Citizens fail to embrace civic duties
Letter to the Editor
Stephen Mayes
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Editorial
I appreciate the letter to the editor entitled "Falling Enthusiasm Breeds Ignorance." I believe there is a wide misunderstanding about how things can work in this country.
I was distraught at watching people, my closest friends included, vote for a man mainly for the color of his skin.
When a journalist asked Iraq how they felt about Obama and his being part African-American, the Iraqi who was interviewed said it made no difference to him because it is the policies of the United States that is causing so many problems in the Middle East-not the president.
The president is not supposed to be a fix-all king for this nation. Nor, are we here to be the executors of the president's policies, or the government's either. But, that is where we are headed as long as the majority of people keep their heads in the sand and continue handing over the power, decision making, civil liberties and our money without a thought as to what is really going on.
The separation of church and state is no more, and now the churches cannot take a stand on an illegal war which has killed thousands because they have been emasculated and corrupted by their decision to look for power in the government, and they cannot speak against a war which is now lining their pockets as well-exactly what the forefathers did not want to happen.
All it takes is a little reading here and there, hopefully from a wide range of sources outside the corporate mainstream media, in order to get a better view of things.
Listening to what the politicians say is not near as important as finding out what issues they are voting for or against. What are they doing in the offices they hold?
Michael Moore said Obama has been betrayed because the people voted him in and then went right back to watching or doing whatever it is people do in lieu of showing continued support and staying informed about their president and government.
The people have once again failed in embracing their civic duties.
Here on campus, it is a disgraceful atmosphere as people worry so much about sports, TV and video games instead of keeping their minds and spirits alive by continuing the legacy of freedom and liberty as outlined in the Constitution.
Should this country fail, and it can-many others have already-we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Should you, as a student, find your friends outside of college, marching off to war because the government has decided to enact the draft-just like in Vietnam-do not cry for them but tell them you are sorry you didn't speak up for their lives when you had the chance.
I was distraught at watching people, my closest friends included, vote for a man mainly for the color of his skin.
When a journalist asked Iraq how they felt about Obama and his being part African-American, the Iraqi who was interviewed said it made no difference to him because it is the policies of the United States that is causing so many problems in the Middle East-not the president.
The president is not supposed to be a fix-all king for this nation. Nor, are we here to be the executors of the president's policies, or the government's either. But, that is where we are headed as long as the majority of people keep their heads in the sand and continue handing over the power, decision making, civil liberties and our money without a thought as to what is really going on.
The separation of church and state is no more, and now the churches cannot take a stand on an illegal war which has killed thousands because they have been emasculated and corrupted by their decision to look for power in the government, and they cannot speak against a war which is now lining their pockets as well-exactly what the forefathers did not want to happen.
All it takes is a little reading here and there, hopefully from a wide range of sources outside the corporate mainstream media, in order to get a better view of things.
Listening to what the politicians say is not near as important as finding out what issues they are voting for or against. What are they doing in the offices they hold?
Michael Moore said Obama has been betrayed because the people voted him in and then went right back to watching or doing whatever it is people do in lieu of showing continued support and staying informed about their president and government.
The people have once again failed in embracing their civic duties.
Here on campus, it is a disgraceful atmosphere as people worry so much about sports, TV and video games instead of keeping their minds and spirits alive by continuing the legacy of freedom and liberty as outlined in the Constitution.
Should this country fail, and it can-many others have already-we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Should you, as a student, find your friends outside of college, marching off to war because the government has decided to enact the draft-just like in Vietnam-do not cry for them but tell them you are sorry you didn't speak up for their lives when you had the chance.
