Saturday, November 18, 2006

What I would do

As I was saying last night, I have thought long & hard about the impeachment debate.

My decision was swayed by a letter written by a mother of a soldier killed in Iraq. Many people, including one of my family members, do not appreciate the words & actions of this woman, but I do. She is not a tool of the far left. She is a mother in pain...a mother that deserves some answers. We all do.

What's my conclusion to this debate?

Let's impeach the motherfuckers.


Here's the letter:

There are many important issues facing our nation and the 110th Congress. Minimum wage increases and universal health care are long past due.I certainly appreciate the stirrings about bringing our troops home from Iraq within 3 or 4 months, too! After all, more troops were killed yesterday while our politicoes are playing footsies with each other! We thought that Nov. 7th was a day to celebrate! When the last of our brave young people come limping home to their relieved families that will be a joy-filled and historic day.

I believe, though, that those same troops and others who have fought so bravely, died so needlessly, and have been wounded for life deserve justice for what the Bush regime has put them through. I believe that this country and the world deserve justice for the raping and pillaging by the pirates who have stolen our liberties and inflicted torture and other pains and hardships upon the world. I believe that impeachment proceedings are the most important issue that the 110th Congress should put on OUR table.

Since I have written open letters to George and Reps Pelosi and Conyers, I have had almost overwhelming support for the ideas, but there are also some legitimate concerns that need to be addressed.

First of all, many people believe that impeachment proceedings will be seen as "political" revenge for what the Republicans have done to the Democrats for the last 12 years or revenge for the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Impeachment is not a political tool as used by the Republican Congress, but it is a Constitutional remedy for elected or appointed officials who are abusing their powers. If George has not abused his powers as president and commander in chief, then no president in history has. I will not detail his high crimes and misdemeanor and crimes against peace and humanity, because all of his illicit activities have already been well documented. Justice should not be a partisan issue and if Congress took their oath to the Constitution as seriously as they take their allegiance to the special interests and to partisan politicking, George would have already been impeached.

Secondly, many people are fearful that impeachment proceedings will bog down Congress. Elizabeth Holtzman who was a Representative from New York and sat on the investigative committee that recommended impeachment articles be charged against Richard Nixon said, last weekend at our impeachment forum in Philadelphia's Constitutional Hall, that this kind of reasoning doesn't give Congress enough credit. Ms. Holtzman said that Congress is able to "walk and chew gum" at the same time. I will have to take her word for it, since she is the reasoned voice of experience.

Lastly, people are concerned that holding George accountable will further divide a country already damaged and split by the "Uniter." This is a legitimate concern, but our country healed completely after the Nixon debacle, and we will heal again. I would like to also give us Americans the credit that we deserve. We have proven over and over again that we are very resilient and strong enough to withstand a quest for accountability.

Recent polls have shown that most Americans want proceedings instituted against BushCo. The newly elected Congressional leadership will not institute these proceedings unless the will of the people is shown. Many members of the Congresses, in both parties, that have been seated since BushCo came to power in an illegal electoral coup in 2000, have been willing co-conspirators in the Bush crimes against everything and it is up to the will of the American people to correct the course that is robbing the Blessings of Liberty from all of us and from our posterity. As the preamble states, it is our Constitution, as well as it is theirs, and we need to reclaim our country and our humanity before it is lost to us forever.

Bringing Articles of Impeachment against BushCo will not only bring resolution and justice to our nation and the world, but if this regime is made to be held accountable for their crimes and abuses of power, then future administrations may be slower to commit such blatant and belligerent crimes and the world will be a safer and more peaceful place. But there is an overriding reason for these proceedings to be instituted as soon as possible: A president is not above the law, or the law. A president is an elected official who has a duty to obey, carry out and protect the laws of our land, not break them as if he were a dictator of a banana republic, not leader of a once great nation. We need to restore our greatness and our credibility to a world that despises us for allowing BushCo free rein to commit their aggressions against the world.

By attaining this justice that our world so desperately needs, we people of compassion and courage cannot bring back the hundreds of thousands of people who have been killed already. We cannot put the buildings back together that the war machine's bombs have destroyed. We cannot make whole the people who have been emotionally and physically wounded by these high crimes and misdemeanors. We cannot put back together the families who have been torn apart by illegal wars. No matter how hard we try, we cannot prevent the pain that has already been caused by BushCo, but by bringing them to justice, we can, and will prevent more needless suffering here at home and abroad for the present and for our posterity.

