"Blind Faith in Bad Leadership is not Patriotism"; FANTASTIC small-town SD editorial

[liberalhistorian]

I couldn't believe it when I opened the weekly small-town newspaper for the area in SD in which I recently moved. I expected the usual more conservative editorial. To my great astonishment, I was greeted with a very pleasant surprise. This is one of the best, most succinct, on-th-mark editorials I have ever read regarding this whole mess, from ANY journalist ANYWHERE. You wouldn't expect this from a middle-of-nowhere, tiny weekly rural newspaper in a conservative area; after reading it, I just HAD to give it far more attention, the attention it deserves. Check it out:


http://www.mobridgetribune.com/articles/2007/11/16/opinions/opinions01.txt

Snip:

"In a country built on the premise that freedom of speech is a God given right of all people, we have been told that right doesn't apply to the Bush Administration.

Those who would stand up and question the war strategy, world diplomacy or domestic policies of this administration are labeled traitors and collaborators with enemy.
The mistrust in Washington doesn't stop at the White House. It marches across Capital Hill to the halls of Congress where men and women are supposed to be representing the people who elected them. The mistrust and lack of confidence in Washington politics is at an all-time high in recent history. Congress and the president are receiving very low marks from the American people in all polls, sometimes dipping into the teens in job rating. If the average Joe received a consistent job rating in the low 20's and upper teens, he wouldn't have a job.

Yet we are allowing people who spend most of their time pointing fingers and laying blame to have the top retirement package, the best healthcare, access to the finest medical facilities, the finest dining choices, etc."

And the best part:

"Yet we allow it to happen. We allow the presidential campaign to go down the very same path as the previous campaigns. We are not demanding the candidates stick to what we feel is important and not to what the national media wants to showcase on the nightly news.
What is more important, what Rudy Giuliani's third wife wore on her wedding day or how the children and grandchildren of this nation are going to pay for this war?
We are not traitors if we question our leaders. We are not collaborating with the enemy if we disagree with blank check spending on the war. We are not sleeping with the enemy if we voice an opinion that this administration and this Congress have not been responsible leaders in this war, in this country, and in this world."


Wow. Just wow. Now, why can't our national media whores quit cowering and kowtowing and be this insightful, thoughtful, intelligent and brave? I only hope this gal doesn't get bombarded with a shitstorm of hate mail from the wingnuts around here.

[The Traveler]

1. Great editorial

Perhaps we should bombard her with praise and support? :)

[liberalhistorian]

2. I was thinking the same thing;

that's another reason why I wanted to give it much greater exposure!

[Rainbowreflect]

3. K & R

:kick:

[gratuitous]

4. A good editorial

But let's be real specific, more specific than this editorial, about just who it was that led our nation down the garden path to this hellish quagmire. It was this corrupt administration, first, last and always. The Democrats have been trying, with varying degrees of success and with varying degrees of commitment, to try to stop or at least slow this runaway train.

The editorial is correct in identifying one of the elements of the grease under the wheels of the train (just to extend the metaphor a little further), but let there be no doubt about whose hands were steering when we plummeted down this track.

[liberalhistorian]

5. Yes, that's definitely true.

But the Dems have often aquiesed and aided and abetted the administration. And one of the main points she was trying to hammer home was that this administration has silenced its critics with charges of unpatriotic anti-Americanism and traitorous thinking, and that too many in Congress are too timid and cowed to try to go against it. When there is nothing more American than questioning your leaders, as she says in the beginning. And, again, for someone to write such an editorial in rural SD is really something.

[liberalhistorian]

6. I just sent a supportive email

thanking and encouraging her; it'd be great if others could do the same! She may need it, knowing how a lot of people feel around here.

[existentialist]

7. What's on track in South Dakota

South Dakota will occasionally surprise you in a pleasant way.

If stuff like this is coming out of South Dakota--and being published in the small town newspapers here--as it clearly is, than there is also hope for Kansas as in "What's the matter with Kansas?" and for the rest of the plains states.

[liberalhistorian]

8. Good point, sweetie! I'm glad I'm marrying

you this Friday!!!! :loveya: :loveya:

[babylonsister]

9. FYI: Salt Lake City Mayor Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson

owns that quote; I have it as my sig line on e-mails after a 'friend' told me 'he's OUR president, we HAVE to support him." :eyes:

Here's the incredible speech that line came from:

http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20060918&s=moral_compass

[liberalhistorian]

10. That's great, thanks for posting!

I'm always amazed at how so many Americans seem to feel the same way as your friend, when this country was founded on dissent and the right to question our leaders. It's un-American NOT to do so!

And I wonder how many of these same people were the first to slam Clinton day in and day out for eight years? They sure didn't seem to have that same attitude then!

[flashl]

11. GREAT!! n/t