October 7, 2002
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There is a general disconnect in my day-to-day sphere between the reported overwhelming support for Bush and his war on Iraq, and the actual support for Bush and his war on Iraq. And yet in a matter of weeks he's gone from blowing up Afghanistan in the hunt for evil bin Laden, to preparing to blow up Iraq in the hunt for more evil Saddam Hussein. It's all happening too fast (doesn't leave time for debate), the people in my sphere feel pretty ineffective when it comes to stopping it, and the people with the real power to stop it don't have the will to do so.
George W. Bush's arrogance toward and disconnect from the public is almost unfathomable. Yet when one surrounds oneself with like-minded thinkers with like-minded values, one's beliefs are reinforced, and the thought of questioning them is non-existent. If you only travel among your supporters, you'll be surrounded by nothing but support. Remember The Emperor's New Clothes? Add to the equation total control of public demonstrations and, well, no one can touch you, and you're immune to dissent. But the dissent remains -- and we desperately need to bring it to the surface. Deck Deckert recently described his return to letter-writing to politicians, though he doesn't expect that it will have much impact ("when pigs fly," he concludes...) As do many of us, I feel that the effort is futile, especially thinking about the numerous letters I've written in the past, only to receive a form letter and position paper that is far from the position I stated. But the feedback politicians get is quantified and qualified, and this time around I'm taking a different tactic. I'm not writing lengthy justifications for my stance -- I'm sending simple appeals that state my position. Just enough to let them know I'm out here, I don't support the war and its supporters, and they're on my radar screen. As we all know, if we sit back and say nothing then we've cast our vote for war, all the while admiring the emperor's clothes. It's too easy and far too costly to do nothing, and very easy and cheap to send a short message. Here are links to your Senators and Representatives, as well as Bush and Cheney. Please, drop them a line now. "No war" would suffice. I'll wait. http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html president@whitehouse.gov vice.president@whitehouse.gov In his October 5 radio address, Bush asserted that, "The United States does not desire military conflict, because we know the awful nature of war. If, however, the Iraqi regime persists in its defiance, the use of force may become unavoidable. Delay, indecision and inaction are not options for America, because they could lead to massive and sudden horror. I urge Americans to call their members of Congress to make sure your voice is heard." Here, Mr. President, let me help: http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html Reassuringly, CNN (10/5/02) reports that Sen. Robert Byrd's "office is being flooded with calls from people asking not to rush a decision that could lead the United States into a potentially bloody and costly war. Byrd encouraged other Americans who feel that way to contact their representatives. 'I plead with those people out there, I plead with the American people -- let your voice be heard.'" In case you missed the links, I'll show them again: http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html Read Senator Byrd's position, and then contact President Bush, right here, right now: president@whitehouse.gov. Tell him that you don't approve of his war. Tell him that delay, indecision and inaction ARE options. Tell him it is HIS actions that will lead to massive and sudden horror. Please encourage those in your sphere to contact their representatives. And then we need to make our voices heard by voting. · · · · · ·
Resources Iraq on Swans Jan Baughman is a scientist in the Biotech Industry. When Jan does not travel around the world on behalf of the company where she manages a clinical research department, she spends most of her time devouring books like candies and relaxing over the preparation of the finest recipes in Northern California. She started writing at a very young age when she found this mode of expression easier than having to answer the perpetually boring and conservative chit-chat around her. Jan's sense of observation is directly related to her sense of humor. She is a founding member and co-editor of Swans, and brings to the site wit and a lightness of being. Do you wish to share your opinion? We invite your comments. E-mail the Editor. Please include your full name, address and phone number. If we publish your opinion we will only include your name, city, state, and country. Please, feel free to insert a link to this article on your Web site or to disseminate its URL on your favorite lists, quoting the first paragraph or providing a summary. However, please DO NOT steal, scavenge or repost this work without the expressed written authorization of Swans, which will seek permission from the author. This material is copyrighted. All rights reserved. |
This Week's Internal Links
Blind And Improvident - by Gilles d'Aymery
It's Just Good Business - by Deck Deckert
No Fanfare for the Common Man - by Paul V. Hursh
Rush to War Ignores U.S. Constitution - by Senator Robert C. Byrd
State of Mind Maladies: Enron and Dubya - by Philip Greenspan
Revival - by Michael Stowell
Distractions - by Milo Clark
Hit Or Myth? The Mythology Of Murder - by Aleksandra Priestfield
Rainwater Eyes - Poem by Sandy Lulay
Jan Baughman on Swans
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