Crooks and Liars is hosting a copy of MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann's commentary on Donald Rumsfeld. It is in response to Rumsfeld's recent speech, where he said the Bush administration is fighting this war for the same reasons the US fought the Nazis in WWII, and that those who voice opposition are a "new kind of fascism." I am blown away by the quality of Mr. Olbermann's response, both in the direct language and insight into historical precedent. His commentary makes a far better reason to vote than my example yesterday.
I served in the Air Force for just over four years, starting just after the first Iraq war. Even though the odds were slim that I would die in my tour (I was in the Air Force after all and we're not known for being on the front lines... not the enlisted men anyway) I did have to confront it was a possibility. The only way, and I mean the only way, you deal with this fact is to understand what you believe in, and why that is worth dying for. For me, it is the freedoms we have as a citizen of the US; the freedom to speak freely no matter how "wrong" our words may be; to have a government that must prove guilt instead of a citizen proving innocence; to even form a militia of the people, should it be necessary.
I have been a life long Republican, much to mother's dismay. In the past, the party reflected more of my general idea of government than the Democratic party. The first time I ever voted against a Republican candidate for president was in 2004. I could already see that Bush's agenda was not based upon the freedoms I will die for, and instead he used patriotism only as a political tool to swing votes his way. Passing the Patriot Act to take away civil liberties, stealing freedoms under No Child Left Behind, and blessing the abusive treatments to citizens because of a skin color all the while claiming to embrace our rights of freedom made me sick.
That he sits in office on a Supreme Court decision rather than the will of the people, is a distant memory to him, and men like Rumsfeld.
If you find my blog a little too political in recent posts, Scott offers you a kitten.
Posted By Mike On Thursday, August 31, 2006
Filed under politics |
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