During the 60's an 70's the American people protested...we protested against and ended legal segregation.They burned their draft cards. Protested at College's, University's and government buildings, against the war in Vietnam and brought it to an end..Women and supporters burned bras, marched and protested to get equal rights. They protested against neuclear plants and industrial plants that were spewing polution into the air and into our waters. Thousands of people went to Washington to protest directly to the President about the war, about civil rights. They took bullets, got hosed, got attacked by dogs,got bashed in the head with billy clubs, the butts of guns and were hit, kicked and arrested for their beliefs...Where are our protestors? Where are the Black Panthers that should be down in New Orleans screaming about the unjustices that their people are suffering? Where are the black leaders and wealthy black people that should be rallying around the city of New Orleans and helping them rebuild? Lets see, Oprah is building schools in Africa.I know she has and is helping but I read more about her and the young girls in Africa that I do about the young girls in N.O. Barak Obama who I really admire went to his father's home it Africa and is helping people there.Why isn't he helping the blacks in his local'village'?
Where are the gay/lesbians marching for their individual rights as citizens of America? Why aren't they out picketing for their rights to marry, have family insurance and adopt children like the rest of the the country? Why aren't all of us out protesting this lie of a war? Why aren't we pissed off enough to get off our ass and go to Washington to protest at the Capital or the White House about the rights that have been stolen from us by the great liar who calls himself President?
WHERE ARE OUR HERO'S???
The very least that you can do is be sure and vote...and while I have never ever suggested to anyone how they should vote..I am not..vote vote vote...for Democrats...How much more fucked up does it have to get before we make a change...We should all be ashamed..all of us...
36 comments:
The GLBT Community has Gay Pride festivals all over the country, throughout the year. I have been to several and I fully support the legislative efforts for Gay Rights, despite the fact that the Gay/Lesbian community itself still tends to shun the Transgendered.
I NEVER miss an election, even at the local level. The apathy in our society continues to be a cancer. I too wonder how bad it has to get before those who don't think voting helps finally get it!!
I stand by the words I've spoken for years. . . If ya didn't bother to vote, you don't have the right to bitch about the outcome. . .
The delegate from Motown will now shut up!!
Great post!!!
"The delegate from Motown will now shut up!!"
Doncha dare, say it loud sister!
Right up I75 from you and I wish I could vote early and vote often, this year. LOL.
The only election I've missed in over 20 years was the one held 6 weeks after I moved to MI. I hadn't a clue about local politics, issues, people, so I didn't vote. Felt badly about it though.
You Go Granny... Powerful words for those of us who remember those protests in the 60's and 70's...
Kent State... My Lai... Watergate... Republican corruption and criminality... AmeriKa disgraced...
fast forward to 21st Century...
Rinse and Repeat...
Prophetic Words :: If we don't vote - we have no right to protest the outcome... If WE don't make the effort, then We don't have anyone but ourselves to blame...
I have come to count on you, Granny, as one who IS making the effort and for this I am grateful... To You and all your friends...
Regards
- fc ( fatcat politics )
I say Jackie Sue for President!
Excellent post! As for Oprah and Barak Obama I think they are progressively thinking on a global scale.
Being not an American, but the decisions of the USA affect me too .. I like those Americans who are displaying a global conscience .. :)
I've said it here before, and will say it again, please vote and remember you are the most powerful nation on earth so you really do speak for our world through your own voting process.
The protesters were us JS and we got old. I remember marching with a sign to the court house protesting the Vietnam war, having two brothers that went, and a mom and dad that were very mad at me for doing it. I remember sit ins... the times they are a changing.
JS,
Some of us are doing exactly that- taking to the streets, writing letters, blogging, publicly supporting our gay friends...cheers to you and all your readers who make the effort.
Vote!
JS,
There are so many hero's among your fellow countrymen and women. Sometimes you have to look beyond politics. A party affiliation does not a hero make.
Take for example,Paul White, a teacher who has turned around the lives of Los Angeles gang members in a unique one-room schoolhouse.
Or,Bob Nixon. He left a successful movie-making career 13 years ago to clean up the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. He recruited young men and women from one of the roughest neighborhoods in the nation's capitol and soon learned that the river wasn't all that was endangered.
Sandra DeLay working out of her home and a former gas station she purchased for $700, created People Supporting People, a lifeline to anyone in need in Port Arthur, Texas.
There are many hero's you just have to open your eyes and look around.
Voting for the Dems doesn't mean you are voting for hero's. I mean, who in that party is really a hero? REALLY a hero??? John Kerry? Who basically called all our men and women over in Iraq idiots?
And keep in mind, many of us Republicans are good people, people who are not closeminded.
Hope you are doing well with your diabetes.
