www.CharlesRehn.com - Essay and Ideas - From the Memory of a Child PArt 2

Election 2000

"...if justice had been done."

"I am not special, I am not privileged, I have no delusions of immortality. I am but one man, standing for the good of the people. Calling on each and every one of them to be what I call New Patriots"

Now, as I look at the turmoil in the world, and the sources and the causes and the fears of it all, one can only wonder what would have been different if justice had been done.

I wonder what better things I might have been doing if my government had been true to its charter, and the Supreme Court stood above the day and did what they were supposed to do above all else when emotions ran high and crowd mentality ruled the day.

I kept telling my friends “Don’t worry, the Supreme Court will set it right. They’re amazingly fair. They’ll sort it out if they have to count the votes themselves.”

But when they announced their decision the only thing I could do is cry. Because Democracy had failed.

There I sat, crying. It was just like my father’s death.

There was nothing left to be sure of. Justice was no longer guaranteed, and could not be expected. The theft of a nation is the most scurrilous of crimes, and those who empower it are traitors. To allow such an injustice to stand is equally as wrong, because our denial makes us an accomplice to the crime.

And yet, like my father’s death, I wait at the bottom of the hill of liberty praying for my leaders to come and take control and save the day… but nothing is done, justice is ignored, denial replaces the feelings of injustice, and we close our eyes to avoid the pain.

As a people, as a nation, we are unwilling to see the truth, unwilling to give up the prize and the façade of a win. We are afraid to believe that those in our midst would harm us so much for their own personal gain. And we ignore there was so much to gain.

We know we lost something. We’re not sure what. But we hope we see it somewhere again.

It was more than the theft of an election. Elections have no value if they do not lead to an honest result. It was the empowerment of a coup to install totalitanarianism, dictatorship, and the work of master propagandists. It can only lead to tyranny, and that is what this illegal administration is calling for with secret activities and no accountability for the agency they claim will protect our homeland.

This government sees us as an enemy because they know that when the people find out what’s taken us over, we will reject it and revolt.

And when that time comes, we will discover if they are patriots unable to resist the temptations of power, or if they are truly traitors. Whether they will resign and provide an orderly transition of power, or oppress us with the weapons we paid for to protect us, believing they can oppress us and that we will comply... we shall see.

That will be a truly telling day. I fear it. And pray for it. For it cannot be avoided. The truth is always revealed.

But that day will only come if we come together, speak our minds, refuse to surrender, and demand the release of our nation. It could take a hundred lifetimes, it could be accomplished in a day or an hour.

But when we, the people of this nation finally refuse to submit any longer, then and only then can our will be measured. It will be measured by the administration time and time again until it can no longer withstand the pressures of our anger and disdain.

Other nations have general strikes. We eat chocolate.

For people who take from all of us and lie to keep their power believe they must give little pittance to the paupers in the kingdom.

They underestimate the will and the power of the people. One day, their own actions will prove these men to be fools.

Until they do, we must be vigilant. We must do everything we can legally do to retain the freedoms we still have. And we must act as a body, to show our strength and solidarity.

We must begin now. And we must be committed. And we must pray that our legislators will honor their oaths to defend the Constitution, and our inalienable rights as citizens. For those are the same rights which granted them the honor and privilege of serving this nation.

To private citizen George W. Bush:

You have nothing to fear from us. Your enemy is the truth. And I did not generate that truth. You did.

I challenge you to play by the rules, not some convoluted interpretations of a non-existent law you feed to the broadcast networks who’ll report whatever you want them to say to convince the American public whatever you need them to believe, whenever it’s convenient to your political agenda. That’s propaganda.

Some of us do know the difference. And we will teach our friends to see it.

I have to hand it to you. Your people are masters. Might as well say it. I have a deep abiding respect for the skills of Newt Gingrich as well, and his ability to train the Republican Party. I mean it. I don’t have to agree with your politics to appreciate what one has to offer.

But if you do decide to search for ways to strip us of our freedoms, remember, it is your character, and the character of your agenda that will be on display.

This nation has been harmed, from without, and within. I did not do that harm. I am simply here to acknowledge it.

And at a time when our nation is in peril, it is not the time to suspend liberties and abandon liberty. For when we have strayed, we have always decided as a society that it was a mistake, and we assure ourselves it will not happen again. But it happened again. It’s happening now. And we will regret it as we always have.

It is the open discourse on issues and the ingenuity of our people that makes this nation great, not a leader’s fascination with the privilege of being the leader of the free world, with all the weapons and financial tools to force compliance at every turn for whatever purpose just because he can.

To those who will criticize our actions - we must inform them in a way that is not demeaning or adversarial. They are our fellows, and we are equally dependent on them to take responsibility for this nation and learn what there is to learn so they can make the right choices and do what there is to do. We must take responsibility for their lack of information. And so we shall.

Americans have proven, time and time again, that when they are informed and welcomed in government like a partner, that they make the right decisions. That’s truly trusting the people.

America is new to oppression. We don’t know how to respond. We don’t know how to work together. We have been individuals with our own ideas from the time we were born. And it’s difficult to face a time when we have to put Democracy ahead of our own personal goals, and deal with the hatred of those who have been mislead.

We are sad.

George, you promised to bring honor to the White House, but you have done nothing to earn my trust.

You promised to work with all leaders, and you have refused, and denied our rights.

You said you were a man of peace. Some of us read the truth.

