They have awakened a sleeping giant.

[Mortos]

It's morning in America.

The American public is slowly waking up to the reality of the damage the Bush administration has done to our great country. Americans are slow to anger and quick to forgive but eventually our compassion and tolerance reaches a breaking point. Most were willing to give the controversially elected President a chance. After all, he had promised to be "a uniter, not a divider," and a "compassionate conservative".

He has failed. The man who would be king has proven to be the court jester, with disastrous consequences. A war with no end is decimating our military's morale and it now requires "stop loss" orders and dipping into the inactive ready reserves just to maintain the status quo. The morale of our armed forces has gone from the patriotic fervor of post 9/11 to a barely sustainable forced facade propped up by the laughable chicken hawk's and radio personalities hollow rhetoric.

The outright temerity of this administration to blatantly lie to the American people is finally being spotlighted by a timid media which stood idly by and even propagandized for this administration in the buildup to war. Don't ask don't tell became the motto, not of the military, but of our most cherished Constitutional institution. The press, free to explore and challenge and demand, for the most part stood idly by and reprinted the carefully worded memos and releases pounded out by the administration's pulp writers.

We are waking now. We are being roused by the lives lost, the opportunity squandered and the lies told. It is no longer the fringe element who are asking questions. The unpatriotic label has lost it's adhesive, it's just doesn't stick anymore. Who among us has not been affected? As many Americans brush away the sleep from their eyes, they begin to see, many for the first time, what has happened while they were sleeping. Like some bizarre reverse world, the nightmare begins when we become fully conscious.

I can hear it now. The low rumblings of thunder. The challenge to a patronizing authority. The demands for truth, not only from our leaders but from our media and our neighbors and our friends. No longer content to sit idly by and believe what we are told, Americans now begin to use that sacred document forged of fire so many years ago to defend the weak, to hold to account the powerful and to demand the truth from those who would lead. Your ivory towers are crumbling. Your facade is cracked. We can see behind the curtain.

No longer will we sleep. Lay motionless while our world is diminished. Sit idly by and watch events unfold that we can influence. The time for passivity has long since passed and, like the giant, once awakened, we will not return to our slumber until a change has been wrought, a price paid for the grievous wounds inflicted up us as a nation and healing can begin.

Good morning America.

[NJmaverick]

1. The media is still helping bush

They are burying the scores of deaths since the phoney Iraqi turn over to try and make things in Iraq look better for heir bush.

[against all enemies]

5. Have they no shame?

How do these scumbags even look at Helen Thomas? Helen should be everywhere telling the "press" corp to do their job.

[cthrumatrix]

26. maybe they need "to make it seem close"...for computer voting to steal it

[area51]

29. The media is also helping Shrub

by trying to claim that the economy is getting better & that there's more jobs now, when 3/4 of those jobs (claimed to have been created) exist solely on paper.

[sendero]

2. Well said...

... and I hope it bears out.

[Beloved Citizen]

46. Mortos for President

Or at least speechwriter.

[chimpymustgo]

3. Beautiful, inspiring, and true IMO. Thank you!

I can feel it too. See it in the crowds. See it in the faces of John Kerry and John Edwards.

A new day is dawning.

[chimpymustgo]

4. And welcome to DU!

:hi:

[kayell]

6. Excellent post! Welcome to DU!

[Kahuna]

7. Bushco misunderestimated us... They think that with the help of..

the rightwing noise machine they can keep selling us poor hapless 'Murkins lie after lie after lie. But they misunderestimated our use of alternative media, like the internet and documentaries.

[indie_voter]

8. Inspiring! From your keyboard to the electorate! Welcome to DU n/t

[Paradise]

9. W e l l, whadya know!

Welcome to DU, Mort! And, Good morning America! :hi:

[liberalmuse]

10. What a lovely post to read first thing in the morning!

Thank you very much!

[susu369]

11. Excellent

Du has some first-rate writers and I'm glad to see you have joined them. We need your voice!

"The press, free to explore and challenge and demand, for the most part stood idly by and reprinted the carefully worded memos and releases pounded out by the administration's pulp writers."

Thank you....

[mhr]

12. My Letter To The Editor - Same Topic, Shorter Version

The Bear Awakens

Dear Editor,

Witnessing the reaction to F9/11 has been instructive. Maybe the real
power in Moore's film is seeing in one dedicated sitting information
downplayed by established media.

For those that have abandoned cable, broadcast and most print media as
too biased, nothing in F9/11 was new or news. However, for those that
rely on corporate media, F9/11 is probably revelatory.

