The Rise of Anti-Government Bigots: Spitting, the N-Word, Anti-Gay/Lesbian Slurs

[key]

so any comparisons I make in this thread I make knowing full well that they are incomplete and inadequate. I post anyway.

Imagine the US in the early 1770's. Imagine being a revolutionary thinker like Thomas Payne. Imagine the courage it took to question the authority of the strongest military, the mightiest empire on the planet. It blows my mind that the signers of the Declaration of Independence were literally signing their own death warrants - if things had gone differently.

The courage and ACTION that is required today is no less (but no more) than what was required then. The sad thing is that the enemy today is within our midsts. I am very sad to say that my own blood relative brothers an sisters, while I would never expect them to spit on or yell derogatory remarks, get their information and encouragement from the same sources as those that do.

If I could have my way I would file our country for a no fault divorce. The divide that led to the civil war is still with us. It has just been festering underground. The only thing that has changed after the civil war is that on the surface, our better angels prevailed. Our lesser devils went underground. The house that was divided then, is still divided. I wish we could just split up once and for all. I do not regret that Lincoln kept the states together, because slavery (in America) ended (even that went "away" into far off lands, but still has not ended).

I would honestly like to start a secession party. For the good of all of us. This may be the one area where the sane and crazies among us can agree.

[Bit]

Originally Posted by key

I would honestly like to start a secession party. For the good of all of us. This may be the one area where the sane and crazies among us can agree.

Then they win, and the fanatics have succeeded in taking your own country away from you.

I used to be a Libertarian, back in my idealistic days. I used to believe the federal government had overstepped its bounds, that the individual states' rights were being eroded, that the individual citizens were being taxed unfairly and wrongly.

I don't believe those things anymore. I believe that only the federal government (including the federal judiciary system) has the ability to force the states to respect the rights of all individual citizens, and I believe that it is foolish to believe that we could run a country this size without taxes. I also believe we pay lower taxes than most similarly developed countries.

Are we under attack? Oh yes, indeed. Is it bringing out the very worst in some of our citizens? Oh yes, indeed. Will it probably need national outrage at the corporate greed and inflamed bigotry to get our country back? Oh yes, indeed.

This is the time, right now when we most want to give up, to leave, to withdraw from the fray and just let them have the place, this is the time when we are most urgently needed.

There are loads of ways to make a difference. I have never, ever been a politically active person, but I found a way to make my voice heard after the voting booth. I joined change.org and they routinely send me alerts that include emails to send to my Congressperson. Here is their link about the Tea Party.

http://www.change.org/petitions/view/tell_congressional_republicans_to_denounce_the_vic ious_tea_party_attacks

I also joined Organizing For America. They send me emails that include the direct phone numbers to my Congresspeople, so that I can call and register my wishes on any particular issue.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

There are other ways which are more active, but even these small ways can be part of the bulwark that stands firm and says, "no more hate!"

Please, don't go away. Don't be diverted by the seeming power of hate. Don't allow them to take your own country away from you. Take positive action, even a very small positive action, even so small as signing petitions and sending emails--because every positive action YOU take will double the positive action I take, and together we will double the positive actions taken by just two of our friends, and together we will double the positive action taken by four of our neighbors--and soon WE will be the sweeping tide of change, unstoppable, demanding that our country be run for the good of all.

Please, now is when we need you the very most. Please, don't go.