Commentary/Address | Charles Rehn, Co-Founder www.democraticfundmentalism.org
When a man in Southern California documents a crime by the police,
and then fears for his life from the people who protect him, and his fears are confirmed
when they arrest him in an uncivil manner despite their knowledge of his fears… it
says a lot.
Especially when his fears are the same fears of so many people who
speak up about what citizens in many parts of the country know is true… police
brutality against minorities… and when television outlets like MSNBC defend the
police in a clear case of excessive force… many questions come to surface, and many
doubts are created.
Questions like, “Whose side are they on?” and
“To whom is justice available?” and “Who can we rely on to be not only
professional, but to have integrity in their actions and responses?” or “What is
truth?”
This is not a commentary about police. I, too have my complaints, but
I truly understand the danger they are placed in everyday. They are indeed the
target of violent responses when doing their job. That should not be discounted.
The real question must be regarding the policies and the psychology
that would produce such a response by police. We must question the policies of a
government that pressures officers to make arrests, pressures prosecutors to make
convictions, pressures officials to maintain control of citizen behavior. Pressure to take
action without just cause, pressure to meet public expectations for fear of losing
control.
It is a paranoia that converts itself to conspiracy, as a government
that does not trust the people increasingly suppresses the governed. They suppress the
media, and they suppress the voices of the people who would expose the error of their
ways.
And they do not see the danger of their distrust, the danger of their
actions against the people. They only fear the danger of losing control, as if control
itself was the prize. And so they oppress us more.
History shows, time and time again, that when the American people are
informed and are empowered in government and public affairs, they make the right choices
for the right reasons. They empower leaders who do the same. That has always been the
fundamental character of America, the source of the greatness of this Republic with a
Democratic System. And Democracy is what is in danger in this country, and in the
world today.
Leading By Example
I began to be conscious to the world of politics somewhere in the
early 60’s. Since then, there have only been 2 elected Presidents who were not
been guilty of at least one felony in office that we know of. (Jimmy Carter, Lyndon
Johnson). Convicted or not. And we know it. We just deny it out of
shame, embarrassment and hopelessness.
Rarely are there smoking guns and incriminating papers. There
are no witnesses to corruption who come forward freely, because of their fear; fear of
defamation by the use of propaganda in a biased media, fear of peer pressure or out of
fear for their lives… or, it’s because of their willingness to “go along
with it” because of the profits they gain. They take the attitude “if my leaders
can do it, why shouldn’t I?”
When the United States Supreme Court unconstitutionally ruled that
protecting the interests of George Bush was more important than the interests of the
American people, they didn’t just display the corruption of our system. See,
they didn’t rule against Al Gore, they ruled against the will of the American people,
they ruled in favor of fraud.
The Supreme Court declared valid a new form of justice, the “new
world order”, and put the world on notice: America is no longer the symbol of justice
and equality and freedom. The rules have changed, Democracy has failed, the promise
has been intentionally broken.
A new kind of government has taken over. And we see the
results. We see the results. As they call on us to obey the golden rule, and
return to fundamental Christian values, and lie to us to justify the waging of war for
oil. Because they think they know better.
As the BBC put it, “…only in America, Washington DC, home
of the best politicians money can buy.”
The new rule of law is simple: Do whatever you can get away with, or
whatever you can convince people to support. He who shouts loudest wins. The
ends justify the means. He who accuses others of his own misdeeds first is righteous,
regardless of the truth. They are adolescent playground bully tactics, and it is
damning to the perception of what it means to be a leader.
It’s a rather crude phrasing for a cruel and brutal policy,
which, by the way, was not in the text when I originally read the golden rule.
I do not believe this would be the demeanor of a nation that claims
to be based on Christian or, the way I see it, moral religious disciplines based on the
belief in a higher being.
When Jerry Falwell chose to support the teaching that Christianity is
better than Islam, and to disparage their religious leader as a way to teach hate and
classism to the national membership of the Southern Baptist Church, of which I was a
member since 1963, I withdrew. See… the text I read in church said “judge
not lest ye be judged” By the way, what I’m saying is not about
religion. It is about the protective nature of humans that divides us with
judgmentalism, and our willingness to demonize each other because of fear and lack of
understanding.
The issues with the police, the issues with churches, the issues with
racists, the issues with politicians are the same. They are an expression of the
desire for control, a sense of safety, the instinctive human compulsion to take things
into one’s own hands when endangered, and to dominate when it seems the only one you
can trust is yourself.
It’s a cycle of defensive, compensatory acts, spiraling down
into a heap of abandoned cultural values. And it forces us all, out of fear, to do
things we would not ordinarily do, we would not choose to do them if the world was the way
we thought it should be, the way we claim it is… and all the while we hold the truth
hostage to our denial.