Lauren said:
I stand by the words I've spoken for years. . . If ya didn't bother to vote, you don't have the right to bitch about the outcome.
Lauren, you hit the proverbial nail on the head! I also have been saying that for years. Had that been said in a face-to-face with me, that comment would have gotten you a big old hug and a wet kiss! :)
Jackie, this is a terrific post. I also was one of those that protested way back when. I see nothing wrong in taking it to the streets again.
It's up to each of us to do what we can to help the "cause." The cause being to scrape away the dirt and slime of the current administration.
With one week to go till the elections, I suggest that each of us talk it up to friends, family, etc and explain to them what's wrong with this country, and what each of us can do to change the way things are around here.
My other suggestion: If you can vote absentee, do it! With all the controversy surrounding the stability of electronic voting machines being subject to hacking and vote flipping, I recommend that you keep a record of your voting, in case a stink needs to be made after the fact. I mean taking a picture of the voting screens with the camera on one's phone would be a good idea.
Remember...we are dealing with people that are drunk on the power! They want to keep it.
We can't let them take any more of our rights or our wonderful country away from us.
Mike @
String Cheese Theory
babs:annie made me write it.
lauren:i think the gay/lesbians may be the only one's out hitting the streets in protest..i know the politica people do..but not in the numbers that gay people do..they're loud and proud...will the delegate from detroit please rise and take a bow...
carina: vote as many times as you can..they will steal at least one of them.
fc:im very proud of the people that come here and speak out..and they all vote..so makes them very special in my eyes.
sue: im all for global..but before i want to clean up someone else's back yard..i might want to clean mine up first..and help set an example...how can we go to other countries to help their children when our own need help too.thanks to the present government they have cut funding for all programs assisting the young, poor, and elderly..I speak from experience..try making it on $719 and no insurance..
nancy:but why didnt we teach our kids to protest..i will say this..my grand children are more politically involved than my children...and proud of them...
allan:good for you my friend
jenn:a party doesnt make a hero..your right..but the rebulican's have made the republican party a bunch of thieving, fornicating, child abusing, wife abusing,rights stealing, lying,war mongers..yeah, i know i know ..clinton got blow jobs...but they were consenting adults..
thanks for the good thoughts about my diabetes...i am so much better..
mike: thanks..and voting is the most percious of all our freedoms and if we dont leave a paper trail to show how we voted..they will have taken that away too...
so get out and vote ya'll..
It's an interesting question: why isn't there protesting in the streets? In my life I can't remember a time in the US, where such a polarity of values existed. The current regime appears to be implementing illiberal policies hand over fist with nary a peep of protest. How can this be? Yet on the face of it, judging by comment online there's a massive groundswell of opinion against it all; but in terms of good old fashioned action, what do have... zilch, jack-shit, fuck-all. So what's the reason? Could it be the internet is part of the problem? Time was if you wanted to have your say in protest you had to get your arse into gear and go somewhere, a meeting, or a march. Now, we sit quietly in our studies, back bedrooms and lounges, spewing our righteous indignation thru wires, bits and bytes. Just a thought...
Come on now Sue, I'd grown to expect more from you.
"jenn:a party doesnt make a hero..your right..but the rebulican's have made the republican party a bunch of thieving, fornicating, child abusing, wife abusing,rights stealing, lying,war mongers..yeah, i know i know ..clinton got blow jobs..."
This rant is subjective at best. There are thieves on both sides... how about Williams Jefferson and his freezer bank account? Heck, you do not want to get into a debate on "theives", besides, at least when a Republican get's nabbed, he at least get's punished, and most actually own up to it.Unlike the lefties.... I mean look at Teddy Boy, he frick' left a live girl in his car to die.
Fornicating? That's bad? I'll tell my husband tonight while we're fornicating that he's a bad, bad boy.
Child abusing? I must have missed this, who abused children?
I'm sorry someone took away your rights, I still have mine. As for lying, beside the fact that liars and politicians are synonymous on both sides, you'd have to be more specific. Because lying, and being led to believe something you thought was true are two different things.
As for the war monger call, I have no idea what you are talking about. Being engaged in a war, and actually liking it are two totally different things. I loathe war, I mean, what is it good for, except....ending facsism, communism, slavery, you know, among other things. But no one actually LIKES war. Well, except the Islamo nut jobs, they've been fighting their little wars for a couple thousand years, so they must like it.
I think there is more protesting and marching etc that goes on, but our wonderful global media doesn't report it enough. Still, there should be more, and like you I can't understand why the majority are sitting on their arses and doing nothing.
Maybe we should start wearing our underpants on the outside of our trousers eh? :)
First one to get arrested for changing their clothes in a public telephone box wins a frisbee!!
