When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty

"I sincerely wish we could see our government so secured as to depend less on the character of the person in whose hands it is trusted. Bad men will sometimes get in and with such an immense patronage may make great progress in corrupting the public mind and principles. This is a subject with which wisdom and patriotism should be occupied." -- Thomas Jefferson to Moses Robinson, 1801.


A lot of you aren't going to like what I have to say. So if you're easily offended or agree with the president, you may want to stop now.

I remember Sept. 11, 2001. I remember the anger I felt. I remember wanting to "get the bastards responsible." I remember the sadness I felt at the loss of life, at the fire fighters and police officers who died in the line of duty.

I don't intend disrespect toward anyone who died -- was murdered, really -- that day. But I've had five years to formulate my opinions, do the research, and not follow mainstream media like so many lemmings.

"but overall, the American journalism was cowed, and intimidated by this massive flag-sucking, this patriotic, orgy. You know if you're criticizing the President it's unpatriotic and there's something wrong with you and you may be a terrorist ... "
So, so in that sense, Hunter S. Thompson, there's not enough room for dissenting voices?
"Well, there's plenty of room, just not enough people that are willing to take the risk."

The "liberal media" isn't liberal at all. Your very own Idaho Statesman was owned by Gannett, then sold to Knight Ridder, which was bought by McClatchy. Your local TV and radio stations are owned by Journal Broadcast and Belo. The days of the independent voice are long gone. Corporate journalism is the norm, the mainstream. Rupert Murdoch, who also owns myspace, is best known for owning FOX. FOX News, for all intents and purposes, the Dubya's own personal propaganda machine. Yeah. Liberal media? Since when have corporations been known for being liberal?

For those who don't know, I was a member of the mainstream media for 16 years. On 9-11, I watched the events unfold as a journalist, as someone who knew I'd help deliver a product to our readers. In sports, we pitched in to put together the news portions of morning paper. Yeah, we had our spin on things, but sports... really, who the fuck cared?

Even in the newsroom, there was rampant speculation about who was responsible. "Oh, it was terrorists." "The picked 9-11 because that's what you dial in an emergency!" "We need to get those bastards. We've been attacked. We need to go to war."

Yeah, I bought into the fervor. I wrapped myself in the flag like a good American. I listened to the president's speeches about vengeance, liberty, patriotism and democracy. No, I hadn't had a lobotomy and was supportive of Dubya, but I knew there had to be a plan, a way for "justice to be served."

"Those who are willing to forfeit liberty for security will have neither."
-- Benjamin Franklin

People compared the attacks of 9-11 to Pearl Harbor. There is some merit to that, but they didn't remember their history.

On Feb. 19, 1942, in the wake of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, President Franklin. D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which allowed military authorities to exclude anyone from anywhere without trial or hearings. This order set the stage for the entire forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans and people of Japanese descent along the West Coast.

My grandparents, both U.S. citizens, were rounded up and put in an internment camp because of their heritage. My grandfather was drafted, and while stationed in Texas, did his turn at guard duty armed with a broom because they didn't trust the Japanese-American soldiers with guns.

So why bring up this bit of personal history? Because for people who haven't faced discrimination, this is one way they can sometimes understand.

After 9-11, suspected terrorists were rounded up. They were questioned, interrogated, some of them sent off to a CIA-run prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Many of them haven't been charged. They were picked up -- in the interest of national security -- and are still being held today. One minor detail -- with few exceptions, these "suspects" were all Arab looking. Dark skin, beard, turban? Well shit yeah, Deputy Fife, we got us a gen-u-wine terrist. We better call the gubment.

Tonight, Scott was telling me about a fellow electrician who emigrated to the U.S. with his wife from Iran. He's had to endure all manner of racial epithets, threats... you name it. The guy is scary smart and is no terrorist.

Since 9-11, this fellow has gotten nothing but grief. In fact, a general contractor fired him from a job because he didn't want any "rag heads" around. The GC was sued and lost.

But clearly, since "rag heads" hijacked planes, were fighting against freedom democracy, they needed to be rounded up. Especially the ones living here in the states. Because they could be sleepers. They could be the next wave. National security. Patriot Act. Yeah, go git em.

"Gentlemen we have called you together to inform you that we are going to overthrow the United States government
Do you still think that jet fuel brought down the World Trade Center?
(Laughter)
Does anybody else see a problem here?
If the government has nothing to hide why are they so afraid to answer a few questions?
This story does not add up

Verse 1
Im on a mission to never forget
3,000 people that Ive never met
We want some answers and all that we get
Some kind of shit about a terrorist threat
Lies Lies Lies Lies Lie"
-- Ministry ~ Lieslieslies

So really, out of one tragedy, several others are born. Racism and racial profiling are alive and well in America. And we go to war -- under the guise of fighting for freedom -- at the cost of untold numbers of Iraqi civilians and nearly 3,000 of our own forces.

There is no link between 9-11 and the war in Iraq. Let's get that out there. It's not a matter of believing or not believing Michael Moore. There's not a fucking link, OK? That being said, if Osama is in Afghanistan, why haven't we found his sorry ass? Why don't we have the bulk of our forces over there? Because the oil's in Iraq.

Do I want the troops to come home? Hell yes. Do I support them? Fuck yes. And I want them to come home. Don't confuse not supporting the war with being unpatriotic. We were lied to. We were played. There are a lot of people who said it better than I can.

But the fact that people are being singled out for their religion or their appearance... tell me how that advances freedom and paves the way for democracy. Oh wait. It doesn't.

The attacks on 9-11 were a tragedy; they were born of hate, they should have been prevented. It's not so much the terrorist hate freedom. They hate the fact that the U.S. has to go and stick its nose in everybody's business. So let's go fix he world while we can't take care of shit here at home. The extremists are tired of our support for Israel, which in turn, is at war with Palestine and has serious issues with several other Muslim nations. They want freedom -- from us -- and will do whatever they need to. We want to spread freedom, democracy and the American way.

Remember something called Manifest Destiny?

"Manifest Destiny is a phrase that expressed the belief that the United States had a mission to expand, spreading its form of democracy and freedom. Advocates of Manifest Destiny believed that expansion was not only good, but that it was obvious ("manifest") and inevitable ("destiny"). Originally a political catch phrase of the 19th century, "Manifest Destiny" eventually became a standard historical term, often used as a synonym for the territorial expansion of the United States across North America towards the Pacific Ocean." -- wikipedia.org

That's not just a 19th century ideal. It's something we're practicing today. We're spreading freedom in Iraq. We're giving them democracy and freedom, whether they want it, or not.

And for fuck's sake. I'm not siding with Al-Qaeda. I'm just educated enough to understand there are two sides to every story, whether you want to hear it or not. Fanaticism from either side is wrong. War in the name of god is wrong. Because any god I'd believe in wouldn't be about vengeance and hate.

But clearly, since I disagree with the war, disagree with the president I didn't elect, I must be a terrorist. I don't have a magnetic flag on my car. I don't worship the flag, I don't wrap myself in it. I don't pray. I don't go to church. I don't understand why after the pain and suffering brought about by 9-11 we have to perpetuate the same hate.

I'm no Hunter S. Thompson, but I'm willing to be a dissenting voice.