The failure is in the practice of leading by example. When
asked about dealings at Harken, Bush said “The SEC must have lost the
paperwork”, “the lawyers must have forgotten” … he couldn’t
even simply acknowledge that a mistake was made, and offer that it was wrong, regardless
of its motives. He categorically denied responsibility. All the while, any remark that
displayed the honor he promised to bring to our government would have provided some
relief. Instead the stock market continues to fall to record lows.
Instead, press secretary Ari Fleischer made a statement, which
uniquely characterizes the Bush Administration’s approach to transparency in
government, trust in the people, and truth itself. He began with the words “The
best way to say it is…” The unfortunate truth is that the best way
to say it has nothing to do with the truth, and the actions actually being undertaken to
protect the public interest.
The call for the Fortune 1000 companies to re-certify their financial
statements is nothing but a ruse to declare amnesty for the corporations, to be certified
now as honest and transparent. It’s a plan to boost your confidence, to make
you think something has changed, things will be different, for the purpose of convincing
you to abandon the social security system, and to relieve the government of even more
responsibility to provide for the well being of the American people.
The new laws will be limited by ex-post facto protections, and the
fraud that would have been discovered by serious enforcement efforts will be swept under
the rug, without legal recourse. Put simply, it’s a call to corporate leaders
to admit their crimes before laws are enacted in order to avoid prosecution.
I am not fooled by this corporate amnesty program.
And I am not naïve about or immune to temptation. I am simply
willing to acknowledge the truth, learn what there is to be learned, and hope to have
enough integrity to live the conviction of my beliefs.
I believe the people of America are much more like me than like them.
Not in the specifics of preferences and beliefs, except to the extent that all
people are created equal, and have inalienable rights to liberty and freedom of speech, to
self-determination inside the boundaries of a code of conduct that we call our culture,
our society, our world…
I pray it’s true. I pray it for the people of the world, not
just Americans.
See, most people don’t get what they want out of life.
They get what they tolerate.
Most people don’t get what they want out of life. They get
what they tolerate.
So, what I’m going to say next is going to startle you. It will
sound corny, it will be viewed by many in the departments of propaganda around the world
as the ravings of a mad man, it will bring character assassinations and suppressive
attacks by my government and the media. Not just to myself, but to all who dare to
go against the tide, and speak up for the world they want.
It will be the truest example of the disconnect between the people
and the government, because I truly believe… I really do trust the people… I
trust the people, I trust you and me, to do the right thing when and if we have a society
in which doing the right things does not provoke harm to ourselves. But that is not
the world we live in today, despite our idealistic faith in our leaders to deliver and
defend it. And I do not believe this government is responsive to the will of the
people.
And please believe me, I have no desire to be a martyr, not even a
leader. My goal in life was to buy some acreage in Oregon, put a house in the
middle of it, build a wall around the perimeter and grow organic vegetable and fruits and
become as self-sufficient as possible so I wouldn’t have to participate in this
corrupt system any longer, to be ridiculed and penalized for “acting like a boy
scout”, for doing the right thing, to be considered odd for declaring my patriotism
and love for democracy… the Camelot that was stolen from us all… that was
assassinated…
I am a person who has been counselor and friend to many in need, and
feared by those who are deceptive and inhumane. But I understood it wasn’t a
fear of me, it was a fear of the truth. Of their truth. Of facing the demons of their own
denial.
On May 20, 2002, George Bush had the audacity to go to Florida and
make a speech in which he challenged Fidel Castro to “hold free elections, and listen
to the voices of the people and count their votes.”
Never in my life have I seen such an arrogant, brazen statement made
by a public official, let alone a man who campaigned as one who would bring honor to the
White House, to the government.
He could not have delivered a greater insult to us all, to the people
in Florida, to the African Americans who have struggled so long and hard for civil rights,
and those of us who struggle with them even today… struggles and successes that have
benefited so many in so many ways… failures and setbacks that have cost so many their
dignity and self esteem.
And we’re angry for the disrespect shown to some of the greatest
leaders this world has seen… leaders like the Reverend Martin Luther King, whose
legacy and vision and very life itself were so contemptuously betrayed. John Kennedy,
Robert Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Lyndon Johnson and to every American who opposed
apartheid. And our founding fathers, who risked so much to deliver freedom to this
country.
It was that speech by Bush that made me realize I could not run from
the troubles of the world, because they would undoubtedly find me wherever I decided to
go. It was that speech, that moment that made me realize I could not tolerate the
lies any longer.
