Soars like an eagle but quacks like a duck ... is it American or an ostrich

[Guest guest]

" Mary " <XMJMac

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 22:13:13 -0400

Soars like an eagle but quacks like a duck ... is it American

or an ostrich

 

 

 

Soars like an eagle but quacks like a duck ... is it American or an

ostrich?

 

VHeadline.com commentarist Mary MacElveen writes: Someone recently

wrote to me saying that we in America have become ostriches ... and I

would have to agree. It just seems to me that Americans have learned

to accept what is thrown their way, don't ask questions and move on.

 

We have become a nation where our national bird the bald eagle has

become the ostrich ... in essence, sticking our heads in the sand,

daring not to ask questions or rattle the system.

 

Instead of boldly asking questions: Have we given up the eagle as our

national bird and symbol? The eagle soars above all in search of the

truth and the protection of our citizens ... and does not stick its

head in the sand, where it will be blinded from getting at that truth.

 

On September 11, 2001, an attack occurred on our soil that left us

frozen for a time.

 

Yes, we reacted to it, but did not really wish to understand how an

unbelievable attack could happen. We were told by George W. Bush that

he would get Osama bin Laden " dead or alive. "

 

Have we held him accountable to that promise or have we stuck our

heads in the sand?

 

* I do believe we have cowered since ... his feet have not been

held to the fire of accountability to the citizens of this country,

and the world.

 

Back during the Clinton administration, our government launched the

White Water investigation which intermingled with the Monica Lewinsky

affair. While I do not condone that behavior by former President

Clinton, I do question the intensity of such a probe. Especially,

where no substantial proof was found, millions of our tax dollars were

wasted ... though no massive loss of life was experienced. It was wall

to wall coverage by our media in search of a false truth ... focusing

on the investigation, they paralyzed our government and nothing else

mattered including concerns of national security where 9/11 may not

have occurred.

 

The 9/11 Commission investigation was launched and according to David

Ray Griffin, many things have not been brought to light. See the video

for yourself ... you be the judge.

http://www.911busters.com/911_new_video_productions/index.html

 

The person who emailed me stated that his friends have said " If it's

not in the mainstream news, it can't be true! " My response was that

alternative news sites are democracy in action, so Americans, by and

large, do not know who David Ray Griffin is.

 

* If Americans heard what he had to say through the mainstream

press would they be the ostrich or the eagle?

 

As far as the 9/11 Commission hearings are concerned, Bush had to be

pressured into allowing them to take place. It did not have the same

intensity of coverage as the Whitewater hearings for which Americans

sat glued to their television sets and as if it were a soap opera.

 

If there is such a probe for Katrina; will we learn anything from such

proceedings?

 

More importantly, will Americans demand an honest probe of what went

wrong since this was the biggest disaster in our nation's history?

 

With 9/11 lives were lost ... in Whitewater, no loss of life...

 

Where was and is your voice, America?

 

Have you stopped being the eagle and settled upon becoming the ostrich?

 

What truth are you afraid of facing?

 

Are you afraid of finding out that your government and this

administration let you down?

 

If that is your fear, you are ostriches ... if you keep demanding to

get at the truth, then you are most certainly eagles.

 

3,000+ were lost in 9/11 and over 400 lives were lost in Hurricane

Katrina ... it should not be treated as a political issue but a human

issue. Will anyone stand up to our government and demand answers as to

why we were unprepared for this storm?

 

America, be the eagle and demand accountability from government.

 

Seeing how unprepared we were in light of Katrina and the lives lost,

politics should have been thrown aside. Americans have read in the

mainstream press which countries offered aid ... aid offered from

countries such as Venezuela and Cuba have not been accepted by this

administration.

 

To my fellow Americans call for a probe (a real one!) and take your

heads out of the sand. Hold our government's feet to the fire and

boldly ask why these aid packages have been all but rejected.

 

If they state, as in the case with Cuba, our embargo with that country

as a reason, tell them people come before politics. If the aid package

from Venezuela is also met with politik-speak, again peoples lives

trump politics.

 

Be the proud American eagle.

 

Do so in the memory of lives lost and victims that are still alive and

have lost everything.

 

Many groups and individuals have been called anti-American for daring

to ask the tough questions, which is representative of an emboldened

eagle. I have been called every name in the book, but the one that

angers me the most is traitor. I am a patriot in the true meaning of

the word. We who ask the tough questions of our government are eagles

where those who refuse to do so are ostriches.

 

We must be eagles when confronting our government and our mainstream

media as well. In many cases the mainstream press is but a podium for

this government and, if you see pieces written about Venezuela that

are not true, write to them and call them out on it.

 

Do not be ostriches...