Sadly, this says two things. The public has been asleep at the wheel,
and more importantly, the media has failed the public with the sin of
omission. Neither is acceptable.

Nevertheless, the public is finally stirring from a prolonged slumber.
One wonders if somnolent publishers, editors, and reporters will
continue the vacuous cheer leading so evident over the last four years.
If nothing changes, the public just might demand better or, better yet,
dismiss the media with indifference for trivialization.

The public Bear has awoken and everyone knows you don't mess with a
hungry bear, except maybe corporate media.

[Mortos]

13. somnulent..

great word. Why couldn't I think of that. Excellent letter.

[Mortos]

15. my only critique of your letter to the editor

wasn't the bear the symbol for the former Soviet Union? May be used by some to discredit your message. Just a thought.

[Karenina]

17. You got sumthin' against bears?

or Russians?

[Mortos]

18. I got nothin against ether

My only thought was the "red scare" is still going on in many conservative's minds. Any McCarthy Republican worth his or her salt could clearly see the subversive pro commy message in MHR's letter. That's all.

[shraby]

42. I lived in those times and I didn't

see any such thing! I thought it was a very well written piece to the lazy, biased media.

[SpiralHawk]

19. For those of us who live in America, the Bear...

represents the Direction of West, especially Grandmother Bear -- and this symbol has been constant for many thousands of years.

She is too strong to succumb to propoganda, whether subtle or gross. Because Bear lives in integrity, Bear never succumbs to MindCheneying. This you can depend on.

Bear has the courage to go into the cave of the heart and to consciously face the truth. She is not afraid of the dark. From this heart center, the Bear offers to the human beings who live on Turtle Island (North America), Medicines to heal the soul -- and find the way out of the dark.

Rather than a "Communist Boogeyman," all pumped up by NeoCon 'commentators,' this is what the symbol of Bear means to those who know the scope and depth of the history that attends our magnificent land. In this symbol -- the Bear -- all Americans can take justified pride.

From the view around my council fire, our US of A is in urgent need of this Sacred Bear Medicine. Now.

Meegwich, SH

[Mortos]

21. read my reply below

I replied to the wrong post.

[stevedeshazer]

48. Give us some more of that

I followed your Medicine Wheel postings with great interest. I live on the edge of it.

[Arianrhod]

22. It's the symbol of California. n/t

[SpiralHawk]

16. A brilliant letter, MHR - MegaKickoes

Thank you

[Mortos]

20. I like your

Bear much better. I had never heard that before. Thank you for your insight and culture. I appreciate learning something I didn't know and you taking the time to teach me.

[fdr_hst_fan]

39. The editors and reporters

only publish that which their Repuke owners TELL them!

[Petrodollar Warfare]

44. Good post, and a good letter,

I'm curious as to what paper you sent that too. I really do think a lot of informed people are "abondoning" cable/broadcast media. THxs!

[mhr]

49. Sent To Dallas Morning News, Ft Worth Star Telegram, Other Local Papers

eom

[DarthDem]

14. Beautifully Said

Thank you for this.

[NC_Nurse]

23. Beautifully written and full of

inspiration for those of us who tend to fog with doubt. Thank you so much and
Welcome to DU!:toast:

[PoiBoy]

24. What a great piece...!

..how inspiring.. wonderfully written... thank you for posting..

:hi:

[donhakman]

25. There is a noise machine but there is also

a silence machine at the head of media and law enforcement officials coast to coast.

[Old and In the Way]

27. In the long view, maybe we needed George Bush to drive the

vast majority of Americans into action. They caught us complacent in 2000.....I don't think they'll have the same advantage this time.

Great post, welcome aboard!

[Sporadicus]

28. I'd Like to Post Your Wonderful Editorial in a Mixed Forum

with your permission. I'll share any feedback from freeperish types with everyone here. This is the forum I had in mind:

http://www.e-thepeople.org

[Mortos]

30. Post away.

If it impacts conservatives, more the better. Anyone else who wishes to repost this piece may do so. Please credit Democratic Underground and Mortos for the piece and links back to DU would be appreciated.

[Sporadicus]

32. Will Do!

I'll post the responses in this thread. Thanks!

[freeforall]

31. Excellent post!

Welcome to DU. :toast:

[No Mandate Here.]

33. There are encouraging signs...

I have long had the theory that even if TV news was balanced, the attention span and level of listening concentration makes it so only every other or every third word is actually comprehended. Cable news actually confuses things even further by running the 'ticker' across the bottom, diverting attention from what is read.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if there is a general correlation between source(s) of news and political philosophy; IE.- the more from cable TV = less actual thinking for oneself = more conservatism.

