America - Land of the Free and the Brave
What is happening in this wonderful country I have always loved and respected? Why cannot factions agree to disagree without violence and without threats of such?
It has taken me a long time to decide to blog about what is happening in this great country of ours - I have tried to remain neutral while debates have gone on with both sides of political issues. After seeing on television the vile actions of some Tea Party members toward United States Congressmen who were supporting Health Care Insurance Reform, I could stay silent no longer. I realized I had become part of what we know as the "silent majority". I posted a few messages on Facebook but then decided to remove those as I don't believe it should be the venue for these discussions though I see someone like Sarah Palin with a map that includes cross hairs from a rifle over those areas of the map where her party wants to defeat incumbant Democrats. I ask you, should we as Americans tolerate this kind of behavior no matter which side of an issue we are involved?
Now that Health Care Insurance Reform has become law, quite a few Congressmen and Congresswomen have been receiving threats on their lives and the lives of their loved ones. I ask you, is this our America?
Yesterday I came across a blog entitled "Proud to be American". I thought "this must be a really good blog so I clicked on the link and it contained nothing but vile comments about the African-Americans blaming them alone that Health Care Reform passed. I ask you, have we gone back to the 1960s?
The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights have allowed Americans all kinds of privileges including the right of free speech - it says nothing about killing someone with whom we disagree; nothing about abusing these privileges. I ask you, have you read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights lately?
Yesterday it was announced that the Rifle Association will have as its speaker an individual (who I will not dignify by posting his name) who is claiming that he incited those who are throwing bricks through windows of local offices of Congressmen and Congresswomen. He is telling everyone to clean their rifles and to get ready to kill if necessary. He will be the main speaker on April 19th which in this country reminds us of the day Americans were called to arms at Lexington. This individual derides everything and is totally anti-government *yet* he seems quite happy to receive Social Security benefits that comes out of taxpayer monies. I ask you, should he continue to be allowed to receive those benefits?
There is so much negativity going on that if both sides of the government to not speak out against it I am afraid something catastrophic will occur similar to what we saw during the civil rights marches of the 1960s. I ask you, as Americans should we allow this to happen?
Whatever one's party affiliation, we should never allow violence to dominate the political landscape of our country. It is defnitely not what the Founding Fathers of our country wanted for us as a nation. Some of them lost everything because they dared to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776. I ask you, are we as Americans going to allow that to happen again to any political party for voting what they thought was best for Americans across the country?
I hope not! I for one have decided to speak out and to stand up as an American who loves this country and is proud to have always enjoyed the privileges this country affords us in so many ways. I ask you, will you too stand up to end the potential violence? Will you contact your Congress and your Senate asking that they, together, speak out against what is presently happening? Please do - it is the right and the privilege of all Americans to do so.
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Lucie's Legacy
Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Click here for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights
15 comments:
Lucie, you spoke completely from the heart on this one. I couldn't agree more.
I won't say anything else on this because as a Canadian I think it is not my place to tell your country how to behave.
I am proud of you for your courage in speaking your mind on such a volatile subject.
Thank you for your encouragement Lori. I just cannot stand what is happening. If members of Congress can pass amid those threatening them with vile words and even spatting on a member who was so forceful during the Civil Rights days, then I - and all Americans - need to stop our so called "neutrality" and stand up for what we believe. I love all of my ancestry be it Acadian, French-Canadian or whatever - but I was born American and I should stand up and not only find my voice but let that voice be heard.
Now I'll get off my soap box! ;o)
Lucie
While I generally consider myself radical, I also have a strong sense of ethics and a love of this country. We need some big changes in this country, and although do not have particularly strong feelings for the healthcare package, believe it is probably the best thing Congress could come up with to help America, generally, at this time.
The response to the healthcare package by the right wing has been abominable. To play politics in the way they have, demonizing people who are trying to do their best is nothing short of loathsome. When will they realize the power that they have played into by collaborating with the right-wing media truly has the power to destroy people? I'm sure they see it as 'igniting their base' - unfortunately, I fear they are starting a fire which has grown out of control, and they, themselves are caught up in it. I hope it burns itself out (or at least is brought back under control) before greater atrocities are committed.
Thank you Lucie for your courage and your openness. I too am from Canada. From where I am, I often does not understand how some of the things said are possible as if the freedom of speach was confused with the freedom of agression. What Palin did constitutes an invitation to murder. A lot of what we hear is invitation to kill and should land those people in jail. I really does not understand how things are possible. I do not understand how one single person can stop the whole government (Jim Bunning, for example). I do not understand how common good gets so far away in the minds of certain people.
I sure hope things will calm down and people will finally try to get along. Such a bad example for the people, for the children.
First, I think corporations should never be considered legal persons. As such they got freedom of speech and poisoned everything.
Have a good day Lucie and thank you again for your honesty and your courage.
Thank you Tyler. I could not agree with you more all the way around. What is happening is so wrong.
And yes, it does take time to get such a huge bill right - and that is why the President said it would take four years to "get it right" though some benefits kick in right away and those are important benefits.
Children born with medical issues are often denied health insurance coverage such cited as a "preexisting condition. It is time to end all of that nonsense.
