One late night on IRC I read…
<bkw> nothing pisses me off except for those WBC freaks
<courtney> wbc?
<bkw> www.godhatsfags.com
<bkw> those folks
<courtney> HAHAHA
<bkw> now thats a bit extream
<bkw> I sure hope they get nailed under some terroism act
<ageless> I hate them too, but if they get nailed under a terrorism act then this country has pretty much just given up.
<bkw> ageless what they do borders on terrorism
<ageless> bkw: What, picketing funerals?
<bkw> they show up at funerals of gay people..
<ageless> So what?
<ageless> That’s terrorism?
<courtney> funerals are generally in public places
<courtney> where people are freely allowed to protest
<bkw> ya but you can’t protest in some cities without a permit
* mrunix sleep
<bkw> I need sleep too
* bkw has quit IRC (Quit: [BX] BitchX is as BitchX does)
<ageless> It’s pretty funny that we’re in Iraq fighting for Freedom, Democracy and the American Way while people in America are giving up their freedoms like they aren’t important.
I’ve been wondering how things like the PATRIOT act get passed thinking, “No one could be that blind.”, thinking “People realize what they are giving up don’t they?” and thinking that people realize how valuable their freedom is but I guess I am just confused.
I didn’t realize that when President Bush said, “You are either with us or against us” that he was talking to Americans too. I hate to be cliche, but if you have not read 1984 then you should stop what you are doing and read it. It’s not a long book, but it will change the way you think, or at least it should. Americans are losing the power to control their country. Our government is using fear to take away our rights, our freedoms and our power and we’re happy to give it.
I am as guilty as anyone for this. I have never voted in a presidential election. I have always said that I thought the country was so stable that no particular president could affect things for better or worse. I realize now that I was wrong and this election will be the first election that I vote in. I foolishly threw away my right to vote but in my defense I never saw things like the PATRIOT Act and PATRIOT Act 2 coming. I was never scared to express my views but sitting here writing this I wonder, “Will this be used as evidence that I am a terrorist?”
It seems kind of stupid, to me at least, to think that some gentle discontent with the government might be considered a terrorist act but there are people out there that would call me unpatriotic for saying these things. It has become unpatriotic to love this country more than you love it’s leaders.
I doubt that I am the first guy to blog the following quote but it seems like it was written for the days in which we are living.
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Benjamin Franklin
Hopefully it’s not too late.
If you have not read the PATRIOT Act, and what is being called the PATRIOT Act 2 you should do so. They give sweeping powers to the government that 3 years ago people would have gone crazy about. I’ve linked them below.
EFF Analysis Of The Provisions Of The USA PATRIOT Act
Draft Text of the Patriot II