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Authors, sign in!What is happening in Egypt? What are we seeing in society around the world? Is it civilized and peaceful organization to right the wrongs of oppressive government? Is our massive industrial complex of war machine manufacturers quelling the physical violence around the world? Is our mighty unmatched military complex creating peace?
What do we have in our constitution that guarantees a better way? The first amendment to our constitution is the secret to a better way. Religion with its emotional and spiritual blackmail power, guaranteed by support of sovereign power of government is a powerful force when corrupt and conscienceless men are in control. Freedom of/from Religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of peaceful assembly are not available to most of the people held bondage by despotic rulers.
Here in Everyday Citizen and Kansas Free Press, we have a forum that allows exchange of opinion through the power of word and reason rather than rocks and bullets. We happen to be identified as being leftist or liberal. The right leaning and conservative folks have their outlets that give opportunity to exercise power and reason in the same way.
If the everyday citizen, leftist or rightist, joins in the conversation, it allows violence free debate that can be judged at the voting booth rather than the street corner brawls. A governing system designed with checks and balances between administrative, legislative, and judicial power is and has been successful.
All who have joined in the discussions here on our blogs and those who have joined the outlets or blogs that support the opposite or different slant on individual and corporate responsibility are legitimate and effective voices in the preservation of our democratic republic form of government.
We don’t need demonstrators packing weapons or throwing rocks. We should not fear the repressive power of government military power silencing the cries of citizens who feel deprived and helpless.
Published February 4, 2011 by Ken Poland |
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| Tags:
Democracy
Freedom
Freedom of Speech
Government
Grassroots Organizing
Politics
Protest
Comments (1)
A beautiful blog post, Ken. I really appreciate the freedoms that our Founding Fathers gave to us in the First Amendment.
Last year I went to a political cartoonist convention in Portland and met some Arab cartoonists. These cartoonists would do cartoons against their government and against Islamic extremists and would face death threats, jail, or even kidnappings. Amr Okasha, an Egyptian cartoonist, related a story of a journalist colleague who was kidnapped after work, was beaten up, then left in the middle of the desert. I met the wife of Prageeth Eknaligoda, a Sri Lanka cartoonist and political commentator who has been missing since January 24, 2010 after making a cartoon against the Sri Lanka government.
Meeting them made a deep impression on me and the other American cartoonists. We can criticize the government or any institution because of the freedom of speech that was fought for by the Founding Fathers and was expanded upon by the various reformers in our 235 year history. We take for granted freedoms that other people do not have. For all the faults that our country has, the United States is a wonderful country.
Posted by Angelo Lopez
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February 4, 2011 12:25 PM
Posted on February 4, 2011 12:25