Letters to the Editor
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Founding Patriots sought to create a thinking Republic
Blessed 4th of July.
Regardless of covenient labels that seem to color discourse (liberal/conservative) or so called ideological locations (left/right)the fact is that Mr. Olbermann's article touches the very core of the reason for the existence of the United States a land were people could express honest opinion and descent without been locked away in a dungeon or tossed into the sea. The Founding Patriots sought to create a thinking Republic were individuals instead of following the cattle mentality of being horded into one direction would be able to debate and come to consensus on issues, rights and freedoms.
The reality is that this gift has been essentially eroded and has been given a definate death blow with the pseduo-pardoning of Mr. Libby dressed as a conmutation of sentence. The USA has traditionally tried to hone the moral high ground on other countries on the issue of accountability of those in public office. Slapping others around as corrupt, irresponsible and oriented towards nepotism and cronyism, however, this administration has made obvious to the world that the evils once decried by the US about others is alive and sickning well in their own backyard.
This does not prompt a hooray from my part or any of us who have looked at US democracy as a model (not ideal or perfection),but it is a sad time because overt hypocrisy as become shattering reality. The overt hypocrisy to which folk in the United States need to awake too is that the line: "best political system in the world" has become now more words than actual substance. The Founding Patriots would be agast at the frightning authoritarian and monarchic style of leadership that has evolved in the last six years and how their thinking Republic were debate and descent were to be viewed as valuable tools for preserving democracy has been utterly demolished.
The challenge now is to regain the critical mindset that lead the Founding Patriots to establish the Republic. Mindless following of politicians, abject ignorance of world history, geography and the diversity of culture and faith must be refounded in a new enlightenment that will place politicos in their rightful place - mere humans who need to be examined and questioned in their assumptions so that their parroquialism may not become the countries vision and rule of law- only this concerted effort by all Americans will return the Republic to "We the people"
A last Mr. Olbermann's requiem notes that they should resign but I am sure that he knows as well as I know that people of this ilk, zealots and self-righteous authoritarians never resign they would rather destroy the structure than allow it to be reformed or rebuilt. Your next choice for political leadership will be the true test of your love for the idea of the thinking Republic will you sit at home and allow voter turnout to be in the 40 and 50 percentile or will you rise up and make it a unique experience of heavy turn out and challenge to the politicos and their patrons that the Democracy is truly the province of the people and not of those who can afford to buy themselves into power.