Hey, I was one of over 300,000 who marched on Washington the week before this sham of a war ever began. We all knew it was too late by then but we wanted to be seen and heard.
As for gays and lesbians, sadly, like the rest of society, I think apathy has taken hold. There is so much segmentation within that community anymore that nobody can agree on anything anymore. There are actually gay assholes out there who say I'm trying to be "straight" because I adopted kids. WTF??? Were you aware that ONLY straight people can love children? Consider yourself enlightened on that subject!
What it boils down to is that as long as Americans have their mindless reality shows and their malls to blow their incomes on...and oh yes, their beloved cell phones, they JUST. DON'T. CARE. You're right JS, we should all be ashamed.
Very passionate post and some very good points.
We marched, we protested and we got tired, distracted and, dare I say it, old.We tried to pass the torch, but no one seemed to want to pick it up.They told us to work within the system and we still try. I have voted absentee already, with an never ending belief in the democratic process.
You should really run for office. It would be a great campaign.
i hate to agree with lou dobbs but i think it has something to do with the disappearance of the middle class.
the rich are happy being rich.
the poor are too busy trying to survive and aren't the most organised group in the world.
that leaves the middle class to protest, and the middle class is disappearing faster than honesty in crawford tx.
but what the fuck, with global warming and the destruction of the eco systems we're all toast.
I agree with the notion that people are being distracted by the Internet. By posting opinions and diatribes online, it deflects all that energy and effort into a form that is less socially effective, but still provides a way for protesters and such to "vent."
People are still screaming, it's just that now, they're screaming into a pillow.
Happy halloween :)
take away our toys and they will be packing the streeyts with wails and protests! ipods and cell phones with a thousand gadgets. we are distracted.
In response to JotJ. . .
Reality check on isle 1 please!!!
don: i think where people used to go out and do something about what was going on in the country..now we just sit home and blog about it.'
Jen: sorry should have been more to the point republicans fucking around on their wives, husbands..and the list of peophiles and child abusers is too long to list but i will put it up if you would like to see it..ann, brad, tina have all posted about it over the past few months..
but i can see it wouldnt matter what i say or what anyone says..your one of them that will go down with the ship still protesting that the republicans are just misunderstood ..so excuse me if i dont waste my time or breath to try and state any facts as you wouldnt belive them anyhow...good luck in your life..but check out the profile on the right..it works for me here..and that's what matters to me..thanks for stopping by..
beany:maybe we should make it a reality show..they get a certain amt of money for each protest they organize..
byg: it's nice to know at least a few bloggers actually went out and hit the streets to protest..you rock..
jan:ha..fraid me running for office would last about 5 minutes and they read my record..too many drugs, husbands,and wild party's.
josh:now they are screaming at their tv's, newspapers, radio's and then run to the computer and tell all on their blog...
tina:happy holloween to you and to eveyone ....booooo!I'm a right wing evangelical republican....
dawn marie: yup..i agree
lauren: ahh, she is misguided..but some day she will see the light..the Goddess told me soo..
Most of the people who would be protesting are too busy working to buy bean and wieners. You have a lot of good comments on this post and it is a good one.
One thing I didn't hear is the fact that with the Gump signing the new bill that gives him almost unlimited power.
If protesters get to troublesome he can now have them picked up and locked away with no reason given.
People say it could never happen here but I keep thinking about the man behind the throne. Chaney, I can see doing this without even batting an eye and feeling self righteous about it.
Voting is something we can all do and maybe your vote will be counted.
The Cowgirls won a feetball game. Who woulda thunk it.
Joining the witness protection program now before you can reach through the wires and wring my little neck. :o
Good point Jackie Sue. I speak as a non-American affected by your government's foreign decisions. If I were an American I would be equally concerned with your country's domestic policies. Your health care system for one frightens me. My uncle is American and worked hard all his life, has good insurance, but when he had a heart attack recently had to remortgage his house for an added $20,000!!!! To cover the left over medical bills. What if he was poor or had nothing??? In Canada we pay a higher tax, but our health care is universally free when needed.
nit wit: that's true..the one's that need to be out there protesting are working 9-5 jobs and 7-11 jobs..to make ends meet.
i can see me protesting and never being heard from again..jackie who?
have you got the cosmic bip from the goddess yet? you forget ..she's a cowboys fan too..
sue: i 'amost live' on my ss which is $719 a month and $41 in food stamps..have no insurance and to young (who would have thought i would be to young for anything) for medicare and medicaid...so i am on programs set up by the drug companies as im low income and get my blood pressure pills for free..and just signed up for the same program to get my diabetes medicine free too..if not for it..i would truly be fucked...I have tried to find a part time job to supplement my income..but hard to find anything in a town as small as west that i can physically
do...so i exist...
