Protests Are Very American, Unlike the Lies and Whining from FOX News and Other Right-Wing Propaganda Machine
Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart
Just once more, at least for today, read the First Amendment
carefully and take special note of the last line.
[Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom
of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.]
In July, our nation will celebrate 248 years since the
Declaration of Independence began the creation of the United States of America.
There have been occasions when our overpaid government has accomplished great
things. However, most changes which benefit all Americans were the result of
demands from the people.
From labor protests to the demands of younger Americans to
end the illegal war in South Vietnam, to the peaceful marches led by Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., which were followed by recent Black Lives Matter protests
against police brutality against minorities, America only works when protecting
democratic precepts of human rights, freedom, and complete equality for all
Americans means taking action against an incompetent government which ignored
us for far too long..
A PERSONAL REACTION TO TODAY’S ANTI-WAR PROTESTS
It was my generation which was drafted into a war halfway
around the world. However, we were never told what we were fighting for. I
cannot offer you a valid reason today. All I know for certain is that 58,220
Americans were killed during the war in Vietnam, and about 365,000 were
injured, some severely with the loss of limbs, eyesight, or suffering from
irreparable brain damage.
I cheer for and stand with the protestors demanding an end
to the violence in Gaza today. What began as an effort to rescue 253 innocent
women, children, and elderly who were kidnapped inside Israel by the terrorist
group, Hamas, has escalated into a form of genocide. Israeli missiles and bombs
are killing innocent Palestinians and destroying hospitals, schools, mosques,
literally everything.
The same signs I saw during the Vietnam War are in use today:
No More War, Make Love, not War, War, What is it Good For, Absolutely Nothing,
and many more.
THE TRUTH NO ONE WILL TELL YOU, BUT I WILL
America’s military has lost every military conflict in which
they were engaged since the end of WWII in 1945. This has been my experience
between 1946 and today.
The Korean Conflict continues. This war has no end. There
has been no truce, no peace agreement, no signed treaty. What exists is a
mutual agreement for “an end to hostilities” between North and South Korea.
I remember watching the newsreel showing the last U.S.
helicopter leaving Saigon in disgrace. The “most powerful nation in the world”
retreated in shame and embarrassment.
A similar situation occurred when the last American aircraft
left Afghanistan, our nation’s longest war, in August of 2021. Our military was
sent to Afghanistan in 2001 to capture or kill the architect of 9/11, Osama bin
Laden. However, President George W. Bush forced our military to remain, when
that mission failed.
Officially, the American military has been removed from
Iraq. This is mostly true, but not entirely so. The “war” on the sovereign
nation of Iraq began in 2003 under false pretenses, so another lie is not a
surprise. There were no “weapons of mass destruction,” and Sadaam Hussein was
not hiding weapons for Al Qaeda. Lives and billions of dollars were lost for
nothing.
Each year the Pentagon receives an increase in its budget.
It is near one-billion dollars today. Watchdog groups tell us two things: 50
cents out of every dollar is wasted, and we have thousands of munitions and
weapons including Abrams tanks in storage which will never be used. The cost
overruns on the F-15 have resulted in the cost of one aircraft being equal to
the national military budgets of several smaller nations.
ONE IRREFUTABLE FACT
Without protests, very little
change would ever happen in America. Professional politicians are more involved
with reelection than serving the American people. Only when their personal
goals are jeopardized do they do anything.
Let them know what you think of
them and their failure to care for the needs and wishes of our nation’s people.
Op-ed by James Turnage
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