Bringing it home

from a Cindy Sheehan email of November 15, 2007:

"Our national identity rests on and has been formed by violence and greed. Congress has a chance to slow down, if not reverse, that cycle but will give George Bush billions more to wage their (the mess belongs to all the branches co-equally) illegal occupation because, instead of protecting life and liberty for all, they viciously protect the life and liberty of their elitist club only."

My email reply:

Cindy-

I just had a thought that seemed so clear - probably like some you've had many times.

Imagine if, instead of a bill to provide more money to continue killing nameless and faceless Iraqis, Congress was pondering a bill to permit US forces to capture, torture, and possibly kill Nancy Pelosi's children (doubtless for some imaginary national security reason.) Or substitute the children of any lawmaker you choose.

Imagine the somewhat different tactics that would be "on the table" to kill that bill.

I'd think there would be a total shutdown of the government before such a bill was allowed to go into effect. Lawmakers would be calling press conferences every hour to denounce this travesty. They'd call on all their resources, call in all their favors from powerful business and government leaders, blanket the media with outrage and demands for a return to rational, civil behavior.

In short, they'd stop "business as usual" and shift into drastic crisis mode, and not stop until the inhuman threat was gone.

And yet, how is this materially different from the situation they face now?

Kinda makes ya think.

-steve