Well see, everyone is too busy getting their panties in a knot over what Kerry said and there is just no time left for important things like trying to get our country back to being American again.
Jackie Sue, I don't mean to be nosey, I'm just tying to understand a bit about our southern neighbours, so I hope you don't mind my asking. This $41 food stamps is that a weekly thing? We do not have stamps for food here. Are you expected to live on $41 dollars for groceries?
POP: yes, they love the fact that he fucked up and that's what we will hear about till election time..john kerry..go home and shut the fuck up...leave the jokes to real comedians..
jublue:i have lit so many candles for a democratic sweep..i dont know what will happen to our country if the republicans remain in power..if the dems win and dont start fixing our problems then we are fucked too..
sue:nope the $41 is what i get a month..i pay my rent, gas, electric, water, truck insurance,telephone,internet,gas for truck non food items and any extra's out of the $719 and the $41 a month plus what i have left over from the $719 for groceries..ugly ain't it..
I'll vote mostly democrat, some Libertarian.
Jackie Sue -> That is not just ugly, it is insane. When I read one month, my jaw hit the floor. I have travelled through the USA and I know for the most part our food prices are comparable. anyone who expects people to live on $41 dollars per month for such a basic human need is insane, cruel or both. I sincerely wish change for you, and hope that all other Americans wake up!
bbr: i feel this election is so important that voting for green party, independent,or libertarian is splitting the vote..and we need to go with power..and the power needs to be taken away from the republicans and that means it's gotta be dems....but i know the feeling..sometimes it's hard to pick between the lesser of two evils..
sue;tell me about it..if it wasnt for me living here in west i would truly be fucked...i have a bank that i have been dealing with since 1980..they are great..if i need cash, a loan, what ever..they are there..and i am renting buying my house....i was supposed to be paying the rent and pay for taxes and insurance..but since i cant afford to pay all three..i pay the rent and any work that needs to be done on the house edda and johnny pay for it to be done and then they just tack in on to the end of my house loan..she laughed one day and 'hope you dont fucking die on me'..ha..as it is i will have to live to be 90 to finish paying off what all i owe her..she let me live here for almost 20 months paying nothing until i got my social security..dont know what i would do without them..
I think now in this atmosphere of fear,people are more docile than then.
The radical right play on the fear and use fear to an advantage.
like you already said,"how much more f***** up does it have to get before we make a change?"
The Repugs prey on this Kerry thing because they want the focus off the real issues at hand.
Great post granny, as always telling it like it is.
JS, those were the last days when the people actually had control of the country.
Now we get to choose the same oppressors from two different jars labeled "Democrat" and "Republican" that really have no concept of what they originally meant, or were supposed to be.
Keep your powder dry, your sidearm handy, and that bug-out bag packed.
Want a hero? Look in the mirror! She's right there.
Our heros are now driving Mercedes and Saabs and the only time they fight is where there is a sale at Bergdorf's.
Smooches
I have not been able to get this out of my head ... nevermind protests you need another revolution .. that should secure my place on the no-fly list.. ;)
I read that six more super carriers have been ordered by your government. Cancelling only one of those contracts would probably feed a few of your states for a year. Why the need for so much power when the citizens like yourself who spend a lifetime working are given $41 bux a month for food! Surely you are already the biggest kids on the block when it come to military power, why more when people are reduced to $41 bux a month. It's outrageous!
It's madness ... my cousin who recently passed was a draft dodger. He moved here and did not look back ... surely your founders would look on in shame if they could at the present state of affairs.
I'm sorry if I sound disrespectful towards America. I am not. But again I read this Jackie and it bothers me greatly. Even the soldiers in King George III army were given a shilling and a pension ... :(
People are out for number one too much these days.
floyd:man I just wanted to smack kerry right upside the head...he's not running for anything..he's not someone we can say look he's a winner let's vote for the people he is for..doofus..
galt:thanks for the kind words..i looked in the mirror and this old fat lady said'what the fuck do you want?'
kris;that's true also..
sue: i answered both yourcomment and your email..thanks so much for being such a caring person..
pixie: yup...our generation who protested ..ended up raising a bunch of self absorbed little brats..although many of them are out there with their signs, banners, buttons and marching..
mimi: i think we all think we are just one..and no one will group up and find out that that one is actually many...
Excellent points. And as you said, it takes more than protests too. In spite of the protesting the war continued to escalate. In spite of the civil rights legislation and a supreme court ruling the miscegenation laws kicked around at the local levels for many years afterwards. Nixon was elected twice during what is supposed to be the height of liberal activism in this country, and in spite of all the progress that has been made in the last 50 years, most of it was made more than 25 years ago.
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