 

The world cannot survive with many acting like ostriches ... we need

to become eagles. Ask of these same politicians why Pat Robertson has

not been arrested. According to John Dean (a figure from Watergate) he

cites that where Robertson using our public airwaves to threaten

President Chavez' life, he did break the law.

 

We were told by our government that we would go into Iraq because they

had weapons of mass destruction ... yet our government has refused to

produce such proof.

 

Then it switched gears and told us it was to liberate the Iraqi people.

 

Turns out, some Iraqis do not want liberation, instead they want us out.

 

But, again, Americans are acting like ostriches, not holding our

government accountable.

 

Just where are those weapons of mass destruction?

 

We went in front of the UN Security Council to uphold resolution 1441

which stated that Iraq could not have these weapons ... weapons

inspectors were making great strides in proving there were none ...

and we told them to get out that we were coming in ... and for what?

 

You guessed it. Oil!

 

We have protected the oil fields at the expense of the lives of

thousands of Iraqis and over 1,800 troops are now dead. Also some of

the casualties of this war have been journalists sent to cover it. Why

the media refuses to expose this government when many of their

colleagues have paid the price, I do not know.

 

Still to this day, America sticks her head in the sand.

 

We have also acquiesced when it comes to the budgetary means to pay

for this war, at the expense of many social programs that have been

severely cut. We have acquiesced our will as an eagle to question just

how much will it take to rebuild this country, which morally we have to.

 

* Now enter Katrina and it overwhelms the mind how all of this

will be paid for.

 

We have acquiesced our will to ask who are the corporations who will

profit from rebuilding this storm ravaged region ... Halliburton will

profit handedly and is not subject to any auditing. We have run out

of funds to rebuild Iraq, yet we found funds to build a $600 million

dollar embassy in Iraq as well as military bases ... I feel we need a

full accountability to all of us by our government.

 

Many if not all of our states are now in deficit and, a while back,

George W. Bush stated that " there will be no help coming from

Washington. " Many of these states have cut funds to Medicaid ... and

this is alright with the American people?

 

America, please get your head out of the sand because many in this

country are a paycheck away from having to rely on the Medicaid

program. You may be one of them.

 

We have seen our federal reserves depleted over these many years and

that does concern me. Wait, I take that back ... it angers me. This

GOP-led government always praised itself for being fiscally

conservative, yet they, through their actions, proved just the

opposite. They also did so with the help of some Democratic officials.

Billions were spent and continue to be spent in the " Bush War " in

Iraq; billions have been spent in pork-barrel spending and let us not

forget those tax cuts for the rich.

 

America, you have been ill-served by these politicians and it is about

time to get your heads out of that sand.

 

In many cases we are becoming a third world nation and Katrina shed a

truthful light on that fact. I am hoping that those very images

plucked your head of out the sand, but I have that nagging feeling,

Washington will continue to do business as usual. Oh, and if our

country is being run like a business, if many of these politicians

were contestants on 'The Apprentice,' Donald Trump would tell many

" You're fired! "

 

America, you can do that too ... just be that eagle.

 

A person wrote me some time ago that she sees our government suffering

from insanity. I told her that her assertions were correct. It is

insane to allow them to continue to get away with maddening foreign

policy, domestic policies and military actions ... but, by and large

Americans have become ostriches.

 

It is my understanding that Bush will appear on national TV ... I will

be interested in hearing what he has to say to the American people and

if they will fall for it. Will they once again, give this man a pass?

I find it maddening that this man who says he is pro-democracy would

throw road blocks in the way of President Chavez who was to come to

our country to meet other foreign dignitaries at the United Nations in

New York.

 

If you but know the 'people powered policies' of President Hugo

Chavez, you need to make calls to every single politician out there

today demanding that visas for his security team, medical team and

political advisors be granted.

 

* Until we have soared like our American eagle ... demanded our

questions be answered ... our new national bird will remain the ostrich.

 

Well, America, are you an eagle or an ostrich? Perhaps you may be

emboldened once more to become that eagle ... before it is already too

late!

 

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=45971

 

There is an addendum to this article. President Hugo Chavez is here

in New York, did attend the UN Summit where according to an AP article

that I just read, " Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez scolded

evangelist Pat Robertson for calling for his assassination and also

criticized the U.S. government. He suggested the United Nations

headquarters be moved to Jerusalem. " The proposal has the merit of

providing a response to the conflict experienced by Palestine, but it

may be difficult to bring about, " Chavez said in a speech that earned

him the heartiest applause of the 55 leaders to speak so far. "

 

http://news./s/ap/20050915/ap_on_re_us/un_world_summit

 

Mary MacElveen

xmjmac

 

More VHeadline.com commentaries by Mary MacElveen

 

http://www.vheadline.com/macelveen