For the last 2 years, I have talked to person after person about the
election, and they typically say one of three things
“Get over it”, “Everyone knows the election was
fixed” and “Why doesn’t somebody do something about it”
My answers are “No, I won’t”, “Yeah, and how do
you really feel about that?”, and finally “Who are you expecting to save
you?” Why do you allow the government to employ the press to convince you that
America cannot withstand the controversy of the expulsion of corruption. It’s
what they always say when they’re sweeping dirt under the rug.”
But they never seem to be concerned about causing us the tribulations
of war. They say they do, but that’s just to get us thinking about it, so
we’ll accept it. So we’ll acquiesce. So we’ll feel the need to defend
ourselves.
I say, 40 years of Presidential Corruption and ensuing controversies
have proven us more than strong and resilient enough to endure the tribulations of
expelling corruption.
What happened in Florida wasn’t about chads, or Al Gore, or
George Bush or Florida. It was about fraud and a failure of Democracy. And the
beneficiaries of the crimes now hold the keys to the most powerful nation in the
world. They’re running for political offices. They are conspiring with
their counterparts in the leadership of the corporations that paid for the commission of
the crimes.
And on that day in November 2000, when the Supreme Court made its
ruling, Democracy was suspended, it failed, corruption had encroached even into the
highest symbol of justice in America and the world.
And Americans went deep into a pattern of denial to avoid the
despicable truth of the hijacking of a nation for personal goals having nothing to do with
the will of the people. It’s time for that denial to end.
You don’t get what you want in life, you get what you
tolerate…. So what are you willing to tolerate. Who are you willing to be? What
will it take for you to decide to no longer tolerate the influence of wealth and abuse of
power on your life and your country?
See, I bet the Bush administration and the corporations thought
we’d just file a law suit. They counted on it.
So I ask you to listen to this, to consider these words, think about
them, read them, and be honest with yourself. And take action.
A Call for an American Cultural Revolution
I’m calling on all Americans to join me, to join with every one
of us, in an American Cultural Revolution. It is not a revolution that uses guns or
weapons of destruction.
It is a revolution of our minds, it’s the war within ourselves,
between the knowledge in our hearts and minds that tells us what is truly right and truly
wrong.
It requires a
Massive Re-Organization Of Thought.
See, we know the difference… we know the difference…
it’s a war against the insecurity and fear that compels us to adopt the ways of
corruption because we believe it is the only way to survive, we believe it is just the way
things are done.. and so we go along, silent in our anger, hopeful for a miracle that will
save us…
But the only miracle we have to save us is ourselves. That
miracle is the free will imbedded in us upon our creation. And no amount of
suppression, oppression or aggression can defeat it.
That’s what these people, these “leaders” forget.
Despite the history of man, our leaders now choose to believe that
they are smarter than us, that they’ve figured out how to do it right, and they just
want us to go along for our own good. It’s not only un-American, it’s
inhumane. And, like most who are addicted to their own power and glory, they are
wrong.
Because they have forgotten what it means to have the trust of the
people, and they’ve forgotten what it means to not have the privilege of wealth. They
have forgotten that the sweat of our brows and the pains in our backs made this nation
great…
It is we who, in our abundance of faith, have granted them the
authority and privilege of honor of leadership. They think they have the right
to grant it to themselves.
But it is they who have betrayed our faith, broken the promise,
caused the tribulations and oppression at this time in history. If anyone is blamed
for any turmoil that may come in this country, they are to blame.
We must be sure to hold them accountable for their actions, and take
just actions to correct the error and restore democracy to this land.
Do not let them convince you that the blame is on another’s
shoulders.
Don’t let them chide you with playground bully tactics and
phrases like get over it.
Laws were broken. That is the betrayal of trust, that is the
denial they need to get over.
And those who would feel so betrayed by those who lied and cheated
would deserve our compassion. For we are citizens together, and we have all been
equally betrayed.
But most importantly, don’t let them dissuade you from doing
what you know is right.
That is the revolution, that is the call to action… for each of
us, in every action, in every moment of our lives, from here on, to reclaim the
values we say we cherish, to remind others of the values we have agreed upon as a world of
caring people… to expose corruption where it exists without malice or grudge, and to
cause resolution and agreement and abundance for all.
If you want justice, be just. If you seek truth, be truthful, if you
seek a leader, be a leader. If you desire change, change yourself. If you want
others to listen, listen.
Because, you see, the answer to the world’s problems are not in
the leaders… it’s in us, each of us… it’s in what we tolerate…
it’s in what we have allowed ourselves to be convinced about what is acceptable
- despite our knowing the difference between right and wrong.
