An Open Letter To My Fellow Citizens of The United States of America:
(cross posted from (Parenthetically Speaking) because I thought the content appropriate for SEB)
I am sick of the endless debates about the fucking flag. I’m sick of the ribbons and banners. The parades. The fucking holidays. I’m sick of wars that, as Wes Mendell so elegantly pointed out, have their own theme music and logos. I’m sick of politicians who wrap themselves in the red, white and blue, setting themselves up so that any criticism of them or their ideas is a criticism of America itself.
You’re being fucked up the ass with the giant dick of patriotism and all you can say is, “harder, harder.” It’s a distraction, that’s all it is. Magicians call it misdirection. Hey, look over there, so you won’t notice what we’re doing over here.
You think you live in a free country? Bullshit. They’ve been systematically taking away your freedoms for a hundred years and most of you haven’t even noticed. It’s not new and it’s not partisan. It’s all about power.
Take a look at the Constitution. All those rights that you were guaranteed? How many do you think you still have?
The first amendment covers your right to free speech. Take a look, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The very existence of the FCC blows that one out of the water. Seems somebody decided that if it’s broadcast, it’s not covered. Ask George Carlin, he’ll tell you.
And your freedom of religion? Doesn’t apply if you don’t have one, or your religion doesn’t include a supreme being. At least that’s the case in seven states, where someone who doesn’t believe in the existence of god is prohibited from holding office.
Want to assemble peacefully? You might need a permit for that. Depends on the situation and the law that covers it, even though any law covering such assembly is, well, fucking unconstitutional.
How about the second amendment, the right to keep and bear arms? Would you like to try counting the number of laws that infringe on that one?
The fourth amendment says this, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
The Patriot Act took care of that one. For our safety. I refer you to the words of Benjamin Franklin, “Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
Do you still think you’re free?
In a free society, you’d have the right to put anything into your body that you chose. Drug laws make that impossible.
You’d have the right to end your own life at the time of your choosing. Sorry, against the law.
Want someone other than the government and corporations to fuck you up the ass? Forget it, sodomy is illegal in 24 states.
And can anyone give me any reasonable justification for the laws against prostitution? As Carlin said, “Selling is legal, fucking is legal, why isn’t selling fucking legal?”
Land of the free my ass.
These laws and many others exist for one reason, to control us. To make us into good little sheep while the powerful live their lives of privilege, content in the knowledge that all it takes to keep us bent over is a little flag waving and a couple verses of the fucking national anthem.
It won’t change. You’ll keep voting for them, supporting them, gladly giving up your freedoms for a little more peace of mind. So when they take away your smokes, your red meat, your candy, don’t worry about it, it’s for your own good.
And when they start banning your games because they’re too violent for your children, well, that’s okay too. After all, we have to think about the children.
Any other freedoms you can live without? Speak up. I’m sure they’re listening……
From a law enforcement perspective, people’s Fourth Amendment rights are actually more stringently enforced than they used to be. 20 years ago, if you told some gang bangers to leave a corner and they didn’t, you called another few cars and proceeded to beat the fuck out of them with your nightsticks. That became a lot less common even before the advent of universally available cell phone cameras. Didn’t worry that much about probable cause when you searched them either.