Me, Hugo and George by Cindy Sheehan

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

http://michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=688

<snip>

On a recent appearance that I made on MSNBC's Hardball which was being guest hosted by Norah O' Donnell, she introduced me as someone who has been photographed with "dictator" Hugo Chavez. After the introduction and in a very short subsequent break, I looked at her and said: "You know President Chavez is not a dictator. He has been democratically elected to his office 8 times." To which she replied: "We had a big discussion about that and we decided that he ruled like a dictator."

That statement really shocked, yet irritated me, because I can't believe that MSNBC and Norah O'Donnell would perpetuate the myth that President Chavez is a dictator and mislead and misinform their viewers, because contrary to facts, they "decided that he ruled like a dictator." "Then you should call George Bush a dictator." I said right before we were given the signal that the interview was beginning.

During the segment which Norah called an interview and I would like to better term as an "attack," (I gave her a hug after the attack: it seemed like she really needed one) we got on the subject of Hugo Chavez and I ended up admitting that I would rather have him as a leader than George Bush. Since this truthful admission, which comes from experience and research, my life has been threatened several times and the hate mail to the GSFP website has increased dramatically.

I will readily admit that I did say that I would rather have President Chavez than President Bush, but I didn't say that I would rather live in Venezuela. I am an American and I love my country which I believe is on a distinctly disordered course right now. I also believe that my country can do better and I am willing to fight to realize a vision for America where the rich share with the poor and we achieve 100% literacy and schools, day care centers, parks and clinics are built instead of prisons and the already bloated military industrial war complex. While the world seems to be coming apart at the seams, it is also important for our mainstream, corporate owned media to get their facts straight and report the news truthfully and with integrity instead of being tools for war and greed. Thousands of people are dying while the media are carrying out vendettas for Karl Rove.

Yes, I would rather have President Chavez than George Bush. But truthfully, I would rather have countless numbers of people as my president than George Bush. George Bush is an out of control criminal that needs to be impeached for his lies; removed from office for his transgressions; and imprisoned for his crimes against humanity.

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[ret5hd]

1. my trip to venezuela:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46mAY_GhPS8

[u2spirit]

2. This woman has more courage

than all the chickenhawks combined. She speaks truth to power.