Leonard Pitts can just quit writing now because I don’t think he will surpass this essay.
Karl Rove said in a speech last week that this year’s midterm election will be about security. So you know it will be about fear…
Hurricane Katrina has shown that the government could not effectively manage a catastrophe whose place and time it knew in advance…So yes, a national conversation about security could hardly be more timely. But it would be naive to think that’s what Rove meant.
…Experience tells us that with this crew, ”security” is just a code word for fear. So this election will hinge on making people think terrorists are going to get ’em if they don’t vote Republican.
A ruinous war fought under false pretenses? Sept. 11.
Indefinite detention of alleged terrorists? Sept. 11.
Torture? Sept. 11.
The right of the people to dissent? Sept. 11.
Spying on Americans in violation of federal law? Sept. 11.
A growing record of incompetence and lies? Sept. 11.
Fear is the president’s Get Out Of Jail Free card.
…what is at stake this year is not the fortunes of a party but the character of a nation. The choice is simple: remain true to the ideals that have guided us for 230 years or surrender them on the altar of expedience because we were too scared to live up to them.
Make no mistake: America is not for wimps. It takes guts to be an American, to believe in the rule of law, the freedom of dissent, the dignity of woman and man even when — especially when — it is more expedient not to. To be an American is to commit a daily act of faith.
I feel that way about Leonard Pitts every week, but he still keeps topping himself.
Don’t forget the ever present threat of gay marriage, which, by itself threatens the very fabric of our society as envisioned by the radical right wingnuts. I remember the divisiveness caused by this red herring issue.
When they bring it up EVERYONE should be asking the Rethugs how, after five years of Rethug rule and the elevation of King George to royalty this can still be a problem.
Can’t His Highness simply command the House of Unrepentant and the Seenot to just simply ban gay marriage under threat of being declared an enemy combatant, have all gays kidnapped off the street and held indefinitely without being charged or brought before a judge, and then extraordinarily render them for torture in some foreign country until they renounce their gayness?
His Majesty IS THE LAW. Makes me wonder though, if this megalomaniac orders the US military to attack Americans here on the streets of AmeriKa will they comply? Or would we have any true patriots left in the ranks who would resist such an unlawful order?
This criminal Administration has got me so mad that I’m finally getting off my duff as in previous years to actually help in ousting these thugs. Never have we seen such arrogance and in you face actions. Most Americans are SO apathetic they don’t even deserve a (so called) democracy.
Thanks so much for the link to Mr. Pitts, he’s one of my all time favorites. I hope everyone writes him a thank you note for having the courage to criticize Bush.
I have to admit to being astonished that there are so many damn chickenshits in this country.