I won’t go quietly into that good night – Guest Post

(This is Elise’s response to our invitation to vent. Thank you, Elise, for your wonderful submission. There are many more submissions yet to be printed! – Susan, with the great, let’s-all-pitch-in help of American Girl in Italy, a real trooper as well as an excellent, sharp-as-a-tack writer.)

The invitation to rant is irresistible even though I have done so many times without invitation here at NQ. I remember some on sexism, the DNC, the media and, especially, when someone unfairly criticized Hillary.

I have been reading and commenting here for a while now after unsubscribing to TM, Huffpo, Daily Kos and others. I lurk a great deal on River Daughter, but seldom comment there. I recognize the names of the regulars here and the style and attitudes of the bloggers. Still, after all these months, I feel a little bit of an outsider.

Patriotism is not something I feel completely comfortable with, but I occasionally get tears in my eyes when I hear the National Anthem and I respect the flag. I have never hesitated to criticize the government when I disagree with the policies and I believe a country is only as good as it’s citizens. I strongly believe countries have Karma. We are responsible for the way we are governed so I have been active in politics for a long time.

9/11 was a crossroad. An opportunity was offered to correct some bad choices in the past, but we allowed and even participated in the decision to go into another country, inflict devastation and kill it’s leader. We have paid the price for seven long years.

I have undergone an amazing transformation over those years and the year and a half of the election process. I have found out that every assault against the Constitution feels the way I imagine I would feel watching someone I love being physically assaulted. Every report of renditions, torture, illegal wiretaps and Black Sites has been a blow that brings tears to my eyes and a deep sadness to my heart.

I want it back and I don’t want to wait until Congress or the President decides it is a worthy document and should be followed the way it’s authors intended and not thrown away at their pleasure. I am not so naive to expect complete honesty from our government, but why do we elect sleaze and expect them not to be parasites and act in their own best interest? I hate to agree with Obama about anything, but why are members of Congress even allowed to wear the flag on their lapels?

If the Constitution or any law allows Congress to spend $700Bil in taxpayer money to bail out greedy bankers or mismanaged companies, I would like someone to show it to me. The Congress passes laws most of them have not read in their entirety, then the president decides which ones he is to going to observe. If they want to throw out the Constitution and Bill of Rights, don’t you think they should tell us so that we can have a voice in the decision?

There is this thing I want to know about Barrack Obama. I lean to the left when it comes to questions of universal health care, choice for women, the environment, gun control , equality and helping other Americans over the rough places. In that sense, I am a socialist, but I understand compromise is necessary. So I should be thrilled at the prospect of a liberal president even with the understanding, practically, his social agenda will have to be put on hold until the economy is stable. I have a very real problem with Bill Ayers, probably because I have an excellent memory and shared this space that is our country when he was a member of the Weathermen and don’t believe his ego will allow him to admit his organization’s goal was anathema to most Americans. Rev. Wright doesn’t bother me all that much although, unfortunately, he has too much influence in some groups. Rezko is a criminal and represents an unseemly past for Obama. He bothers me, but a majority of Americans have ignored the implications for Obama.

But, what I really want to know about Pres-elect Obama is; How does he feel about our Constitution which he will take an oath to uphold in January? Will he be tempted by the power available to him to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and bypass FISA, ignore the other two branches of government and follow an unknown agenda? His FISA vote isn’t reassuring, but perhaps, that was just politics which doesn’t say a lot for his character either.

He doesn’t have to balance the budget, end the war or create universal health care to restore the Constitution. It won’t cost a cent to repeal the Patriot Act or the Military Commissions Act. Ethics reform costs nothing. Changing the election process in the Democratic Party to make it more representative would be an indication he is willing to make real change in Washington.

Thank you nq, for all the information and food for thought. I believe you have been the most respectful of dissent and the true spirit of democracy on the Internet. Many bloggers and those who regularly leave comments here have indicated their age is advanced and for some of us, this will be our last election cycle. For years, we have fought the good fight. We have fought for our country and against our government when we believed it erred. We have marched for Civil Rights and Women’s Rights and protested two wars. We have learned all governments lie, we appreciate our freedom of speech and use it and we have seen infringement of our rights and protested that too. Maybe we didn’t accomplish all we had hoped, but I refuse to accept the idea the wisdom we have gained is irrelevant.

I have discovered, unlike Bill Ayers, I love my country. If it has to become something else, I won’t go quietly into that good night, but will protest to the end.