The United States of America began when 13 independant colonies joined together to fight a common foe. An oppressive empire that charged excessive tax to increase it's wealth leaving the colonists in conditions of sufficiency. There were plantations and there were landowners, some with slaves such as Thomas Jefferson. Regardless the status of those colonists they didn't see the British Empire as a benevolent power in their lives and sought to find a way to freedom.
Besides taxes one of the complaints was the right to plactice religion as they wished. Or to not practice religion at all.
Two of the most prominent Presidents in our history once had their birthdays'celebrated in Febrary. Lincoln on the 12th of that month and George Washington on the 22nd. George Washington never stated what beliefs he held and Abraham Lincoln was known to not practice religion at all. Their belief systems were complicated but they were complicated men who were respected outside their lack of religious celebration but more for their moral conscience.
Someone stated it like this, "When asked of Lord Beaconsfield his religion. He replied, "The religion of wise men." Thereupon, his interlocutor again asked, "What religion is that," and my Lord answered, "Wise men never tell."
Abraham Lincoln abhorred Christian values because he felt the 'idea' that God unconditionally forgave men for their follies outside of Christianty was just permission to carry out atrocities only to seek forgiveness afterward. Of George Washington he just never said. There is no written or spoken record of his faith or lack of it but there is no record of him practicing one either keeping in mind the official religion imposed on them came from the Church of England.
The decisions by the Church of England were corrupt at best at times. But that is a different discussion.
The point is the USA is being lead by people who are imposing values systems that do not satify the entire country. The Bush Conspirators, of which the Religious Right is a part, would like to call themselves "Strict Constructionist." There is no such thing. Either you understand the law and apply it or you don't. Either you live in this country and abide by the freedom it's constitution allows all of us or you don't. As proof of tolerance of difference built into the law of this country and without discussing any particular legal proceedings when it comes to the Supreme Court there is always a Majority Opinion and a Minority Opinion.
Different people from different experiences in life think differently. Where someone from an urban area would see the need for control of a criminal and an enforcement of the death sentence, someone from far less urban areas may appreciate the upbringing of a defendant and realize the deprivation they may have suffered not even knowing or understanding the definition of 'Clean Air' or 'Fresh Air.' They could potently be a victiim in the life society had them cornered.
It doesn't matter if this country was thirteen colonies and is now fifty states and provinces besides, what does matter is the realization that 'the truth' about life reaches far beyond any one person's experience and it is that which we all need to grow an appreciation for as well as a respect.
The Bush Administration, Current House Republicans and Senate Republicans do not hold values of tolerance. They hold values of self indulgence inflicting hardship on our nation. The poorest among us have faced an incredible devastation in Louisiana because of self indulgence by a then FEMA director, in Michael Brown, that could not seem to reach beyond his understanding of his role in government that suited his image and comfort. While standing the image of "The Party;" protection was afforded him from any ill effects of his own incompetency as a guarantee for protection of tainting the image of the President. And indeed we saw that in the early days of George Bush's first visits when he stood proudly beside Michael Brown and stated what a great job he was doing. It was never an issue of the concerns of the people suffering from Katrina but more one of the image the television cameras would carry back to 'their base.' After all it protected the Commander and Chief into re-election, whom had lied to the country and declared an end of the fighting in Iraq on May 1, 2003. Why shouldn't any other member of the Bush Administration find themselves equally as priviledged and entitled to American Royalty?
What kind of standard has the American Electorate set for these men who would have their way with our country and it's laws?
This country is in crisis. We have issues that reach far beyond that of religion. We have been used by an administration that deceived the electorate while instilling terror to allow for a political enivronment whereby indulging the whim of 'their base' instills a false sense of security. Somehow political security in carrying out Evangelical Rules of Order is the only allowable demeanor in DC. It's reprehensible. It encourages the crimes of bigotry. It encourages the social environment of bias and discrimination. It allows for ever increasing intolerance of difference and the ever increasing call for government control over issues of privacy and personal happiness. Not all people appreciate the same happiness in life.
