terrified that if we go to war with Iran, the draft might have to be reinstated if recruitment goals aren't met and we need more troops to fight yet another war. My little brother is sixteen years old. In two years, Bush will be out of office, but it's unlikely that the war(s) will be over, and my little brother - who was thrilled to start behind-the-wheel driver's education this year, who has been dating his first girlfriend ever for about three months now, and who loves to play drums in a neighborhood garage band in his spare time - will be eligible for the draft. He may drive me nuts sometimes, but it would kill me to lose him, especially in a war. :cry:

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that some university students (such as myself) DO care. Some of us write our Senators and Representatives and join activist groups on campus and sign petitions and make phone calls and try our best to change things...but sometimes it feels like that's not enough, and no matter how loud we shout, how far we march, how hard we protest - the Bush administration will shut us out, shut us down, shut us up and refuse to even hear us. :( So tell me - what can we do? What more can we do to help stop this madness? :shrug:

[EFerrari]

17. It feels that way now and it felt that way then, too.

Our job is not to give in to that but to keep moving, to keep the pressure on. To remember that it's our brothers and sisters -- their lives in the balance. Our parents, too, as BushCO kills social programs and raids pension funds. Our neighbors who will lose their homes because they can't keep choosing between medical bills and mortgage payments.

We have a lot to fight for, sistah. Let's keep moving.

www.impeach07.org

[raccoon]

24. Thanks for what you do.

If the draft is reinstated, which would be a hard sell, I don't think it would just be males.

[Mr. Ected]

29. Of Course There Are Exceptions

The mere fact that you're a regular contributor here indicates that you take such things seriously. The problem isn't with YOU, it is with the majority of college-aged students who are apathetic narcissists, concerned only with their own self-aggrandizement and not at all with the national state of affairs.

You, however, are a rainmaker, and your voice needs to remain at a fever pitch. Fighting City Hall is never easy. But the rewards are great.

[Greyhound]

32. Which candidate are you supporting, and what is s/he promising

to do about the war? What about the cause of this, and every, war? What do you think about it?

[Richard Steele]

40. We actually had an independant & impartial MEDIA in the 60s. THAT's the real difference.

The soulless bastards who regarded the Vietnam Conflict as a lucrative business venture
learned their lesson- they spent 30 years BUYING every major source of "news"
in this country before they recycled their old business model again.

[EFerrari]

3. Join us.

www.impeach07.org

(This is the third time I've posted this URL today. Please don't kill me, Spam Filter of Death!)

[blues90]

7. I'm afraid I'm not a very peaceful protestor these days

I went to the one in LA CA on the 27th and had a very difficult time keeping quiet so my wife suggested we better go back home .

I would have liked to be in DC on the 27th but we just don't have the money to pull that off .

[EFerrari]

8. So, that leaves everything but face to face confrontation.

That's cool, blues90. There's a lot to do.

I know, though. I'm furious most of the time. I have two kids and three nieces under 14.

[blues90]

14. That's the trouble .

There is no face to face here . Even when Harrison on the edge had the peace rally right here a few blocks from where I live the damn CNN building blocked their entrance .

I was dissappointed when I sw the DC rally because the only reps who attended were Conyers , Waters and Kucinch . There should have been many others if they really supported the people and there should have been some of the opposition out there .

The 60's peace marches were much different . We had more support and were more to the point and expressive . I don't feel banners and signs have much effect these days . We need a new way to get the point across .

Something right out of 1984 where we all show up in rows upon rows dressed in 1984 uniforms and bursts of rage shouting out impeach bush none stop and then each holding a red brick to be left behind as a symble of rebuilding this country .

Malloy read my email about this on air in Jan before the DC rally .

I just feel we need to try something different and be more of a unit of strength and less distracting . These reps are just to insultaed and in their own bubble besides being bought by the same money as the repugs .

[EFerrari]

16. I agree that it's hard to compete with all that money.

As soon as they're elected, they have it made. All they need to do is skate when we need them not to skate but to pay attention.

I'm not going to stop, though. I've committed to organize Nancy's district for impeachment and f$ck me, I'm going to do it. Rotating vigils, Impeachment Faires, marches, whatEVER.

We're not going away:

:)

[lligrd]

19. Impeachment Faires - I Love It

Gotten any reaction yet?

[EFerrari]

21. I need you to come to our meeting next time -- 3/16. I'll buy

brunch.

Let's have fun AND impeach the Decider. :)

[lligrd]

22. I'm At The Opposite End Of The World

Well, California anyway. But if I am ever up that way, I will take you upon that.