So while 3 of the 4 leaders of the coup against the Democratic Nation of Venezuela reside in the splendor and beauty of Florida… in wait until the United States incites the people in Venezuela to respond in a way that forces Hugo Chavez, their legally elected leader from his office once again – because he opposes the U.S. led Central American Free Trade Agreement…

Mr. Bush, we have to live with these people, we like them, and they have a right to self-determination. As do we.

And on May 20^th, 2002, you had the audacity to insult us and demean us and brutalize us again by going back to Florida and making a speech in front of a crowd of Cuban voters you wanted to impress on behalf of your brother Jeb.

You challenged Fidel Castro to have free and open elections. You said “Listen to the voices of the people and count their votes.”

One can be no greater a hypocrite than that.

That was the one that made me decide I just couldn’t sit idly by. People are looking for a leader. People are looking for permission. And now they have mine.

How dare you. How dare you.

I wish to be the leader of nothing. I wanted a small house in the country where I could play with my dog and write innocuous computer programs and play with my web site. I was working on a viable way to end hunger, and address the deployment of module on demand programs to more effectively and frugally deploy social programs with advice from some of the leading experts in the world. And our plan would have been able to seamlessly integrate with your vision of modern government under Friedman and von Hayek’s model. We just wanted to end hunger.

But instead, we have to do the government’s job.

The Congress has failed the people miserably in this matter. [Please note that, Mr. Gephardt] The media has turned its back on us by withholding the truth and the magnitude of its impact on our country - while they play those rude commercials and persuade us to give them our money .

The Supreme Court members who failed to uphold the Constitution, to represent the welfare of the people above all claims and interests… you have all embarrassed yourselves. The truth is in a NewYork Times Bestseller.. Please vacate your seats lest ye be removed for failing to uphold your oath to defend the Constitution.

Mr. Bush, if you were to acknowledge your loss in the 2000 election I would harbor no ill will. I would say that you did, indeed, bring honor to the White House. It would be an incredibly courageous act of patriotism if you did. I will leave that to your conscience.

You and your friends have more money than I will ever dream of having. What will satisfy you?

I have been driven bankrupt by government corruption – and I’m not talking about current events – I’m talking about sweetheart deals between a governor and a contractor that was never supposed to end that I completed in 3 months, and then was chastised and empoverished for having completed. I was harmed by police in the course of assisting them pursue racketeers and abandoned when I asked for assistance in return so I could repair my life.

I will tolerate it no longer. No one should.

For the last 40 years in my memory, we have had only two administrations that were not beleaguered with crime… not scandal, crime. So it is no wonder that we have become a nation of people who honor a man who cheats to win, and a people who have learned that they must always take care of themselves, even at the deprivation of others, because there is no one, not even their government who will assist them if they stumble and fall or are victimized by corporate crime.

Oh what an example we have been provided.

I challenge Americans… I challenge the Religious leaders of this nation, to challenge our fellow citizens to reflect on their lives, reflect on our nation, reflect on their vision of the way the world should be… and acknowledge that our acts, our endorsements of this behavior, are not consistent with a people who claim to be a nation based on Christian values, and of numerous religious disciplines.

Those who decry their outrage at the behavior of the leaders of the Catholic Church would be hypocrites to refuse this challenge to take responsibility for their own lives and actions. And if you are right with your God, or right with your conscience then you cannot deny that each of us has room to more honest and understanding of each other. And none of us has room to condemn one another.

The truth is often confronting.

George Bush SR promised us a kindler, gentler nation. A worthy goal that I hope we can live into.

Since you are reading this, then it must be clear that I have made my decision on the matter.

Give me liberty or give me death. The words of our forefathers still ring true today, as does the justice and dignity imparted by our Constitution. The inspiration we claim to be divined by God. Let us renew our commitment to truth and justice, and spread that inalienable right to all peoples of the world.

But understand: I am a man standing in the path of a tank. I am not special, I am not privileged, I have no delusions of grandeur or immortality. I am but one man, standing for the good of the people. Calling on each and every one of them to be what I call New Patriots.

It’s a time for reclamation. A time for renewal. An Era of Reconciliation. A time to forgive one another of our indiscretions and trespasses and of the past, and move forward to the future that we as a nation, as a planet of people, have always dreamed of having. It’s within our grasp. We only need to want it. And be it. And share it with our neighbors.

We are a nation where tv news channels spend days talking with audiences about the question “Are Americans too rude?” And no one says no. We become more defiant and determined as we become more aggressive in seeking our individual goals. Let’s take time to agree that we will indeed do unto others as we would have others do unto us.

A New Patriot would do that. A New Patriot would do it for America.

A New Patriot would stand up for right against wrong wherever it exists.

A New Patriot would prevent and abate corporate corruption and governmental corruption, and pledge to do the best to spend the funds and resources without waste.

A New Patriot would be the kind of person whose handshake and his word were the only thing you need to make a deal, whose intent would be honorable

A New Patriot would conduct business and preserve the planet, and realize that doing no harm is the part of the cost of doing business. And it saddens me that this is considered a burden. Because a New Patriot knows that when they do it for America, they do it for themselves, and their families and natural beauty we have been blessed to view.

A New Patriot would

But a New Patriot would do these things, and everything, in simple awareness and acknowledgement that they know the difference between right or wrong., and conduct themselves accordingly.

Be A New Patriot. Do it for America. Consider what it would mean if you did something for America, for your community, your planet that would benefit us all, and add to the viability of this planet, the rights of people worldwide.

Join us as we move into an era of peace and sharing and good health and prosperity for the world on demand by the people.

A New Patriot would do that. A New Patriot would find a way because it must be done.

Do it for America. Do it For Yourself. Do it for the good of us all.