Not one of the women on this page have the same dress nor do I believe would be carrying out the same priorities. For that our country has lost respect and that is unfortunate.
To that understanding it strikes at the issue of sovereignty. Is the USA still a sovereign nation or one that is under seige and quite possibly occupied causing behaviors in others reminiscent of an enforced social order whereby there ACTUALLY is no tolerance of anything Non-Christian.
A sovereign nation is one whereby all the members of it are provided for otherwise it isn't a nation that is cohesive and abiding by the same principles. As an example, at issue is the idea of Gay Marriage. Marriage is a legal institution. Whereby the ceremony is performed in a house of worship it is sanctified under that doctrine of faith. That is allowed in the USA by order of the First Amendment and the practice of Freedom of Religion. If the country continues to move severely to 'the right' in it's laws then it will discount many of it's citizens as irrelivant. That isn't allowed nor should be allowed in a society whereby the measure of 'citizen' is insured by birth or legal immigration and freedom to pursue happiness is permitted by lawfulness.
Not discussed here is the inequity of wealth in all states that was grossly exposed with Katrina. That as well is a sovereignty issue.
The USA is facing difficult times as perhaps it is breaching the understanding of sovereignty based on enforced social values adverse to some of it's citizens, high debt with an economy interlaced with a foreign country and currently at war illegally when the international community was strongly and correctly in favor of restraint of power.
Borders alone don't measure sovereignty. It goes far beyond that. If we were to describe it by defensible borders alone, one might ask the question are our borders really defensible. It would seem not.
Lewis Libby is under indictment by a prosecutor that has been meticulous in his care of the laws of this country, it's understood sovereignty including our National Defense which was compromised by the actions of Mr. Libby. Lewis Libby received his information regarding Valerie Plame from our Vice President, Richard Cheney. Mr. Cheney was the former CEO of Halliburton and is known to have violated his priviledge in that role at Halliburton causing loss of revenues to it's stockholders. Within two weeks of taking office Mr. Cheney convened an 'Energy Committee' behind closed doors where we know Enron gave testimony at least six times. When that 'Energy Committee' met with resistance from citizens of this nation and opposition in the Senate and House in passing laws that were ill conceived with testimony from at least one corrupt and scandalous firm, namely Enron, Dick Cheney still was feeling the heat of his wrong doings at Halliburton breathing down his neck. Hence, the push to invade Iraq and the promise of high Halliburton stockholder dividends.
Richard Cheney was known to frequent the halls of the FBI and CIA. He is known to have been harassing young agents, although they would see it as the pleasure of spending time with the Vice President. This was unusual behavior for any Vice President. It was with this assistance that Lewis Libby received the information that Richard Cheney went through a great deal of trouble to find. He went out of his way to meander through young agents minds and files until he was satisfied he had all the information he needed for the purpose he needed it. By giving Ms. Plame's name to Mr. Libby it was implied consent that a loyal friend could 'do something about' the only man who could cause the plans for Iraq to go array. Dick Cheney could not afford that to happen. The one person that would foil those well pre-meditated plans would be Joe Wilson who was acting in good faith in trust by a country he loved and never wanted to see compromised.
It must have been an interesting life with Valerie as an agent and probably a worrisome one now. I like Joe Wilson and I admire Valerie Plame. I wish they and their family well. Both are valient people.
The founders of our nation were valient people, many of which did not have to fight a revolution or a civil war for the comfort life afforded them. But, they did. They fought because they believed there was a greater justice in life. One that embrassed difference, humility, humanity and conviction to quality of life and the pursuit of happiness. As a nation and a sovereign nation at that we have lost our way and in that our hope. We need to return to the values we hold dear realizing we are not safe in the leadership that exists today and our nation remains compromised. We need to work to correct that.