[EFerrari]

37. Ah, darn. I thought you were up here in a town of the same name.

:(

Well, you come to my faire and I'll go to yours. :hi:

[Greyhound]

33. "but we just don't have the money to pull that off "

This is the biggest difference between then (the 60's) and now, and I don't believe that it is mere coincidence.

Then, it was very easy to live if you were without any major responsibilities (i.e. several kids, mortgage, two car payments), one could live modestly with a part-time McJob or simply panhandling generated enough lucre to keep body and soul together. That was what they eliminated before they started really turning the screws, in essence, it was possible to live outside the system while living in it. One had the option of dropping out (remember the Warhol meme?) and devoting one's self to making the change.

Our society, and especially the Boomers, took on the yoke of debt as never before in this country. Now, we are trapped and desperately clinging to the hope that, if we can just hold on long enough it will all, somehow, work out eventually.

[blues90]

34. One part especially stood out in your reply .

"Now, we are trapped and desperately clinging to the hope that, if we can just hold on long enough it will all, somehow, work out eventually."

This is one of the main issues of those who want change and desire to somehow live on and go forward into a better future are trapped in .

It would be a great risk for me to even travel to DC financially . We can barely make the bills even with one light on at night . We have tighten and cut back on everything , not that this is so bad but the worry is as price rise we may be screwed .

I struggle each day looking for hope let alone trying to maintain sanity that if we can hold on long enough it will ever work out again .

I wonder as things keep unfolding each day which are all new horrors , just how much time we have left before many of us find ourselves hitting the bottom with no way out .

Back in the 60's I made less than $400 per month but I could pay half of rent and make the $50 per month car payment and food was cheap . Rent was $170 per month for a nice large one bedroom apartment my girlfriend at the time and I shared . And with a high school education you could learn on the job while being paid and advance . This has all been stripped away into one enormous nightmare with the security of knowing you could find a job gone seemingly forever .

[Greyhound]

39. Exactly. Your situation is not rare at all, in fact I'd go so far as to declare

that it has become nearly universal. All of these studies we are inundated with that show how the middle class is shrinking and hurting, but is still viable, ignore the sacrifices that they have made to maintain that status of middle class. The 3 jobs, 70+ hours a week spent making others rich. The cold winters and hot summers. The macaroni and cheese three nights a week, etc.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, that you are living it, but it helps to keep me sane, and these exchanges often spark new ideas and reveal new perspectives to me. Thank you.

There's a quote I've heard, but cannot easily find, that goes something like, "Why do I preach to the choir? Because that's how you get the choir to sing."

[ChiciB1]

12. I Stopped Blogging Much These Days... But I Check In All The Time...

don't know if it will make you feel better or not, but I'll be there! I started looking for "booking" back in late January - early Feb. I've decided to bring my granddaughter with me (11 yrs.) and this will be her first time flying and her first REAL (it's actually happening) protest march. Those of us who remember "Viet Nam" and all the radicalism of the people, we sometimes get nostalgic about the fire we felt about the "times" back...

APATHY seems strange to us, but we also have to remember that we where the genesis of of how people feel today. I, myself often wonder how our kids will deal with what we let happen. I have no answers anymore, I'm just going to be a voice I once heard, and to show my granddaughter that her voice will only matter when SHE SPEAKS OUT!

I have seen no real coverage of this event, but I will tell you that since I booked my flight and hotel, prices for my same deal have gone up by almost $350.00 per person and a one way flight isn't showing up much either. Most flights say there will be at least one stop.

What does it mean, I wonder because I have heard so little about it ANYWHERE! It may be that it's ANSWER, but no matter... it's SOMETHING.

[EFerrari]

18. Go, go! It's a great opportunity to network and just soak in support.

The Thug media won't say a word, but WE WILL. I'm so glad I took my son out there in January. He came back with a completely different sense of what was possible.

We have the tubes, ya know. :hi:

[ChiciB1]

30. Yeah... That's ONE Big Reason I'm Taking My Granddaughter...

AND she's really getting excited about it. She spent the night last night and it was all she talked about. I know from my experiences that this "coming together" does have an impact on the ACTIVISTS no matter what!

I'm hoping she'll "catch the fever" for LIFE! It's all we seem to have anymore, if not US than WHO????

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. I've seen it myself many times. It's always darkest before the dawn. n/t

:hug: MKJ

[whistle]

6. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over ...

...but expecting different results. Nothing has really changed since the 1950s and 1960s in terms of political corruption and how business relies upon government influence, so logically it would have to get worse not better over time. By the mid 21st century, the country is most likely to be living in a fascistic nightmare society based on the present political trends.