Our dead, our soldiers, and the people of Iraq are voiceless in the debate on accountability and we must be their voices. The Constitution cannot break out of its glass at the National Archives and sit-in in front of the White House or walk the Halls of Congress to demand that BushCo quit desecrating it and what the US used to stand for. It is up to us, the citizens, to protect humanity and the law of our land. As historian Howard Zinn states in the introduction to Impeach the President, the Case against Bush and Cheney, edited by Dennis Loo and Peter Phillips:

We cannot expect either Republicans or Democrats in Congress to initiate any challenge to the existing order of things. In the history of the nation, serious injustices---slavery, racial segregation, the rights of working people, the condition of women, the war in Vietnam---have only been remedied by powerful social movements that have forced the government to change its policies.

Now we have another such time.

Our very existence as a nation of laws and justice depends on it.



Cindy Sheehan

Impeach for Change

Gold Star Families for Peace

7 comments:

Snave said...

That's one good letter. I don't think of Cindy Sheehan as a loon or as a liability to the left or to the anti-war cause. After hearing her talking about her views on "Alternative Radio" on public radio, I was convinced that she has a lot a good things to say.

From the AR website:

"

It is a striking phenomenon in the United States that with all the privileges and advantages most citizens enjoy there is a sense of apathy and powerlessness. The refrains of, "What can I do? or "I'm just one person" are rather commonplace. With a largely depoliticized culture individuals are left to decide on whether to shop at this chain store or that one. Consumerism has consumed the spirit of democracy. The important societal issues of war and peace, healthcare, education, the environment are left in the hands of a political class driven by power and greed. Every once in a while certain individuals break through passivity, come forward to say, this is unjust, this is not fair, this is wrong. As Margaret Mead once said, that's the way change has always happened."

"Cindy Sheehan has been called the Rosa Parks of the anti-war movement. She captured global media attention with her dramatic action at Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch. Camping out for most of August, and joined by thousands, she wanted to ask the president; What noble cause did my son Casey die for in Iraq? Bush refused to meet with her. Sheehan is the founder of Gold Star Families for Peace and the author of "Dear President Bush."

Lots of other good stuff is available at

http://www.alternativeradio.org/index.shtml

Elvez73 said...

Very powerful letter. As much as I would like to see W impeached, and Rummy in the dock at the Hague for warcrimes, I think impeachment would be counter productive. The GOP wasted our time with the Clinton impeachment, and while W may actually deserve it, it would be a vote loser for us in 08. Many dems won in red states by razor thin margins and supporting impeachment just isn't an option for them. From a gut level I would love to see us impeach the bastard, but for the good of our majority I think it would be a mistake.

Damien said...

Its a great letter total surprise to find at the end it was written by Cindy Sheehan, which is cool.

Yeah go for the impeachment, bugger em. Trying to say 'I'm a war time President' or 'the President needs to focus on the War' cuts no slack with me.

PoliShifter said...

At least have some investigations for Pete's sake and see where it leads. IF it leads to impeachment then so be it.

And get out of Iraq now.

Lizzy said...

I understand where the worry comes from when it comes to impeachment and possibly hurting our chances in '08.

However, I think it's a risk we should take. There is nothing I want more than to take the big prize in 2 years, but I think holding Bush & Co accountable is more important, so this NEVER happens again.

As far as getting our agenda accomplished, like the article said, Congress should be able to walk & chew gum at the same time.

And, I can't believe I'm saying this but, if successfully impeaching Bush & Cheney wrecks our chances in '08, there is no way in hell that the next Repub president would be worse than Bush.

brdrake said...

I have started each day, since the beginning of this debacle disguised as government, with the same stunned bewilderment....and the same disbelief that we, as Americans, have allowed this criminal administration to remain in power.
Impeachment, followed by trials in the world court, is the the sane and moral path.

Lizzy said...

It must be done...but our odds aren't good. Pelosi took it off the table, however I'm hoping with enough pressure, she'll have to consider it.