Those of you who came of age in the '60s like me understand the title on this post. It's quote from the cartoon strip, Pogo, that most of us enjoyed for its wit and satire. Unfortunately, it's become all too true again with the the House of Representatives' passing of HR 1955 decisively. What I don't understand is that the press isn't screaming over this bill which has the potential to put reins on freedom of the press and freedom of speech -- a gross violation of our Constitutional rights! The bottom line is that under this law, if passed, stating your opinions publicly, vocally or in writing, could land you in jail! Doesn't this smack of Nazism and Communism? Do you really want to live in a country where you cannot speak your mind?
Consider the millions and millions of people who came to our country -- many of whom are our relatives and ancestors -- to escape such restraints. If for no other reason, supporting this bill with your silence is an insult to them and their legacy.
Under this law the following could happen:
1. No more demonstrations for equal rights, anti-war or other causes.
2. No more strikes or picket lines.
3. No more letters to the editor criticizing the government.
4. No more editorials in the media disagreeing with the government.
5. No dissent with goverment policy whatsoever under threat of fines or imprisonment.
6. No more blogs.
7. Witch hunts a la those conducted in the 50s by Senator Joe McCarthy.
I realize that this list is short and the ramifications of this bill reach infinitely further but I think I made my point.
We are in danger of losing our most precious freedoms and I am angry. I think I was about 14 when I read George Orwell's classic, 1984. This bill tells me that if I don't love Big Brother that the Thought Police will get me and to me, that's a LOT scarier than the bogey man I was afraid of as a toddler. Unfortunately, I'm beginning to believe that Orwell was right -- he just missed the date by a few decades.
I am beseeching you, gentle bloggers, to click on the link above and read the bill. Please take a stand and write your Congress Critters and anyone else you can think of and tell them, in no uncertain terms, that HR 1955 is unacceptable and a gross violation of your rights under the Constitution.
My friend Scarlet over at Another Day in Paradise has a powerful "Happy Thanksgiving" post about how glad she is that she and her parents came here from Cuba. I think it makes an excellent commentary on why we don't want or need HR 1955.
Go on over to Time Goes By (If you haven't been there already) and check out the links on this travesty.
In closing, I'm going to quote my own comment at TGB because it truly illustrates how I feel about this legislation.
"Well, I guess I don't have to worry about how
I'm going to live in retirement anymore -- I'm going to federal prison and y'all will be paying for my keep because I reserve my right to free speech under the Constitution. This law violates at least 4 amendments: the 4th, 5th, 8th
and 14th and that, in my mind, is a mortal sin.
James Madison said, "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land,
it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
Our Founding Fathers were wise and forward-thinking men. Its time we stop playing fast and loose with the wonderful gift that is their legacy: The Constitution of the United States."
Please think about this and follow your conscience but remember that if you do nothing, you're letting the idiots win and losing your freedom.
Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!
Kay
Thanks for keeping this going. One thing I want to point so that the impact is not diminished:
ReplyDeleteSome people point out that H.R.1955 "only" creates a commission to study homegrown terrorist and violent radicalization. But this should not deter anyone from following up in any way possible to defeat the bill because it shows where the thinking in Washington is heading.
There are more than enough conspiracy laws on the books now to deal with any kind of terrorist activity. New legislation based on this bill would create a redundancy in that regard.
Where it goes further than previous legislation is that for the first time terrorism legislation directly targets U.S. citizens and creates the climate for thought control. It must be stopped before it goes further.
I avoid the news. I have turned off my political upheaval. My days of political activisim are supposed to be over. My hands have been thrown up in surrender and I try to just be a grandma and chicken farmer. Suddenly I catch a glimpse of something that tugs at my patriotism and makes me want to shake my fist in the air and/or vomit whichever comes first. My poor husband put his life on the line for 30 years to protect our freedom and I watch him cringe as his efforts seem more and more futile. Your call to accountability for all of us is well intentioned but it seems any effort that is spent goes full circle and we always end up in the same place looking in shock at people who do not value this great free land. It never ceases to amaze me that groups of people would actually jeopardize the well thought out freedoms we have that no other nation on earth has! The End.
ReplyDeletegreat post! i have yet to see ANY mention of this bill in the national press. maybe i haven't looked hard enough, but there's been zippo as far as i can see. i'm thinking of strategies to get the media to at least acknowledge the bill's existence. any ideas?
ReplyDeleteRonni: You're welcome, Ronni!!!! This is something that really strikes at the core of our country's values and we can't just sit back and be quiet (in my not so humble opinion).
ReplyDeleteAnnie: I agree wholeheartedly and mostly I'm like you -- I just want to live my elder years in peace. However, our Constitution is at risk and I am scared. I want my grands to have the same freedoms I had and feel I need to take a stand.
X: Thank you!!! I never thought I'd live to see the day when the press in this country ran and hid but I guess I did! Does anyone care about freedom? I wish I could think of a way to force them to take a look at what's happening. Is it that they're so naive that they think it won't pass?
Yes, I, too, am concerned about creating a climate where all the violation of personal rights could occur. Seems it falls to us bloggers to make people aware of this on our blogs as I've done again, also.
ReplyDeleteGood post on this topic. I just hope enough people think about what this means and put pressure on their congressmen. What is scary is it's both parties, no publicity about it, and rushing it through. We are heading back to McCarthyism and people like Hillary will say oh i didn't know that's what it'd mean. They lie through their teeth!
ReplyDeleteI'm gobsmacked! I've just heard about this in the last week. I can't believe my beloved 2nd county is doing this. I think I'm glad I came back home when I did.
ReplyDeleteNot that we're free from way to much pc stuff, so far the Labour government isn't trying to do this to us.