GO TO THE LIGHT!

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Sat, 31 Dec 2005 09:09:47 -0500 (EST)

GO TO THE LIGHT!

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http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_sheila_s_051230_go_to_the_light_21.htm

 

 

December 30, 2005

 

GO TO THE LIGHT!

by Sheila Samples

 

http://www.opednews.com

 

Folks at the White House stay pretty busy these days just trying to

untangle the lies George Bush keeps telling every time he opens his

mouth. For example, back in April 2004, Bush explained to a cheering

audience and an unchallenging press corps in Buffalo about

" eavesdropping " on Americans -- " When you think 'Patriot Act,'

constitutional guarantees are in place when it comes to doing what is

necessary to protect our homeland, because, " he said earnestly while

leaning over the podium, his hand on his heart " --because we value the

Constitution. "

 

Bush? Value that (insert Lord's name in vain) piece of worthless

paper? I think not. From his actions and manner of speech, it is

doubtful that Bush has read either the US Constitution or the holy

book upon which he placed his hand twice and swore to preserve,

protect and defend it.

 

After the New York Times reported last week that Bush authorized the

National Security Agency (NSA) to cast a wide net to spy on American

citizens' e-mail and phone calls without seeking warrants from the

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court, Bush went on the

offense, saying yeah, he did it, and he was gonna keep on doing it,

cause he was the president and -- like he told Washington Post's Bob

Woodward -- that means he doesn't have to explain to anybody why he

does anything...

 

That apparently includes the FISA court, which has the audacity to

require " probable cause " before approving wiretaps on American

citizens. In Bush's defense, when you're huntin' and chasin' and

smokin' out evil lurkers and plotters and planners, you don't have

time to stop and fill out two or three million pieces of paper. Like

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says, the (insert Lord's name in

vain) Constitution is a quaint little thing, but we live in a new

world order now, and any constraints on " this president " are just too

cumbersome.

 

In an October speech, Bush said, " Our country is at war, and the

executive branch has an obligation to protect the 'Merican people. We

are aggressively doing that. We are finding the terrorists and

bringing them to justice, " he said, pausing for effect, then added,

" and anything we do is within the law... "

 

Vice President Dick Cheney agrees. He says they must have complete

control and flexibility and unlimited power, even if this means they

have to make up the law as they go along. While speeding home from the

Middle East in time to break a Senate tie on a bill that raises

Medicaid payments for the poor and elderly while, at the same time,

allowing states to cut their Medicaid services, and cuts child-care

payments for social bottom-feeders, Cheney snarled that there " is a

hell of a threat " out there, and the president's authority under the

(insert Lord's name in vain) Constitution must be " unimpaired. "

 

Cheney says " the vast majority " of Americans support Bush spying on

them, and warned that any " backlash " would not be against Bush, but

against the critics who dared question Bush's illegal and quite

possibly treasonous bits of derring-do. Cheney is adamant that he, er

-- Bush -- is above any court and outside any law. Those who disagree

can just go (insert word depicting doing sexual " wild thaing " ) themselves.

 

Besides, Cheney might have added, they've been doing it for four years

-- collecting information on American citizens by tapping directly

into the US telecommunication system's main arteries without first

getting warrants -- and nobody seemed to care. According to the Times,

these corporate behemoths supported and assisted the spying operation

-- storing information on citizens' calling patterns and giving it to

Bush since 9-11.

 

Got that, sports fans? Since 9-11. And the NSA is not the only one.

According to Capital Hill Blue's Doug Thompson, the FBI, the

Department of Homeland Security and " dozens of private contractors are

spying on millions of Americans 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365

days a year. "

 

It got so blatant that a former NSA agent who quit in disgust over use

of the agency to spy on Americans, told Thompson, " We're no longer in

the business of tracking our enemies. We're spying on everyday Americans. "

 

And, when there's treason afoot, one can hardly leave out the vicious

and wacky Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. A couple of years

ago, Rumsfeld had this great idea for not only spying on Americans,

but building a profile on every citizen who travels, uses credit

cards, talks on the telephone or works or plays on a computer.

 

He called his new toy the " Total Information Awareness " (TIA) Program,

and put the disgraced Iran-Contra felon John Poindexter in charge of

it. When a furious Congress killed the program, Rumsfeld said, " Fine.

They can have the name. " He then moved it to the Pentagon's covert

" black bag " program, out of Congressional sight or oversight, and

renamed it the " Terrorist Information Awareness " (TIA) system.

Thompson says the program is " alive and well and collecting data in

real time on Americans at a computer center located at 3801 Fairfax

Drive in Arlington, Virginia. "

 

It's difficult to gauge either the height of awareness or the depth of

outrage of the American public because the corporate media steadfastly

refuses to shed even a glimmer of light on the myriad of scandals this

administration is hiding out there in plain sight.

 

The shock of 9-11 thrust the people of this country into a depressing

twilight zone, a " loyalty-oath " atmosphere where they stumble around

in the dark, afraid to speak -- afraid to think. Any anger they feel

about the president of the United States committing an impeachable

offense by covertly spying on them and openly admitting it will fade

as the media psycho-flogs them into believing the criminal here is the

whistleblower who shone the light on the illegal surveillance, not the

traitor who broke the law.

 

The irony of Bush, the NSA and Gonzales whipping up a criminal

investigation into who dared tell the public that they were breaking

the law will be lost on far too many Americans. Those who do

understand, yet choose to stand mute and hope for the best should

weigh the loss of their civil liberties against the violence, murder,

vicious lies, and especially the sheer animosity Bush feels toward all

but the wealthiest Americans.

 

They should take a look at the backgrounds and goals of the beady-eyed

war vultures who control Bush; who are urging him to destroy

everything in his path -- not the least of which is the (insert Lord's

name in vain) US Constitution. They should ask themselves what they

would do if they woke up in the middle of the night to find an invader

in their bedrooms, pawing through their personal belongings. Would

they silently bow their heads, or would they turn on the light and

scream bloody murder at the top of their lungs?

 

Truth doesn't just radiate light -- it IS light. If Americans would

raise their heads and look around, they would see there are flashes of

light everywhere -- especially on the Internet.

 

Americans have come to a fork in the road and, like the great

philosopher Yogi Berra once said, they need to take it. They need to

go to the light.

 

Then, those (insert Lord's name in vain) (insert word depicting one

born out of wedlock) will get what they so richly deserve.

 

 

 

Sheila Samples is an Oklahoma writer and a former civilian US Army

Public Information Officer. She is a regular contributor for a variety

of Internet sites. Contact her at: rsamples

 

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