Oct 21, 2008

How Not To Shut Up

Have you noticed that during the course of this presidential campaign anyone with half of a criticism of Barack Obama or his policies is quickly and efficiently labeled a racist? This is nothing more than an intimidation tactic to get those people to shut up, and a further benefit of this tactic is that your new racist has been completely discredited. Let’s face it, in this politically correct world no one wants to risk being called a racist because it is right up there in the list of hot button words that evoke a strong emotional response. Even if it is unfounded and completely false. So people harbor their questions and go on about their daily lives just hoping someone else will have the courage to step up and ask the potential President of The United States a question. Pointing out that these allegations of racism usually come when someone asks a question that can't or hasn't been answered yet. Do you think that is a coincidence? When people deflect questions in this kind of way and do so repeatedly there is a problem especially when these allegations come against widely respected people. When did it come to this point? Isn’t questioning our leaders our right? And if indeed, like I fear, people can no longer question our leaders what separates our wonderful freedom and Bill of Rights from a fascist dictatorship? If you fail to question your leaders, McCain included, then you have no say in anything they do. The latest and most grotesque evidence came just recently when, Congress and the Senate passed the 700 billion dollar bailout bill, even though an overwhelming majority of the country was (and still is) opposed to it. These people, who have gotten even less accomplished than President Bush, went against their own constituents. Those constituents were not the silent majority either, they stood up against the bailout, they sent mail (sometimes even hate mail), they called their representatives they did everything you are supposed to do to make your opinion known to the politicians in Washington. Apparently the politicians were busy putting on their blinders and stuffing their ears with cotton that week though because, like I said before, we were ignored.

Now my point is this: if you can’t question your leaders without fear of being metaphorically burned at the stake then democracy ceases to exist. You are then putting your future in the hands of one person, their one vote, and their one opinion. And that my friends is NOT America. If you let your fear of being labeled and cast out take over then you have joined the sea of scared silent people who have no right to complain the next time a politician does something you are against. Because just like voting, questioning is your duty. You are responsible for keeping these people in check with your opinions, not the other way around. America was not founded so that we could have the will of the few imposed on us, it was founded so that we the people could follow our own path. So if you like having the ability to decide your own future, make sure you keep it. Don’t sit around and be a party to the death of our freedoms and essentially our country. Personally, the 1st and 2nd Amendments are my two favorites. These two ensure the majority of our rights and those are the two that are in the most jeopardy at the moment, so please don't offer them up without a fight.

Call me a racist if you want. I am here to tell you I will still have opinions, I will still be loud, and I will still be questioning whoever gets elected. I am sure that there are people who criticize Senator Obama on the grounds of racism, but I am not one of them and I hope you aren’t either.

Bottom line: Please don’t shut up!

By Rachel