"But here we are; this is what we got. The legal system may be our last line of defense, and that's a shame."
That is more than a shame. More than sad. That is frightening when one considers that there are people in that system such as U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon. So, what else have we got?
"But here we are; this is what we got. The legal system may be our last line of defense, and that's a shame."
That is more than a shame. More than sad. That is frightening when one considers that there are people in that system such as U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon. So, what else have we got?
Well, we've got Liz Cheney, who's become the prima facie example of why there's nothing inherently wrong or *evil* with being a conservative or a Republican if, while being those things, one steadfastly refuses to cross the red line into lip service to the Constitution, the rule of law and to our liberal democratic institutions and processes in the pursuit of political power or personal gain. That so many of her fellow conservatives and Republicans have crossed that line - or have failed to raise so much as a whisper to denounce and object to those who have - is the root cause of her now being so much in the limelight, and the reason we now must contemplate 'lawyers' as our last line of defense in this fight to 'save democracy' in our country. And as robust as her efforts are in that endeavor, Liz ain't gonna' be able to do it by herself. So, what else do we have?
Ourselves. Which is where the ultimate responsibility for the preservation of what we hold dear in our country is vested. And we should be contemplating our own roles as individuals in being that last line of defense for that which we hold so dear.
Don't ask me what *you* can do. I don't know. I know we all want answers to that question, but I don't have them. I can only speak to what I can do. Which is vote, of course. But also, I can take inspiration from Lincoln's words. And add resolve from Cheney's example to my determination to look for any opportunity to stand up for 'what's right' as I go about my daily life, be that in how I respond to a neighbor or co-worker promulgating the lies and deceit that have led us to where we now find ourselves, or donating money to a candidate who's worthy of representing me and the ideals that our country is supposed to stand for in our halls of government, or simply by speaking or behaving in a way toward someone of a different political outlook that shows them *I* am not their enemy, that their true enemy is to be found elsewhere.
These things I can do. And I will do them, along with anything else I can conjure. Beyond that, I can only suggest that we all contemplate the words of a former President of our country, which I heard as a child. And set aside all partisan bias and take them at face value. And hopefully adopt them as our own:
"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from the responsibility. I welcome it."
I left the attribution out on purpose, in keeping with my remark about setting aside bias and taking those words at face value. But props for looking them up.
Different time, different circumstances...the cold war was flirting with going hot, and almost did soon after Kennedy spoke those words, as those of us like you and me who were around back then would soon witness. And Kennedy was very good at speaking publicly and had great speech writers. Still, your point is a good one. And I can't imagine something as powerfully straight forward and clear as this along with "Ask not..." coming from the lips of any pol of any stripe since then, and especially now.
Speaking of Reagan... “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
Interesting that he spoke those words not long after Kennedy's death and long before he became President himself. But righteous words are righteous words, regardless of who speaks them or when. I just wish more people would take heed of them and recognize their value. And maybe even speak a few of them themselves.
Reagan: Ironic that in later decades he was one of the architects of our current decline. Not knowing it, of course. I suspect most of his actions were simply to reduce the taxes of people like him. I'm not sure if he'd end up as a Liz or as Romney/Collins/etc.
"But here we are; this is what we got. The legal system may be our last line of defense, and that's a shame."
That is more than a shame. More than sad. That is frightening when one considers that there are people in that system such as U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon. So, what else have we got?
Well, we've got Liz Cheney, who's become the prima facie example of why there's nothing inherently wrong or *evil* with being a conservative or a Republican if, while being those things, one steadfastly refuses to cross the red line into lip service to the Constitution, the rule of law and to our liberal democratic institutions and processes in the pursuit of political power or personal gain. That so many of her fellow conservatives and Republicans have crossed that line - or have failed to raise so much as a whisper to denounce and object to those who have - is the root cause of her now being so much in the limelight, and the reason we now must contemplate 'lawyers' as our last line of defense in this fight to 'save democracy' in our country. And as robust as her efforts are in that endeavor, Liz ain't gonna' be able to do it by herself. So, what else do we have?
Ourselves. Which is where the ultimate responsibility for the preservation of what we hold dear in our country is vested. And we should be contemplating our own roles as individuals in being that last line of defense for that which we hold so dear.
Don't ask me what *you* can do. I don't know. I know we all want answers to that question, but I don't have them. I can only speak to what I can do. Which is vote, of course. But also, I can take inspiration from Lincoln's words. And add resolve from Cheney's example to my determination to look for any opportunity to stand up for 'what's right' as I go about my daily life, be that in how I respond to a neighbor or co-worker promulgating the lies and deceit that have led us to where we now find ourselves, or donating money to a candidate who's worthy of representing me and the ideals that our country is supposed to stand for in our halls of government, or simply by speaking or behaving in a way toward someone of a different political outlook that shows them *I* am not their enemy, that their true enemy is to be found elsewhere.
These things I can do. And I will do them, along with anything else I can conjure. Beyond that, I can only suggest that we all contemplate the words of a former President of our country, which I heard as a child. And set aside all partisan bias and take them at face value. And hopefully adopt them as our own:
"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from the responsibility. I welcome it."
I had to look it up - said by a Democrat John F Kennedy. Anyone think an R since Reagan would say, let alone believe, that?
I left the attribution out on purpose, in keeping with my remark about setting aside bias and taking those words at face value. But props for looking them up.
Different time, different circumstances...the cold war was flirting with going hot, and almost did soon after Kennedy spoke those words, as those of us like you and me who were around back then would soon witness. And Kennedy was very good at speaking publicly and had great speech writers. Still, your point is a good one. And I can't imagine something as powerfully straight forward and clear as this along with "Ask not..." coming from the lips of any pol of any stripe since then, and especially now.
Speaking of Reagan... “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
Interesting that he spoke those words not long after Kennedy's death and long before he became President himself. But righteous words are righteous words, regardless of who speaks them or when. I just wish more people would take heed of them and recognize their value. And maybe even speak a few of them themselves.
Reagan: Ironic that in later decades he was one of the architects of our current decline. Not knowing it, of course. I suspect most of his actions were simply to reduce the taxes of people like him. I'm not sure if he'd end up as a Liz or as Romney/Collins/etc.
Hard to say. But he's gone. We're still here. And I hope it ends up being us and not the lawyers who ultimately determine where we all go next. :-)