If this is the case, perhaps we should be heartened by the recent survey that said that the internet is tied with newspapers for third place as the prime source for news. The overview indicated that it may overtake radio by the 2008 election. I would imagine that at a fair percentage of the internet news gatherers use many sources, including online newspapers.

There are individual signs, as well. Usually the online polls by CNN and MSNBC and others are vacuous at best, and usually very ambiguously worded so there really isn't a right or left answer. Yesterday's CNN poll was a good example- asking whether the Senate Intelligence report changed one's view about invading Iraq. Of course, there was no good way to answer, as I really don't imagine that too many people have changed their minds at all. After all, yer either withem or aginem.

The other day, I was also heartened by the CNN poll the day before, where over 90% said that the gay marriage push is indeed a diversionary tactic. Others are beginning to see the transparent manipulation that * and his cabal are using. This is a very good thing.

[Mortos]

34. I agree.

Many people in America are growing weary of the same packaged news stories and tabloidal presentation. The more informed people become the more engaged and inquisitive they become. More knowledge leads to a quest for ever more information. The internet (which was invented by Al Gore :) has become a catalyst for a change in the way savvy people get their news and challenge the information they don't agree with. The old childhood taunt of "Prove it" has become easier and more available to the average person. Footnotes and sources are not only for literary scholars anymore.

I am glad to see Democratic Underground and other sites were people can challenge, inspire and sympathize with each other. I don't see that on the conservative sights I go to. Generally they are filled with like minded and lock step thinking automatons with no original thought or challenge to the status quo.

[opihimoimoi]

35. Common Sense, Reality, Sanity, and Reason will overcome Ideology

of the Pub Mindset.

When Kerry/Edwards use facts and figures, Truth, and exposure.... the Republicans will be revealed for what they are....exploitors of the American People....

Mario Cuomo had it all down when he spoke with lil Tim yesterday. It was a put down of the Pub Scam as best I seen in a long time.

Bus is Toast? Only until he Steals the election and gets away with it...

[Sporadicus]

36. Your Article is a Hit!

The freeper-types must have taken a day off. I expected some of them to respond, but none did. Pay no attention to the scuffle between Biomagnetics and grapes6...would take too long to explain. Thanks for permission to post your great article elsewhere.

http://www.e-thepeople.org/article/33152/view?viewtype=

[0007]

47. The paid trolls must be in the think tank mode for today.

[merh]

37. Very nice ...

I appreciate the post and join you in your sentiment.
Thank you.

Welcome to DU :hi:

:yourock:

[rob-ok-vin]

38. Thank You so much

This is the stuff that has helped open my eyes. You have put into words, once again, the thoughts that go through my mind. You do this daily when I see you and talk to you. I am so grateful to know you personally. I am also grateful that you have continued to say these things to this recovering republican. I may not take the "R" off my voters ID card this week but my mind is much more open today than it was before, and for this I thank you.

[milkyway]

40. Very nice post. I especially liked the idea that "the nightmare begins

when we become fully conscious." This really applies to the multiple Plame threads here at DU this week (and also to questions surrounding the events of 9/11). The more you know, the more frightening things become.

[Robeson]

41. From one "newbie" to another.....

....great post!:yourock:

[Sporadicus]

43. Your Article Has Gone Through the Roof on Another Board!

I posted Mortos' article on a mixed-ideologies board where I frequently battle neoconservative apologists, and the response has been overwhelming! It's too involved to explain the rating system here, but it currently has a 'relevance' rating of 1923 - the highest I've ever seen!

http://www.e-thepeople.org/article/33152/view

BTW, I am 'Sporadicus' in this thread.

[JackDragna]

45. You're deluding yourself.

There's little public demand to do anything about all the lies and falsehoods the president has spun. The news is now dominated by Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson once again, with Iraq fading into the background. In a few months, people will forget all about the economy and Iraq and be focused with laser-like intensity on gay marriage, John Edwards' career as a trial lawyer and other meaningless issues. Why? Because John Kerry won't go after Bush about his military record, reasons for going to war, the Patriot Act or any other issue which might make Americans realize just how corrupt their president is. Instead, Kerry will let Bush polarize the electorate with emotional, heart-on-the-sleeve issues that appeal to independents, like over-the-top displays of patriotism and "supporting the troops." We have a lightweight presidential candidate setting himself up for a huge fall.