A Memorial to Protesters - the Real Patriots
It's a special treat to encounter inspiring unpaid citizen-writing. Here's a terrific LTE published June 2, 2005 in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, brought to my attention by sharp-eyed co-worker. I believe the holiday is far enough behind us now to soberly and gently probe some of the PC aspects of that holiday:
We can thank protesters for what Americans enjoy.
After the usual hyperbole around Memorial Day has faded, perhaps we can take a short reality break.
The freedoms that Americans enjoy have been secured for us by protesters, not by the military. There may have been a time when the military actually did help secure our rights, but that was the late 1700s. Since then the military has been all about making the world safe for corporations, at the expense of human rights.
Our military, along with the British and Soviets especially, did save Europe and Asia from the ravages of Nazism. But that would not have been necessary if our government and business leaders had not helped to bring the Nazis to power in the first place. [Sir G: those businesses of course prominently featuring progenitors of the Bush dynasty, among other US plutocrats] So during the 1940s, the military was not protecting our rights as much as it was cleaning up the mess made by corporations and their puppet government.
But that was 60 years ago. Before that and ever since, the military has been in the business of oppression. I realize that some people do not want to believe this. But reality is not a matter of preference. We have rights because we have had protesters demanding those rights.
Let us not forget the brave souls who brought us the eight-hour workday, worker's safety protections, voting rights for women and people of color, an end to the Vietnam War and on and on. These are the people who have and are truly serving their country.
Those in the military are serving the military-industrial complex. President Eisenhower made this clear in his farewell speech. We would do well to deal with reality to face our problems rather than living the lies that corporate America shoves down our throats daily and hourly.
We should pity those in the military, trapped there by the poverty draft, dying to make the world more profitable for some. Let us honor their willingness to serve by ending the criminal war in Iraq and vowing never again to go to war for lies or for the profits of a small minority.
Richard Curtis
Seattle
We can thank protesters for what Americans enjoy.
After the usual hyperbole around Memorial Day has faded, perhaps we can take a short reality break.
The freedoms that Americans enjoy have been secured for us by protesters, not by the military. There may have been a time when the military actually did help secure our rights, but that was the late 1700s. Since then the military has been all about making the world safe for corporations, at the expense of human rights.
Our military, along with the British and Soviets especially, did save Europe and Asia from the ravages of Nazism. But that would not have been necessary if our government and business leaders had not helped to bring the Nazis to power in the first place. [Sir G: those businesses of course prominently featuring progenitors of the Bush dynasty, among other US plutocrats] So during the 1940s, the military was not protecting our rights as much as it was cleaning up the mess made by corporations and their puppet government.
But that was 60 years ago. Before that and ever since, the military has been in the business of oppression. I realize that some people do not want to believe this. But reality is not a matter of preference. We have rights because we have had protesters demanding those rights.
Let us not forget the brave souls who brought us the eight-hour workday, worker's safety protections, voting rights for women and people of color, an end to the Vietnam War and on and on. These are the people who have and are truly serving their country.
Those in the military are serving the military-industrial complex. President Eisenhower made this clear in his farewell speech. We would do well to deal with reality to face our problems rather than living the lies that corporate America shoves down our throats daily and hourly.
We should pity those in the military, trapped there by the poverty draft, dying to make the world more profitable for some. Let us honor their willingness to serve by ending the criminal war in Iraq and vowing never again to go to war for lies or for the profits of a small minority.
Richard Curtis
Seattle
posted by Sir Gumbo at 10:42 PM
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