| We
are in a grave constitutional crisis with a President
who seemingly wants to be a king, and a Congress unable
and unwilling to oppose him. This administration
is building, plank by plank, the framework for military
dictatorship. Already in place is a global governing
philosophy that uses the military as muscle for invading
other nations for the purpose of social engineering and
massive corporate profits. The Defense Authorization
Act of 2006 empowers the President to impose martial law
in the event of a terrorist incident. The National Defense
Authorization Act of 2007 permits the President to command
National Guard troops without the consent of state governors.
The National Security and Homeland Security Presidential
Directive gives the President dictatorial powers in the
event of a “catastrophic incident.” The Military
Commissions Act suspends the writ of habeas corpus. This
short list doesn’t include widespread wiretapping
of citizens, construction of concentration camps, private
armies, an ever-expanding military budget, increased government
secrecy, non-cooperation with Congress, and the inevitable
bankrupting of domestic budgets. And, now, the latest
grab for power has the Executive announcing that “our
property” can be seized for dissent against the
invasion and occupation of Iraq.
We are in a very grave constitutional crisis, folks.
I encourage every one of you to make a noise in the
offices of Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and
your congressional representatives. Silence is the death
of democracy.
But I think we also need to begin the process of organizing
some form of resistance, protest, and/or strategy for
impeachment. Our politicians are fiddling while democracy
burns. Feeding from common corporate money sources,
they are no longer worthy of our trust. Indeed, they
have betrayed us.
For example, almost daily some media figure or political
operative drops a hint that our country might be hit
again by the terrorists. Ask yourself: In the event
of another catastrophic occurrence, can you trust this
government to stay true to the idealism of democracy,
and the laws of limited checks and balances of power,
encoded in the Constitution? Can you trust Congress
to represent the people?
I certainly cannot. We are, I repeat, in a grave,
surreal even, constitutional crisis. We are dealing
with a spirituality of tyranny, an unleashing of ruthless,
arrogant power that corrupts all it touches.
It’s time to get angry and cast out this unclean
spirit from our land. Such a statement can now get me
arrested, disappeared, and stripped of all assets. Is
this America? Is this the country in which we have been
raised? And how long, friend, until you yourself awaken
only to discover that there is now a knock on your door?
I call upon all who care to assemble at Trinity United
Methodist Church, on Wednesday Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. There
we will begin to strategize how to reclaim the power
of the people, the birthright we share.
Knock. Knock.
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