Our country has been completely overrun by criminals! I’m not talking about petty thieves and purse-snatchers running around the streets. There’s something going on in our executive branch that I think most Americans are aware of, but everyday brings forth a new abomination of freedom and more proof of a Presidency that does not have the American people’s best interest in mind. There is widespread outrage about our President and his lies to public, his appointees and their lies, and the myriad of illegal activities taking place in Washington.
Not only has G.W.Bush lied to all of us about the war, why we’re in Iraq, and the progress of the war, but his lies have cost us thousands of American lives and he feels completely confident to stay the course, because clearly victory is imminent. There’s no doubt that this President is far from the sharpest knife in the drawer, but being an idiot isn’t a crime (unfortunately). Lying to the American public about justification for a war that has cost thousands of lives however, is a crime. How long have we heard one story after another about why we’re going to Iraq, why we’re in Iraq, the “success” we’re having in Iraq? This President has told us lie after lie and he’s still in office. This is baffling to me. Not only should he absolutely not be in office, but why isn’t he serving time with other criminals like himself? I can’t think of a bigger, more insidious series of crimes - moral, ethical, and criminal in nature - that a President could commit beyond what Bush has done. Spying on American citizens? By the laws of America, isn’t treason punishable by death? He has made it so I don’t feel any safer from terrorists overseas than I do from the administration which has pledged to “protect” me from them. I sit around everyday not knowing what the next lie is going to, be or what the next abomination of freedom and “justice” will be at the hands of this President.
From his lies about a war that has claimed thousands of American lives, to illegal wire tapping and taking absolutely no ownership of his lies and crimes, Bush is just a horrible human being, extremely misguided, or incredibly stupid (perhaps all three) …in my humble opinion. How can a President in a democracy lie to his people as he sends them to die in war, commit criminal activity like illegal wire tapping, appoint a slew of corrupt politicians without an ounce of integrity between them, and then take no responsibility and have no apologies or remedies to ease the plight of the American people and bring some sense of integrity to this administration?
Beyond all of that, appointing and supporting an attorney general who is amazingly untrustworthy speaks volumes about the moral grain of our President. Granted, it hasn’t been proven that Alberto Gonzales has lied to congress, but there’s no doubt that he is not particularly trustworthy and that his testimony was amazingly vague and cloudy, and full of contradictions. We might be able to find the truth if congress was allowed to investigate as they should. Having the trust of the American people is one of the most important things to consider in positions like the presidency, vice presidency, attorney general, and so on. These are the people who run our country, represent all of us, and are supposed to make the decisions that are in the best interest of the American people. At least congress is trying to get to the bottom of this issue with Gonzales, bringing the truth to light. If it turns out that he didn’t lie and is just amazingly inept when it comes to testimony, then so be it (hard to fathom given that he’s AMERICA’S TOP LAWYER). Maybe the truth is that he just doesn’t know how to be straight forward. Knowing that our Attorney General isn’t a liar might at least provide a certain peace of mind that every American should be entitled to - being able to trust our leaders to be honest with the public. Unfortunately, we have a President who won’t explain a thing, but simply expects that it’s enough for him to unconditionally support this man who’s testimony is … questionable at best… and be away from the White House for a total of over a year of vacation in a 4 year presidency. I understand that Bush and Gonzales are buddies, but the subject of illegal wire tapping isn’t a schoolyard debate, the truth of which is inconsequential. Buddies or not, Bush has an obligation to prove himself and his appointees competent and trustworthy on all sides, not just the issue of committing a crime against Americans. So what if Bush supports Gonzales? That doesn’t really make me feel any better about his “honesty” in this testimony. How are we supposed to be content with this just because Bush supports and believes in his friend? I don’t know Alberto Gonzales and I don’t trust Bush anymore than I believe the sky is pink and purple polka-dotted.
So where does that leave me? I’ve got a President I can’t trust (even if I wanted to) who supports an Attorney General who perjures himself, saying “he’s done nothing wrong”. Not to mention that fact that the two of them have helped to make it so that my phone can be tapped illegally - at their discretion - because terrorists are out there and they’re dangerous. Our government is dangerous! What if Bush does some random wire tapping (and there’s nothing to stop him from doing it)? Admittedly, I don’t have anything nice to say about this President or his staff. Will I land in jail for not supporting the lies of this administration? I wouldn’t be the first.
I heard on MSNBC today about a couple who wore anti-Bush shirts to one of his speeches at a West Virginia Bush rally at the State Capitol (public ground) in 2004 and they were arrested for not changing their clothes just prior to Bush discussing how his war will help to preserve our American freedoms. The charges were later dropped, but the couple sued and settled for $80,000. I wonder where that $80,000 came from - the pockets of the arresting officers? Homeland Security? Bush himself? No, it came from my tax dollars (you know, the ones not being spent on education or saving an environment that won’t support life in a few hundred years). While it would be incredibly appropriate to hold these people responsible for this couple’s loss of a freedom granted by the Constitution, they have yet to receive an apology from the White House - very consistent with the lack of responsibility of this administration. So, just as with everything else, the taxpayers bare this burden. If our right to express ourselves is next on Bush’s list of anominations, he might as well come get me now and declare this the Dictatorship of America because as far as I am concerned, Bush has no right to be in any position of power. Look at what this nation has been reduced to under his Presidency! It’s appauling.
So, in conclusion, I want to make sure I have this straight. After the 9/11 attacks, Bush vowed to make us feel safer and more secure in our homes. Since then, an administration full of corrupt and lying politicains have given themselves the right to invade our right to privacy without court approval, lied to the public about why we’re still fighting and losing a war that has has no clear meaning to this day, and threatened our right to freedom of speech. Bang up job Mr. Pesident! Despite all your clearly justified and valiant efforts (I’m in the addiction treatment field, perhaps someone needs to explain denial mechanisms to this guy), I feel less safe and less proud to be an American than ever before. I can, however credit this administration with one thing - they have sucessfully managed to hold the American liberties and ideals, which have set America apart as a free and proud land, hostage over a 7 year period. I don’t know what kind of character fault it takes to do these things, but whatever it is, Bush and his coherts have a ton of it.
