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SUPPORT THE OTHER TROOPS!
A CALL TO ARMS!
TO FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF THE OPPOSITION
At this very moment, American and other ‘coalition’ troops are dying. The warmongers in power have put honorable fighting men and women in great jeopardy, and there may not be a way out of the quagmire so many of us knew was coming. These young men and women are dying and they are killing. And someone has to stop the carnage.
In this terrible time we unequivocally support our men and women in uniform. Regardless of our personal politics, we all are deeply grateful to the courageous troops who risk their lives in our stead. In this time of greater and greater peril, we honor all those who would lay down their lives in the service of their country. And so it should be.
But in this terrible time we must also unequivocally support another fighting force, engaged on another front. These are men and women without uniforms, and without the traditional weapons of war. They carry no guns, they drop no bombs. Their arms are pens, and keyboards, and words, - and flyers and buttons, tee-shirts and posters. The go to battle with artistry and songs and slogans, - and stand alone, and in small groups and in huge numbers. But they fight with passionate fervor and conviction to preserve the nation’s freedoms. They are the voices of true democracy. They are the opposition.
They are an eclectic group, for sure. Some are them are well known and recognized, and some are experienced and combat-ready. But most are simply a wonderfully diverse collection of Americana at its best. They are quite ordinary people who, not long ago, were secure in their right to practice democracy. But they have become quite extraordinary people in a nation that no longer tolerates dissent. They are the millions and millions of people who will not be silenced or intimidated by accusations of disloyalty. They are an awakened army of Americans who demand the right to question those in power and to challenge the lies and distortions they have been fed. They are, after all, the informed and vigilant voice of the opposition, and they know how much they have to lose.
The battlegrounds vary, but the battle-cry does not. The message is straightforward in its format, but increasingly more urgent in its focus. The people want their country back. They want their democracy back. They want an end to the lies. They want an end to the morass into which they have fallen. They want an end to wars of greed and profit. They want to regain the respect of the international community. They want respect for the environment. They want affordable health care. They want a nation free from the control of the fanatical religious right and warmongering neocons. They want, above all, to once again believe their leaders. They are unafraid to be the opposition and they are unafraid to fight against the status quo.
They fight in newspaper columns and letters to the editor. They meet in Internet chat rooms and political forums. They host web sites and blogspots in cyberspace. . They speak up on campuses and at town meetings. They protest at rallies and at hand out leaflets at train stations. They knock on doors and lobby elected officials. They call in to radio shows and write to news networks. They register new voters and join campaign teams. They raise money, send email, and make speeches. They refuse to let an issue slide by them. They stay informed. They inform others. They are the tireless ground troops in an insidious and dangerous war. They are the invaluable and irreplaceable opposition.
And if you are reading this, chances are you, too, are the opposition. Chances are that you, too, along with us at TVNL, are freedom fighters in a war that will end, one way or another, in a few short months. If so, fight on. If not, join in. Surely there are those who will dismiss your message. There are those who will call you un-American. They will label you unpatriotic and challenge your loyalty to your government. They will shout you down with insults and unsupported mantras. They will drown you out with cries of terror and terror and more terror. And, as the always do, they will imply that you give aid and comfort to the enemy. But they are losing ground, and the opposition is growing. They are losing ground, and the veneer of invincibility is cracking. The opposition is on the move.
In these last months of hope, there is no place for any we and they. There can only be the people – and we are the people. And if we remain determined and if we remain united, we will be a most formidable foe. We are the other army, - the active opposition so needed in a democracy. We can end the carnage by removing the warmongers from office this November. At this very moment, we are on the front lines, and we are ready. Bring ‘em on!
We are the people, and the people will be heard.
Frustrated? Bop Bush!
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