Taking Their Sacrifices for Granted – It’s Why We Still Have to Fight for Our Rights

[riqster]

Martin Luther King died so that others could live free. Today, idiots like Clarence Thomas like to pretend that Dr. King’s sacrifice was no biggie, so let’s get rid of all the laws that helped people of color to make progress towards equality in America. Even worse, lots of young black folk have no clue about the Civil Rights movement and what sacrifices they made: so they take their recently-won rights for granted. Small wonder those rights are being taken away by courts and Red State governments even as we commemorate the March on Washington.

And it’s not just African-Americans: dolts like Marissa Meyer diss feminism because hey, she was able to become a big-shot CEO, so the struggle for women’s rights must have been no biggie. Those feminists that millions of idiots make jokes about made it possible for women to vote, to have jobs, to have their own credit cards and many other rights. And because so many women take the sacrifices of feminists for granted, their newly-won rights are also are being taken away by courts and Red State governments.

Lots of “Republicans” like to pretend that we no longer need the rights of free speech, assembly, and privacy (among others) because hey, they can do anything they damned well please, so clearly, the Bill of Rights is no longer necessary. These idiots forget the Founding Fathers and their efforts to secure those rights for us. And because so many Americans take the sacrifices of Washington, Jefferson et.al. for granted, our newly-won rights are also are being taken away by courts and Red State governments.

We must take a moment to remember, on historic days like these, that it wasn’t just flowery speeches and signatures on documents that won those rights for us. No, it was blood and sweat, tears and torture, endurance and indomitable courage pitted against seemingly omnipotent and impregnable opponents that won those rights. And if we take our recently-won rights for granted, all of us will have to fight those fights all over again.

By remembering the sacrifices of those warriors who won our rights for us, we honor them; we also safeguard ourselves, and the country we love.

http://bluntandcranky.wordpress.com/2013/08/28/taking-their-sacrifices-for-granted-its-why-we-still-have-to-fight-for-our-rights/

[Bluenorthwest]

1. This forgetfulness is common to the youth of all communities, but the blame for that forgetfulness

goes to their elders who hold the responsibility to educate the youth. It is our job to tell the stories, sing the songs, make the movies and plays and connect those young people to that which allowed them a modicum of liberty. The same thing happens in the GLBT community, and that same accountability sits with our elders. We can not expect them to both employ their freedoms fully and automatically understand what was done to win those freedoms.
We have to do more than remember, we must also recount the stories in ways that hold the ears and hearts of those in need of this knowledge. This is why The Butler is important, this is why The Normal Heart will be a great education for so many young people. This is why Spike Lee and Harvey Firestien are American treasures, they don't let up, they don't stop telling, recalling, tying it all together.

[riqster]

2. All very true.

Holy cow, we agreed on something. Mark this date on your calendar.