Thank you for your support and encouragement Ruth. We have to stand up and be counted! I'm tired of the violence and it has to be condemned at the top but all of us should be decrying this terrible attitude.
Lucie
Thanks Lucie, this is truly troubling and it is good that you blogged about it.
Agree! Through all the years that we were horrified by what our government was doing, I did not see anyone phoning or faxing death threats to republican politicians. We wrung our hands, shut up, and worked for candidates. The amount of hate that is coming from these people is so depressing. Do they really believe that helping the less fortunate is so wrong? Do they really believe that they could never end up in difficulties themselves? Worse than the 60s, we are going back to the 1850s when the Know Nothings existed. Ignorance is a virtue for these people, those who know anything are elitists.
VERY well said. You summed up my feelings exactly. Whether on one side or the other of the debate isn't the point.
It is how we treat one another - with dignity, respect, and without the base need to resort to threats and violence - that matters!
The behavior of thtese people disgusts me, and I do believe that, rather than returning to the 60's, the racist sentiments of the past never really disappeared. Very sad.
Thank you to all of you for you honest comments. I appreciate your participation in this discussion.
Lucie
Like many of your readers I am Canadian and have stayed out of the discussions both in the blogosphere and Facebook.
I do think I can say, however, that if Americans have been admired for one thing around the world it has been when they are a model for democracy. Perhaps not a perfect model, but a model nevertheless.
It is disheartening - and frightening - to see undemocratic actions. Those who are opposed to the changes (such as Medicare) have a system to overturn it - the ballot box. They should use the ballot box and not intimidation.
Thank you for having the courage for speaking out on this important topic when you did not have to. And when I say "courage" I do not use the term lightly.
Evelyn Yvonne Theriault
A couple of these incidents might be legit, but I doubt it. It was widely reported (by MSNBC and other), for example, that a brick was thrown through the window of a Congressman's office in Cincinnati -- then some conservative blogger found out that the office is on the 30th floor.
Another incident had a Congressman receiving death threats in the form of a coffin placed on his lawn -- then it was in his front yard, then it was just outside his yard -- then it turned out he hadn't received death threats at all, and the coffin was across the street, being prayed over as a symbol. The folks took the coffin away when they were done. No yelling, no epithets, just a quiet vigil.
See, the majority in this country are against Obamacare. Now that it has passed, liberals don't want to talk about its finer points -- so they deflect the conversation by using wild accusations against its opponents in classic ad hominem attacks.
Where were you a year ago, when radicals smashed the window of the USMC recruiting office in Berkeley, California?
Lucie,
I am glad you have the gumption to express your opinion on politics on you genealogy blog. Having opposing views has always been an integral part of our history. It is a core part of genealogy.
I will respectfully have to disagree with you that the health care bill is good. I a former RN do not believe in our medical care system. I am unhappy with the clinics. I do not like medicine. I do not want to participate in medicine as a patient. I have told my children let me die before you take me to a hospital. That is my choice. To make me take insurance for something I do not believe in is incorrect.
Thanks to all of you for your comments. Whether you agree with me or not, it is really okay. After all that is democracy at work and we can agree to disagree.
We all come from a different place in life. having worked as a chaplain and visited many nursing homes and hospitals, my instructions to my family is "get me into a Boston hospital or I'll come back to haunt you"! lol lol
Again, thank you all for your comments. They are *all* greatly appreciated.
Unfortunately in our nation we have lost the art of debate and that goes for liberals as well as conservatives. Rather than discussing a problem or a situation and trying to resolve it BOTH sides resort to false information, ridicule, name calling, etc. If you want proof look to the information that is placed before us by ALL forms of media and you will find it.
I too agree that BOTH sides need to be displayed in an honest fashion. The threats that you speak of have been tossed both ways, they are NOT one sided. For every threat on one side there is one on the other side.
However that said, please explain to me how we are going to pay for this. I too have worked in the medical field and am concerned that we need reforms but do not agree with these reforms-at all. I also resent being told that if I do not agree that I am radical and labeled a terrorist. I did not ask for these labels nor do I feel that I have done anything to deserve them. I also do not feel that I should be forced to do anything I don't want to do. Nor to be fined because I do not want to take the government insurance.I do not feel that by voicing this opinion that I am unAmerican, nor do I give someone who feels the opposite such a label. I know many members of the Tea Parties who are not violent. There are radicals on the left and the right so really at this point no one can point the finger of innocence. Just as liberals are portrayed a certain way so are the conservatives by the media-that is fact. If you listen to both sides and are honest you will hear it, I do everyday.
At the founding of our country our constitution was originally set up for limited power of government and yet that has changed dramatically over the years. It is not that conservatives don't want reform-I know because I am one. But the bottom line is this; when you spend a dollar it has to come from somewhere. When you have a budget and you overspend on that budget you have to pull the money from somewhere. And that somewhere will be from the American people's taxes because that is how our government is set up. If that government does not have the money how will all of this be paid for?
I too agree with you that there needs to be opposing sides for that is how we learn. But I have not had one person from the opposite side tell me straight up exactly where the money is going to come from. Not to mention the fact that I would like to have someone name me one government run organization that has not gone way over budget, ripped off the tax payers, and provided great service?
All in all never be so trusting of anyone in office because the bottom line is: that it is a job-pure and simple.
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