Ran out of room before I could get to this part.
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Quote by: Sonart That's some catch that Catch-22. Here we Americans have the right to speak and write freely and to petition our government for redress of grievances, including, I assume, the grievance of getting our country into stupid, unwinnable wars. Yet by expressing those grievances in the time of the very war we feel is harming our country, we are aiding our enemy and therefore committing treason. So therefore, no matter how bad, how mishandled, how ill-conceived, ill-planned and ill conducted, we aren't actually free to complain to our government about that bad war until it's over, lest we committ treason.
Yep, that's some catch that Catch-22. |
Look to history for the answer......watch a few war movies from the 50's to see how people used their freedom of speech in time of war......more importantly, compare the movies and print media's approach to the question with those of today.......THEN tell me about using those freedoms responsibly, with the good of the country in mind......as opposed to the kind of self-serving phony righteousness of our so-called "free press" today.
Freedom is not only not free, neither is it free of obligations of responsible use........much like your driver's license.
In fact, I am just now reminded of a post in the blog,
IRAQ THE MODEL
that I read a few months after Saddam's regime was toppled, in which Ali recounted a conversation with some idiot who was driving down the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic. When he was asked what the hell he was doing, he replied, "We are free now......we can do what we want."
Likewise, I would suggest that our freedom of speech does not include a right to say whatever we want, nor wherever we want to say it......there are rules that attend that freedom, as well.
As an example, here is a partial list of the complaints I have with President Bush:
Open borders
$2.5 trillion budget
Campaign Finance Reform
Expanded Dept of Education Bill written by Teddy Kennedy
Bloated farm bill
Bloated transportation bill
$15 BILLION in aids money to Africa
No vetoes in five years
Medicare Prescription Drug giveaway
$200+ billion pledged for reconstruction of New Orleans
Rehabilitating President Clinton time and time again
Islam is a Religion of Peace!
Wishy washy support for Israel
Calling Minutemen "vigilantes"
If I were disposed to disagree with any particular military action that was ongoing and that included our men being endangered, (as I happen to be in at least one case), I would not discuss my opinion in any public venue, lest one of two things occur as a result:
1. The troops feel a lack of support for their mission
2. The enemy decides that if he can just hold out a little longer, public opinion will sway our government to fail in that support.
It cannot be denied that these things happened in Korea, Vietnam and Somalia, and swear I will remarry my bitch of an ex-wife before I will ever betray--by word or deed--the trust of a single soldier overseas.
I trust that such an oath as this will be evidence enough of my sincerity.
Thank you and good night.