Disagreements
Mar. 20th, 2003 09:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thistlechaser(Bah! Stupid IE. I lost this whole post and now need to rewrite it. I hit the backspace to remove a letter, and for some reason it acted like the back button, even though I was down here typing.)
While I haven't felt like writing about the war itself, I want to address a couple of "side issues". There will be two.
1) Warily I turned on the TV this morning, and the first thing I saw on it were war protesters up in San Francisco. Blocking traffic is not a good way for them to get more people behind their cause. If I needed to get to work and they had some bridge or major road shut down, I'd be more pissed at them and their cause than anything else. Even while just sitting home and watching it on TV, I get annoyed that they're holding other people up; even though I'm on vacation, this is a work day for many.
2) The thing that annoys me much, much more: While seeing the protesters' pictures on TV, the voice-over said 'While 50% of Americans don't support the war, as it goes on more and more will rally around and support the president'. I've heard that a couple times now: We have to stop protesting the war and start supporting the president so that we can present a "united front" to our enemies and not show any weakness. Buh? Buh? I cannot think of a more important time to speak out against Bush if you do not like him and his actions. Knowing that other people have put this thought into better wording long before I wrote this makes me feel especially clumsy, but here goes: As Americans, we have not only a right to free speech, we have a *responsibility* to speak up and not just follow along like a herd of cows. So why is it now, when one of the biggest things is happening, that we all have to bite our tongues and just rah-rah-rah our small penis'ed president's little pissing contests?
I understand that the war =/= the soldiers; I would never spit on the troops when they return, but I will never, ever say I support little Georie's actions when I do not.
While I haven't felt like writing about the war itself, I want to address a couple of "side issues". There will be two.
1) Warily I turned on the TV this morning, and the first thing I saw on it were war protesters up in San Francisco. Blocking traffic is not a good way for them to get more people behind their cause. If I needed to get to work and they had some bridge or major road shut down, I'd be more pissed at them and their cause than anything else. Even while just sitting home and watching it on TV, I get annoyed that they're holding other people up; even though I'm on vacation, this is a work day for many.
2) The thing that annoys me much, much more: While seeing the protesters' pictures on TV, the voice-over said 'While 50% of Americans don't support the war, as it goes on more and more will rally around and support the president'. I've heard that a couple times now: We have to stop protesting the war and start supporting the president so that we can present a "united front" to our enemies and not show any weakness. Buh? Buh? I cannot think of a more important time to speak out against Bush if you do not like him and his actions. Knowing that other people have put this thought into better wording long before I wrote this makes me feel especially clumsy, but here goes: As Americans, we have not only a right to free speech, we have a *responsibility* to speak up and not just follow along like a herd of cows. So why is it now, when one of the biggest things is happening, that we all have to bite our tongues and just rah-rah-rah our small penis'ed president's little pissing contests?
I understand that the war =/= the soldiers; I would never spit on the troops when they return, but I will never, ever say I support little Georie's actions when I do not.
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no subject
Date: 2003-03-20 09:41 am (UTC)Rights and responsibilities...
Date: 2003-03-21 02:11 pm (UTC)I agree that we should not blindly follow, but neither should we blindly oppose. We are currently divided, almost right down the middle, and why? Because the vast, not-entirely-silent-but-sullen majority of America doesn't bother to get off of its ass and check the facts of what is fed to it through the glass teat of television.
I will happily listen with respect to anyone who has solid, logical arguements based on fact rather than hearsay.
I will only despise those who believe the country should be 'led from the heart', and who seek the path of least resistance, attempting to evade responsibility.
You (Americans, not you personally) are FREE to speak. You are also RESPONSIBLE for what comes out of your mouth. You are RESPONSIBLE for educating yourself on the validity of memes before simply passing them along like a mosquito with yellow fever.
The people who effectively and with willful intent sabotage the police and fire rescue personnel of major cities should be held responsible for their actions.
I listen to all this whining, bitching, and moaning, the majority of it by people who couldn't find Iraq on a map even -after- seeing multiple maps on CNN, and I pity them the day that a declared state of war exists. Few Americans alive have experienced martial law. Few comprehend how fortunate they are to be able to wag their tongues without being held responsible for what they say.