a peaceful thought

[luckyleftyme2]

I copied this after I had posted in a state forum: this was well written and worth a read!
Has government failure triggered the right to revolution?

By Hubert Kauffman
Published:
Friday, November 4, 2011 2:08 PM EDT
The first sentence of the Declaration of Independence makes clear that citizens have the right to end their relationship with their government when it becomes necessary to do so.

The present government of the United States has failed to fairly represent the basic needs of a large majority of its people. Under those conditions, the people have the right and the obligation to revolt.

In the United States, the revolution can be entirely peaceful. The people can vote some or all of their elected office holders out of office.

The people’s power to correct wrongs through the vote is unstoppable. The “Occupy Wall Street” initiative has the potential to grow into that peaceful revolutionary movement. It symbolizes the worldwide yearning for freedom from the tyranny of powerful regimes.

In the United States, the movement would be well advised to find a unified voice and to lead masses of people to vote, without regard to political party, for a system that puts their needs first. As a priority, the unifying message must focus on the broken state of politics in America.

Fixing the abuses in the American political scene is essential for significant change to occur. It is absurd that election campaigning lasts for two years and costs billions of dollars.

It is more than absurd that corporations have been declared “people” and that they and lobbyists can pour unlimited funds into campaigns thus protecting their needs.

It stretches credulity to hold that our elected officials can remain objective while accepting monetary support for their candidacy.

A second focus for the “Occupy” movement should be on permanent peace. It is not possible for the people to have their needs met while their government pursues a culture of war. “Enemies” are demonized, fear is promoted at every turn, security measures are extreme but spotty, the military budget remains untouched relative to the enormous cuts in civil spending and the dangers of terrorism are promoted as a means of keeping the public passive.

Troops will come out of Iraq but the national conviction that the military is the first line of security continues unabated. That conviction guarantees that war will remain a primary option of U.S. policy. The unifying message should oppose the culture of war because peace offers the only sustainable basis for national security and freedom. Let the revolution proceed. Let the “Occupy Wall Street” movement flourish. Let the people banish fear and find the courage to prevail.

Hubert Kauffman lives in Oxford.

[e-mail]

so get out and
VOTE VOTE VOTE!

[laylah]

1. Well written!

Thank you for sharing this. K&R