Sticks And Stones

The time worn expression, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never harm me," has been successfully challenged by the Bush Administration and their party's faithful. Democrats have allowed themselves to be cowered by the fear of being called weak on terror. Despite their mandate to end the war in Iraq, they continue to fund the war without serious pre-conditions or consequences if those conditions are not met. Why, you ask? - fear of the Republicans accusing them of not supporting our troops. Recently the President was able to get Democrats to sign an anti-terror bill that allows him to eavesdrop on American citizens without a warrant on international communications. Given the fact that most company's back offices are located in India or other foreign locales when we speak to customer service we're speaking internationally.

I don't know about you, but I don't want the likes of Alberto Gonzales listening on my calls.

Democratic congressmen and senators must develop a spine. It might well be, as some have suggested, that many of our legislators are being Hoverized, that is, they are being black mailed. If there are skeletons in their closets, it's time to let them out. George Bush has urinated on our Constitution, while they have stood idly by. They need to adopt a posture that is consistent with their mandate. Call me what you will, but don't call me late for dinner. Fear of the unknown is often greater than fear of the known. None of us knows when we will be hit again, but it's safe to assume that we will. In the interim we cannot allow fear to defeat us. If we are willing to give up our basic rights in exchange for our safety, we will have proved ourselves unworthy of either.

Unless Democrats want their victories to be short lived, it is time that they show some courage. If they are afraid of making bad decisions and consequently make no decisions at all, they will find themselves unemployed sooner than they think. This being the case it behooves them to take a chance of being called a name. Names can't harm them if they don't let them. It is somewhat understandable why many Republicans march lockstep with the President, it is inexplicable why Democrats might. Like quite a few other Americans, I sit at home and wonder when the Democrats are going to develop the intestinal fortitude to stand up on some issue, any issue and stand the President down. If Congress had continued to send the same funding bill back to the President no matter how many times he vetoed it, one of two things would have happened. He would have been forced to begin pulling the troops out of Iraq, instead of holding on to some false notion of victory or he would have had to completely turn over to china the deed to our country. George Bush is holding on to the only ace he has left, the ingrained fear Democratic legislators have of being called cowards. Sticks and stones can break their bones but names can only hurt their feelings.

Learn more about this author, Cedric Mcclester.
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