Dave Lindorff: The Land of the Silent and the Home of the Fearful

[Demeter]

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/lindorff/132

I was a speaker Tuesday night at an anti-war event sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County, Progressive Democrats of America and Democrats For America in Lincroft, NJ, near the shore. It was a great group of activist Americans who want to see this country end the Iraq War, turn away from war as a primary instrument of policy, and start dealing with the pressing human needs of the country and the world.

Yet even in this group of committed people, one woman stood up during the question-and-answer session and said, "I want to get involved in writing e-mails to members of Congress urging them to cut off funding for the war and other things, but if I do that, won't I end up getting put on a 'watch list'" or something?"

I told her the short answer was yes, she probably would. In George Bush's and Dick Cheney's America, no one is safe from such spying, and even from harassment, as witness Tom Feeley, the man behind the Web site Information Clearing House, who had armed men invade his house at night and threaten his wife complaining about his First Amendment-protected effort to publicize important stories on the Internet.

But I also told her that it didn't matter. She should defend her freedom of speech and her right to petition for redress of grievances, just as she was defending her freedom of assembly by attending this event.

The only demonstrably true statement George Bush has made in his sorry eight years in office is that the Constitution is "just a goddamned piece of paper." While it wasn't the point he was making, when he reportedly shouted this at a couple of Republican members of Congress who were questioning the constitutionality of some of his actions, he was right that the nation's founding document is only worth the parchment and ink it's composed of, unless people use it and defend it.

There is a remarkable and palpable fear abroad in this land -- not a fear of terrorism, but a fear of speaking up, a fear of being labeled as "different" or as a "troublemaker."



for the outcome and solution--read on at link!




DAVE LINDORFF is a Philadelphia-based journalist and columnist. His latest book is "The Case for Impeachment" (St. Martin's Press, 2006 and now available in paperback edition). His work is available at www.thiscantbehappening.net.

[TomInTib]

1. I found out first-hand.

After posting our gallery's website here, I was visited by two cretins. One of them asked me if I was the asshole who calls himself TomInTib.

I said I sure as hell was and also informed them that there was a firearm in every room of the gallery.

They walked out.

www.OpiaHome.com

Just in case anybody missed it.


And then there is this:

http://www.vizzvox.com/stories/9CBIe662CtQsI01fms

[barbtries]

6. hey tom in tiburon

i just watched the entire program. made me homesick for CA, even though i come from the other end of the state.

[puebloknot]

2. I am reminded of a story I've heard about people in Holland in WWII ...

... who decided to wear yellow stars on their clothing when they went out, even though they were not Jewish. If *everybody* wears a yellow start, how do you find and round up the Jews?

When people are afraid to sign petitions or post on Internet sites, they're not likely to take bolder steps in terms of activity outside home. In truth, we have much more to fear now than fire hoses and dogs. The draconian weapons that have been developed for crowd control are frightening, indeed. There's free-floating fear, which we all pick up from MSM, and then there's the more specific fear that comes from bothering to become informed.

The willingness of law enforcement to simply ignore constitutional rights and attack the public during legal demonstrations is a growing menace.

[Demeter]

3. Kick Because I Cannot Rec!

[phrigndumass]

4. The title says it all (K/R)

Why should we fear the government when we should BE the government! The silence can be deafening sometimes.

[Patiod]

5. I worry about them using the No-Fly list to stifle our rights

Those of us who fly for a living would be screwed.

I've noticed that some of the challenges to the list are actually gaining court scrutiny, and it's a relief.