the triumphant return of captain obvious (writing opportunity)

[johnny_red]

The state of the Union? Do you mean that relationship that binds me to my government, the alignment of individual and State? That Union?

That Union is weak with me and my people. That Union is withering. The main thing holding that Union in place is the patience and prudence which allows us to suffer tyrrany when tyranny comes from governments long established. That patience is not infinite, and prudence soon swings to dictate radical action when a government jeopardizes our safety and happiness.

It is obvious to me, and to any who care to observe the matter, that America's fundamental democratic institutions are in grave danger. In the past five years we have born witness to a Presidential impeachment, a Presidential election decided by a Court appointed in part by the candidate's father, a recall election that put a foreign born actor with no political experience in charge of the 5th largest economic region in the world. This year we are witnessing the rolling out of electronic voting, a system with no paper trail and no physically countable votes.

How can we resonably assert that America's political system is based on the Consent of the Governed when there are more prisoners here than anywhere else in the world? How can we say that the laws of our land reflect the will of the people when entire cities are not allowed to participate in the legislative process?

We have witnessed peaceful protesters attacked in Miami, Seattle. We have seen citizens quarantined into"free speech zones" to keep their opinions from spreading, for exercising their right to assemble. We have been told that we aren't allowed to own certain kinds of guns, and then watched as our police officers are equipped with automatic weapons, and Armored Personnel Carriers, and the soldier mentality that comes along with the military technology.

How can that Union be strong when the ground level representatives of the government, our very own police officers are raping us, murdering us? It is a crime to drive while black, walk while young, fly while Muslim in this country.

How can I trust that my President is upholding his half of that Union when the Commission to investigate the events of 11 September was forced to subpeona documents from the FAA, the Pentagon, and the Executive? How can stonewalling this Commission be in my interest? How can that make me safer?

Indeed, why should I trust that my President is upholding his half of that Union when he was warned of the threat posed by terrorists operating in the continental United States and did nothing to protect us?

Why should I trust a man who baldly lied in his recent address, saying that American has found "dozens of weapons of mass destruction-related program activities," when in actuality the chief weapons inspector just quit, saying that the Iraqi weapons stockpiles simply "never existed."

Who was Thomas Jefferson? No more and no less than a man who was not afraid to state the obvious. I hope I have done him some small justice here.



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im looking for input, critique, additions, corrections... help participate in making this message strong, complete, powerful, and heard. i know there are things that i missed, and DU is the best place to find 'em. you guys are smart, focused, and informed. help me.

feel free to copy, modify, distribute, alter, correct, and add to this article.

-jR>

[johnny_red]

1. ....bump....

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