[1620rock]

9. Yes, it's the de'-ja'vu of the 60's without the commitment or..

..the passion of those times.

[WinkyDink]

11. But back then, we didn't know until it happened that the government

would actually shoot us for protesting.

Now, we know.

[WinkyDink]

10. 57 and counting, here, too. The 60's were only half an aberration, I guess.

That "Peace, Love, and Civil Rights" half.

[frogcycle]

28. yeah, the Dark Side of the Force prevailed

[Golden Raisin]

13. I'm the same age and share your angst.

The last 6 years (in particular) have been like a waking nightmare. And it just seems to get worse. I didn't think we could have a worse Attorney General than Ashcroft until BushCo treated us to Gonzales. If today's young people will not defend the Constitution and our Republic, then WE have to as best we can. Even if the Fascists and Fundamentalists win in the end we can at least say we tried to fight back. I didn't think I'd be marching in protests at this age but, arthritis be damned, I have done so over the last few Bush years and will continue to do so.

[Radio_Lady]

20. K & R. I'm ten years older than you, but still feel the same way in many respects.

It's kind of a helpless feeling. Trying to enjoy a life that is taking place in a very troubled world. Watching the news makes it feel even more helpless.

Looking at our three grown children, their spouses, and our five beloved grandchildren and trying to make some sense of it all.

Ah, well, there's always the Comedy Channel. Sometimes I just have to laugh through my tears.

Good night and good luck!

Radio Lady in Oregon

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

23. There are a lot of us who feel that way

We thought our protesting in the 60's enlightened the world and that we would not have to go thru all this again.

[raccoon]

25. I'm about your age, and I feel the same way.

I thought because of our protesting in the '60's and '70's, and the passage of some legislation, such as the Civil Rights Act and Medicare, that we as a society would just become more and more progressive and enlightened and fair...

Gosh, was I naive.

I don't have children, and lots of times I'm glad of it. I sympathize with young people just starting out now. It's lots harder for a 20-something to get a "good" job than it was 30 years ago.

[lectrobyte]

26. Sometimes all you can do is all you can do. Try to focus in on the

little picture, help somebody else, spend some time with nature. I'm just a few years younger, and I really thought things would be easier now at this age, but life has other plans.

[blues90]

35. I am afraid they have made this one big picture

Where everything affects many all at once . I don't know how to separate the war the economy or global chaos , the guilt of even using gas knowing it is directly tied to someones death .

We have this and much more to process and still try to remain sane .

Once one gets involved it all becomes related as a swill of wrong doing and corruption , it not only becomes a personal battle but one you feel is on all fronts .

This administration has designed a dictatorship under the appearence of a faceless government without conscience which has in turn forced many people to hide behind ignorence in order not to face the reality and live on being able to justify their choices . Not to leave out people who are just plain ignorent .

For me it becomes one big picture the more you connect the dots .

This is not to say you do not , I can see your are concerned and troubled about the future , I just wish I could focus on smaller parts as you have the admired ability to do .

[lectrobyte]

41. I'm not saying I'm able to focus in on the smaller picture, but sometimes

the only good you can do is local, and that helps, I think, or at least it seems to help me. It's not the world I thought we'd have, and it's not want I want to leave my grandchildren, but we just have to what we can.

[frogcycle]

27. agreed

another early-boomer here.

I keep wondering where all the flowers have gone

I didn't go to VN (4f), but lived through the nightmare. We actually thought we had achieved a new reality. We thought the times really were a-changin

Abraham, Martin, John, and Bobby must be so sad...

ok, that was hokey, but it makes a point. We were idealistic, but we were marginalized by our materialistic counterparts - the PNAC crowd - and we are now damned near impotent to do anything about it.

[blues90]

36. Yes this country has become un-recognizable

We did have our ideals in a different world . Now perhaps we can make some difference but I do feel it is up to the youth or our age at the time we went through the horror of VN .

I don't know where all the idealistic boomers went . I still know a few scattered across the US . None are financially successful but then that was not our goal , out goal was to bring people together against the corporate and the military machines . I do know many boomers who have joined the ranks and sold out to have the so called american dream but went a bit too far . Ohters never had the ideals and went about adhearing to the corporate structure with pride .

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

31. "Young wolves show us your teeth."

John Steinbeck challenged Russian students with that line when on a lecture tour in the Soviet Union during the Brezhnev years.

It seems apt for American youth now.

[EFerrari]

38. What a great story and yes, very apt for this moment. :-)