Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Witch Hunt:
May 30, 2007
"Ignorance and prejudice, and fear walk hand in hand."
(from the song "Witch Hunt" by Rush.)
I read something very disturbing on Live Journal this morning, but it's not the first time I have seen this crop up in our little online community, (which is not so "little" anymore.)
It had to do with a group I will not name here going after some people because they perceived something a certain way. They were wrong and their actions were based on bigotry, hysteria and ignorance, (which is no surprise.) According to what I can figure out, if these people had truly taken the time to do their homework, they would have found they were going after the wrong people.
Or maybe they weren't. Maybe they were people who just wanted to censor speech they found offensive, so they labeled it "pedophilia" and "illegal" even though it was nothing of the sort. Maybe they accomplished exactly what they set out to do under the guise of being "public watchdogs."
Here's a comment I made to someone's journal about this:
"I think there's an environment in this country that encourages this kind if thing. It's like the so-called "Minute Men" hunting down "illegal immigrants" along the border or people reporting Muslims as terrorists based solely on their religious beliefs.
There is a larger "witch hunt" movement in this country with everyone and anyone playing the vigilante. You see it on TV shows. (I think there's one called "To catch a predator" in which they set people up.) I believe it's a reaction to the "witch hunts" our government is engaging in, rounding up innocent people and torturing them, not to mention imprisoning them without any due respect to human rights at all.
The people who caused this stuff on LJ are a symptom of a larger problem."
The "larger problem" is our country in general. Ever since 9-11 we have been letting fear run our lives, and what is worse is we've been letting fear-mongers feed upon our fear and increase it to the point where we no longer know what we are afraid of.
So we mask that fear with anger and walk around with a "mad on" as a friend once put it. We've been conditioned to be afraid of anything that is outside our comfort zone. That goes for people from other countries, people who practice religions our government has targeted, people who do not share a given set of beliefs.
I'm a member of these hated and feared groups because I'm a gay man and I'm not a Christian. (And for the record I'm not an atheist, either.) This country has been turned into a "police state" and our government has successfully bred thousands, if not tens of thousands, of freelance vigilantes to do their dirty work for them. If they are wrong they are not held accountable because they don't belong to any legitimate group.
Until these people are (a) brought up on harassment charges and/or (b) taken to court for violating the rights of their fellow citizens – these "Witch Hunts" will continue. Until they are forcibly reminded that we still have rights and freedoms in this country, this will continue. Until we stand with the immigrant and the Muslim and the Wikken and even the Witch, these attacks will continue.
(Yes there are practicing Witches in this country, and my apologies to them for using the "Witch Hunt" term.)
We need to end the fear-mongering. It starts with voting out politicians who encourage this kind of behavior, and with turning off our televisions to people like Nancy Grace on CNN and that "catch a predator" guy, (whoever he is.) The media are a large part of the problem. Then we challenge these groups that have sprouted like mushrooms after a long rain until they are driven back into their holes.
Then we remain vigilant. I don't know who said; "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance," but they were right. Because the next time something like 9-11 happens these people will crawl out of the woodwork once again to attack innocent people because they are "different."
We also need to stand up to our government, which has suspended the very beliefs we hold dear as civilized humans. None of us should be saying it's okay to torture a human being, even if that human being is a legitimate suspect in some crime. It's been shown again and again that torture never works. The victim just tells the torturer anything they want to hear to make the torture stop.
These "Witch Hunts" are another sign that we have abandoned our responsibilities as humans and as Americans. We are letting this happen, allowing others to foster an environment where this can go on. It's not enough that we have hung on to our humanity. I wish it were.
I see parallels between America today and Germany in the late 1930's. Secret prisons, the suspension of civil rights under the guise of "security." Our government employing mercenaries to do things they will not or cannot. This is the rise of fascism. This is the rise of imperialism. This is the rise of the totalitarian state.
Had I seen those words written about my country seven years ago I would have called them alarmist. Today I call those words accurate. And those who seek such a state are getting all the help they need. Those who don't support them are apathetic, and those who do are zealous.
I know there are people out there who may not believe me, but America is fast becoming the very thing it sought to escape in its founding.
Sadly, those with good jobs will enjoy the status quo and do nothing. Those who are suffering under the class-warfare will also do nothing. And saddest of all, our young people, filled to the brim with apathy and self-seeking, will also do nothing even though this impacts them in ways they cannot begin to imagine.
When things like these "Witch Hunts" happen a question pops up in my mind: "What will it take?" When I hear about electoral fraud that question pops up. When I hear the Supreme Court chipping away at a woman's right to control her own person that question pops up. When I hear a young person say they have no means to pursue their higher education that question pops up.
And the answer always seems to be: "More than this." Because these things go unanswered in any meaningful way. A small group of brave individuals makes a stand and they are ignored. The status quo continues.
Once the corporations and the government have completely wiped out the middle class in America there won't be enough people to stand against these types of tyranny, and they know it. There is a "class war" going on in this country and the middle class is losing. 11,000 jobs last week, 13,000 jobs this week. Our headlines scream the truth, then tell us calmly that everything is fine because our media is now controlled by large corporations.
