The Times, They are a’ Changin’

The Roman Senate

There are certainly enough issues out there right now. Overwhelming, actually, that we’re pulled in so many directions trying to do the right things on every front. Each of us may take up our own favorite cause, and some of us try to respond and put out all the fires at once. On some blogs, there is a new story each day, and sometimes multiple stories on the same day, and each should require your whole and immediate attention. I tend to read about most of them, but I don’t get to take action on everything. I just can’t. Overwhelming perhaps? Yes, perhaps, but I believe we need to find our niche and fight for the right things.

My main concern has been the war in Iraq. I want our country to pull out, Now! We stayed in Vietnam for the same political and financial gains, then when public outcry finally became unbearable to the leaders and they had to do something, they pulled out of Vietnam. Hanoi took over Saigon and literally renamed it over night to Ho Chi Minh City. We, as a country and powerful proud Nation, lived through it. It can even be said that we “lost” that war. Let me tell you a little secret. War is a lose lose situation every time.

I do focus my attention and main thrust of effort on the war and an end to it, but I am aware of other problems. Sometimes I wonder if they create the other problems as diversions so we’ll get all busy dealing with the Constitution and forget about the war. I mean I’ve heard the accusations. The media is run by the big money power now and they report, or don’t report, the real news. They don’t show flag draped coffins coming home to our soil to be buried, but they instead report to us about the Runaway Bride or Terry Shiavo. I won’t put in links to Britany Spears or Paris Hilton.

Seems to be working to some degree. Even the shows that we liberal minded types like to watch, like Countdown with Kieth Olberman, have alloted time to the Britany Spears fiasco. I like to think that like the Bill O’reilly’s and the rest of them, they do what they are told to make money, no doubt. These trite attention getting pieces are apt to hold some peoples interest and sell some advertising, but even of more importance are the issues of our Constitution and what seems like the rapidly diminishing of our basic human rights. So why don’t they skip the Britany stuff and report more about the war or our Constitutions demise?

The newest act before our elected officials is the House Resolution 1955, The Homegrown Terrorism Bill that is going around right now. This bill has language that can identify American Citizens that protest against any government action, like the war in Iraq, and put them in prison as terrorists. The language is vague, the prisons have been built on American soil. It is the mechanism that would make anything illegal this administration has done up to now, legal, and allow the president sweeping authority to point his finger at any individual at any time for any thing and say , “You are a terrorist.”. This person would then be legally detained for any amount of time and possibly not even allowed a trial.

Terrorism?

Pretty serious stuff. Other bills have passed in the years following September eleventh and the attacks on New York and Washington DC. The Patriot Act and the Military Commissions Act are examples. Our heads are like swivel mounted telescopes trying to see all the issues out there. Twisting and turning, writing letters, writing e-mails signing petitions, joining organizations, attending protests and making phone calls. All to address a single issue. Meanwhile, the matters that have been mentioned before are still on the table. We forget about the one from last week or last month and jump into the latest fray.

I knew a man many years ago that was a prime mover for a civic organization in my small home town of Pine City, MN. His name is David. People knew him and liked him. He did a great job of promoting an issue and finding funding for much needed projects. Every organization wanted David to work for them and join their club so he would raise funds for their projects. David stayed with one club, the VFW, and did a great job. One day he told me that a person can do a really great job if he served one purpose, but that as soon as you start to be all things to all people, you will fail, or at least not be as effective.

I believe this to be true for the most part. I am spending my time protesting at the Ashland Peace Vigil every Tuesday. If I start joining other issues to a great extent, I lose out with the one that suits me. And so it goes. Many issues, peoples energy spread out to thin. Not enough effort being afforded to any one issue to make a change. But there are some small scale things we can do in everyday life that will help stamp out some of the wrongs. An example was called to my attention at a friend’s blog. It’s called Billy Creek Blog, and is written by a local long time resident here in the Ashland, WI area. His recent post about fruit, namely banannas and the corporations that control the bananna market, is well worth the read. Find it Here.

Every day we have to make choices. You want the sweat shops to cease, don’t buy Chinese made toys. You want the factory to offer health care, don’t buy their products and insist that you won’t until they offer some kind of health care. You’ve heard the mantra. “If enough people do it, it can change things.” It is true. It takes the effort of a large contingent to accomplish this, but it starts by each of us, one by one, making a choice. About banannas today, about war tomorrow, or vice versa.

My suggestion isn’t about ignoring all the issues to concentrate on the one that pisses you off the most. After all, that might be what you think I’m saying. How can I ignore our rights being taken while I spend my time only protesting the war? No, it is rather a don’t-allow-yourself-a-knee-jerk reaction to every news story that comes along. Set up priorities. Follow through and get more information, do what you can do well without abandoning one issue for another. See what develops as the idea moves along. Don’t forget about the war and allow your City Council to make a blunder that you deem as bad for your own community.

Peace to All

cross posted at round circle