Support the Troops, Bring 'em Home

I have a few friends in the military. One is in the marines and the rest are in the army. They fly helicopters, repair tanks, and protect our military ports. They are normal people with families and friends. They will serve or have served in Iraq.

Back here in America we throw the phrase "support the troops" around all too easily. Some say being against the war is against our troops. Some support our troops through a fading magnet on their car that they have long forgotten about. But those who actually support the troops and care about their wellbeing want them home.

If you actually believe the majority of the troops want to be over in Iraq, then you are quite delusional and should seek professional help. They are over there doing their job, nothing more, nothing less. Some of them believe in the mission, many don't. They are not politicians, but soldiers, sworn to protect our country and constitution.

After the terrible things we put our soldiers through in Vietnam, you'd think we'd learn our lesson. Unfortunately, instead of spitting in their faces, this time around we keep their faces were we cannot seem them. We throw them into dilapidated military hospitals. We pretend we are doing them a favor my putting a yellow magnet on our car. We pretend they enjoy what they are doing over there and go about our daily lives, because the president has yet to ask the average American to sacrifice something for his "great cause".

The next time you tell someone you support the troops, make sure you infuse it with a bring them home sentiment. It's up to us to support the troops now. It is time for us to actually sacrifice something to support those who have done so much and ask for little in return. Congress does not support our troops. The president does not support our troops. We must pick up the gauntlet and support the troops by ending pointless wars and bringing them home. If we do nothing, how much better are we than those who sent them in to harms way to begin with?

Impeach Those Who Won't

You congresspeople out there whom don't understand their jobs, this post is for you. For all those in the legislative branch who've never read the Constitution and do not understand their purpose in the system of checks and balances, this is for you.

Read Article Two, Section 4 of the Constitution please. It gives the House of Representatives the authority of oversight on the executive branch by enabling them to impeach officials that commit crimes while in office. Even in a delusional state of mind that could somehow ignore the crimes perpetrated by the current administration, it is your job to uphold the law on any future crimes committed by them. If you are a congressperson whom has stated that impeachment is "off the table", then you are failing to do your job.

Let's say Bush ordered the army to start shooting US citizens out of the blue, are you then saying that would not be something to impeach him on. I mean, impeachment is off the table, obviously there's no reason to do your job, so why start doing it any time in the future.

You all swore an oath to uphold the Constitution. All of you that disregard any portion of it are failing that oath and a disgrace to your office. Please withdraw such statements or resign your office in shame of such contemptible failure.

The rest of us have to do our jobs, so congress please do your's.

Revolutions Ain't Easy

America is in a decline. It has been for quite some time. The last seven years standout as the worse that I've ever seen on American soil. As the constitution is steamrolled and America's integrity erodes ever faster, there is a threshold that changes a free society into an enslaved one. Have we reached it yet? Did we reach it long ago? In either case, how do we make it right?

Thomas Jefferson once stated that, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Talking of open revolt against one's government is not a simple task today, let alone 230 years ago. But where is the tipping point in our society in which citizens take arms up against the tyranny that is forming around us?

Like most things in life that are worth it, a revolution is not easy. It takes serious commitment. You cannot stand in the streets ready to fight the government and go home the next day and watch your favorite football team. You have to be willing to give up everything that you hold dear. That's not easy. The question I put forth is how far will you be pushed until you stand your ground and risk everything for what you believe in?

Most of us have jobs and families. We don't feel oppressed by the government, at least not to the point of fighting back. Yet, everyday we hear about more and more illegal federal programs, illegal wars, and Americans dying in foreign lands for little or no reason. Our economy is failing, our infrastructure is crumbling, and we have the worst health care in the Western world.

Last November, many of us voted the Democrats into power in the legislature to stop the executive from ruining our country further. In today's world, it seems the Democrats and Republicans are one in the same, save for a few souls. Few people in our government stand up for what is right.

Perhaps, that is why so many are putting their faith in Ron Paul. But what if he doesn't win? What if Guiliani, or Hillary wins? Will you take up arms when they continue spying on and torturing people? Will you take up arms when the police do warrantless searches through your homes? What will be your tipping point?

The government is out of control now. They're spending over 60% of your tax money on funding their illegal wars, and that's barely enough to pay the interest on our ever increasing debt. Ron Paul may be able to stop the bleeding if he is elected. But who's to say the Supreme Court won't elect our president again.

Are we going to wait until they mark us with flair and load us onto trains? You may think that I'm exaggerating, but I don't think we're far from that stage. The Constitution and the law has not stopped the government yet, and none of the branches of our government are willing to check each other. They aren't listening to the people and even when new people are elected in, they seem to become as tainted as their predecessors.

So where is the tipping point? When bombs fall on Iran? Where do we draw the line? When do we say, 'I will not comply'? We may laugh when a college student says "Don't tase me bro!", but should we laugh at the 270+ that have died from police taser use in the US? Will we laugh when Americans disappear because of their dissent? Will we laugh when the government watches our every move? Or will we do something?

I know all these questions are hard to answer. I myself am no less part of the problem. Writing this entry in this blog does very little to change the reality of what is happening in this country. The reality is revolutions ain't easy, but tyranny is even harder.

Why Is Bush Still President?

It's a very simple question that I cannot find an answer to. Why is Bush still president? What does a man have to do to earn the contempt of Congress and the American people? To be fair, the majority of people, and I think Congress too, do not like Mr. Bush. So, I'm just curious, what will it take for us to remove Bush from office?

Diebold Haiku

Diebold elections
Destroying democracy
Congress does nothing

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Defends the Constitution

Here's something you probably won't see on your news programs, someone actually defending the Constitution of the United States.

During the debate on the new wiretapping legislation:

"... What we're doing here tonight; we are shredding the Constitution, we are tearing up the Bill of Rights, because we are telling Americans that no matter what your business is, you are subject to the unscrupulous, undisciplined, irresponsible scrutiny of the attorney general and others without a court intervention. This is not the day to play politics. It is to balance civil liberties along with the homeland security and the protection of America ... Shame on the other body for failing to recognize that we can secure America by securing the American people and giving them their civil liberties."

Too bad 227 congresspeople ignored civil liberties and the rights of Americans and voted for the new wiretapping legislation.

Congress Goes on Vacation. War Doesn't.

The 110th Congress hurried a new surveillance bill through Friday and Saturday so that they could go on vacation. I don't want to pass judgment on the bill itself (that's a whole other post in itself), but what disturbs me is the fact that congress thinks its okay to recess while people are still dying in Iraq.

The Iraqi parliament is also taking August off. This is even more disheartening than our own congress' betrayal of duty. We've created our government already and although its beginning to show cracks, it is still working. They are trying to create a peaceful democracy in a country that is thriving with violence and strife. Perhaps, that is not a simple 9-5 job in which month long vacations can be taken.

Their behavior sends a clear message to me; they are apathetic as to our sacrifice and their country's horrific problems. If that is the case, why are we still there? About 71% of Iraqis would like us out by September. I say Congress stays in session until our troops our home safely.

Why should our troops have to suffer long tours of duty in a country that doesn't want us, while the poor tired Congress gets to take a break? How many dead soldiers are 4 weeks of vacation worth? Come September, I guess we'll know the answer to that question.