And, we have a voice.
A voice that’s required for the system to work. A voice
to inform our leaders the requirements of the job, and the voice to fire them when they
fail or subvert the intent of the people. Any good business would fire a failed leader or
corrupt employee. Why should we do less?
And if they won’t count our votes, then there are other ways to
vote.
They will count our votes in the number of people who are dissident
to the oppression of our rulers. They will count the votes in our refusal to invest
in pension funds and businesses and stocks and candidates who do not respect the will of
the people.
And they will count the votes by observing our actions when we
organize as a citizenry and simply refuse to comply with their orders of war and global
plunder… because we know the difference between right and wrong.
So do they. And that is part of the great lie they have foisted
upon us.
That lie would have us believe that we do not have the right to
oppose the government, to speak our minds, to deserve productivity of our
taxes… that lie would have us believe that we are weak and insecure, and that
we should dutifully obey… that is a danger that the Jews remind themselves of in
their mantra to never forget….
Which is why I’m asking all of you to work with us at www.democraticfundamentlism.org
(now this site), this is not an advertisement, this a call to
action, to join us to begin the reclamation of America by demanding that the media
start telling us the whole truth, not just the parts to convince us to acquiesce to the
policies of a corrupt government.
Join us to force this government to acknowledge the fraud committed
against us all.
Join us to cause the re-instatement of Democracy as the governing
system of this great country.
Because if we continue to tolerate the blatant disregard for the will
of the people, of ourselves, the result will be unimaginable. The result will be our
tolerance of the theft of our nation.
I refuse to tolerate it.. I refuse to tolerate any more lies.
Many will say, who is this man, what gives him the authority to speak
like this?
I am truly no one, just a man, like many other people before me, like
many other citizens who stand beside me… with the right to speak. And so I do.
I do not ask to be your leader. I request to be your
partner. I speak for a body of people, not just for myself. And I am
interested in our mutual empowerment.
I am like that man in Tienemen Square… facing the barrel of a
tank. Refusing to back down. Refusing to acquiesce. Refusing to be oppressed
any longer. I am his follower. And I call myself a New Patriot.
A New Patriot is someone who holds leaders and citizens accountable
for their actions, not in an act of enforcement or vindictiveness, but as an act
enlightenment, atonement and reconciliation.
A New Patriot knows that when they do something for America, they do
it for themselves.
And you know, none of us are perfect. We have all committed
crimes against society and against our beliefs, if only in our hearts.
Do not feel shame, be enlightened. It is simply our
responsibility to expel the demons that undermine our character and moral fiber, and
disallow them wherever they exist.
This is not about religion, It is about integrity.
I urge you declare yourself a New Patriot, to take the opportunity to
relate to one another in a new context, to participate in the reconstruction of the
heritage and moral fiber that we all complain has gotten lost.
It begins with each of us. The answer is in ourselves.
A New Patriot would simply refuse to participate in corruption, and
would discourage others as well. Simply refuse. A New Patriot would do that for
America. A New Patriot would do it for themselves.
And think about this: I consider a friend to be someone who I
can trust not to take advantage of me, even when they can.
I will not call the leaders of our government my enemy. Nor
will I call them my friend. But neither will I leave them to determine a plan for
the continued greed and conquest that threatens our mortal existence.
Laws and policies can easily be repealed once democracy is restored.
There are many things we can legally do that do not require the
permission or cooperation of the government.
As New Patriots, we can take our own initiative to develop systems
that inform us of alternative energy sources and methods that can be installed in homes,
neighborhoods, communities that can lead us from the control of globalization.
A New Patriot can do that.
We can address the AIDS pandemic.. all the concerns of the people -
by demanding our money back from the government to apply to systems and methods actually
intended to accomplish what needs to be done. Something we should not need to do.
And I refuse to empower the government to pay patron corporations and
religions in order to relieve themselves of their constitutional responsibility to tend to
the welfare of the people.
They have no right to make that choice for me. I refuse.
I am a New Patriot. And I refuse. I do that for America. And I do it for myself.
And so, to empower us all, we’ll soon be announcing the
formation of a global union to organize and address these issues for the people, as well
as to remind the government that the will of the people is not based on the will of one
such as myself or even someone like George Bush.
It is the irrepressible spirit of humanity that will surely arise and
refuse… that will arise and define its own leadership.. that will arise and save us
from ourselves.
That is the history of the world. And history repeats itself.
Join us in this reclamation of American values, this cultural
revolution to return America to the country we have always claimed it to be.
Take action. Speak out. Be a New Patriot who understands
that whatever you do, when you do it for America, you do it for yourself… and you do
it for the world.