We cannot believe what we are told any longer. It's been so painfully obvious that we have been lied to on so many levels. Yesterday I made a decision to return to my personal news boycott and I'm glad I did. There is no "truth" there, no "accurate reporting of the facts." There are only "stories" that further the status quo.
People are losing their houses and jobs in record numbers, but the stock market is doing great, so our corporate media says the economy is doing just fine. Fine for who? Not for any of my friends. Most of my friends are hoping their jobs won't disappear because they live from paycheck to paycheck. They have no savings because they are being bled dry for every fucking penny.
You may say I've digressed, and maybe I have a bit, but it's all part of the larger picture. These "Witch Hunts," the Corporate Media, our Fascist Government – are all part and parcel of the same problem.
I keep hoping it will get better while I watch it get worse and worse. That's why I've gone back to a personal "news blackout." It's too depressing to watch this stuff happen while those around me turn into sheep waiting for the shears or the knife.
I know there are people out there who care, and are fighting, but their efforts go largely ignored and they need much greater numbers to make an impact. We need the spirit of the 1960s back but with the focus of the 2000s. Instead of a movement fueled by drugs we need one fueled by rational thought and dedication to stopping the growth of fascism in America.
But I've long since tired of holding my breath, waiting for this to happen.
(Once again, my apologies to practicing Witches for the term I used in this essay.)
May 30, 2007
"Ignorance and prejudice, and fear walk hand in hand."
(from the song "Witch Hunt" by Rush.)
I read something very disturbing on Live Journal this morning, but it's not the first time I have seen this crop up in our little online community, (which is not so "little" anymore.)
It had to do with a group I will not name here going after some people because they perceived something a certain way. They were wrong and their actions were based on bigotry, hysteria and ignorance, (which is no surprise.) According to what I can figure out, if these people had truly taken the time to do their homework, they would have found they were going after the wrong people.
Or maybe they weren't. Maybe they were people who just wanted to censor speech they found offensive, so they labeled it "pedophilia" and "illegal" even though it was nothing of the sort. Maybe they accomplished exactly what they set out to do under the guise of being "public watchdogs."
Here's a comment I made to someone's journal about this:
"I think there's an environment in this country that encourages this kind if thing. It's like the so-called "Minute Men" hunting down "illegal immigrants" along the border or people reporting Muslims as terrorists based solely on their religious beliefs.
There is a larger "witch hunt" movement in this country with everyone and anyone playing the vigilante. You see it on TV shows. (I think there's one called "To catch a predator" in which they set people up.) I believe it's a reaction to the "witch hunts" our government is engaging in, rounding up innocent people and torturing them, not to mention imprisoning them without any due respect to human rights at all.
The people who caused this stuff on LJ are a symptom of a larger problem."
The "larger problem" is our country in general. Ever since 9-11 we have been letting fear run our lives, and what is worse is we've been letting fear-mongers feed upon our fear and increase it to the point where we no longer know what we are afraid of.
So we mask that fear with anger and walk around with a "mad on" as a friend once put it. We've been conditioned to be afraid of anything that is outside our comfort zone. That goes for people from other countries, people who practice religions our government has targeted, people who do not share a given set of beliefs.
I'm a member of these hated and feared groups because I'm a gay man and I'm not a Christian. (And for the record I'm not an atheist, either.) This country has been turned into a "police state" and our government has successfully bred thousands, if not tens of thousands, of freelance vigilantes to do their dirty work for them. If they are wrong they are not held accountable because they don't belong to any legitimate group.
Until these people are (a) brought up on harassment charges and/or (b) taken to court for violating the rights of their fellow citizens – these "Witch Hunts" will continue. Until they are forcibly reminded that we still have rights and freedoms in this country, this will continue. Until we stand with the immigrant and the Muslim and the Wikken and even the Witch, these attacks will continue.
(Yes there are practicing Witches in this country, and my apologies to them for using the "Witch Hunt" term.)
We need to end the fear-mongering. It starts with voting out politicians who encourage this kind of behavior, and with turning off our televisions to people like Nancy Grace on CNN and that "catch a predator" guy, (whoever he is.) The media are a large part of the problem. Then we challenge these groups that have sprouted like mushrooms after a long rain until they are driven back into their holes.
Then we remain vigilant. I don't know who said; "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance," but they were right. Because the next time something like 9-11 happens these people will crawl out of the woodwork once again to attack innocent people because they are "different."
We also need to stand up to our government, which has suspended the very beliefs we hold dear as civilized humans. None of us should be saying it's okay to torture a human being, even if that human being is a legitimate suspect in some crime. It's been shown again and again that torture never works. The victim just tells the torturer anything they want to hear to make the torture stop.
These "Witch Hunts" are another sign that we have abandoned our responsibilities as humans and as Americans. We are letting this happen, allowing others to foster an environment where this can go on. It's not enough that we have hung on to our humanity. I wish it were.
I see parallels between America today and Germany in the late 1930's. Secret prisons, the suspension of civil rights under the guise of "security." Our government employing mercenaries to do things they will not or cannot. This is the rise of fascism. This is the rise of imperialism. This is the rise of the totalitarian state.
Had I seen those words written about my country seven years ago I would have called them alarmist. Today I call those words accurate. And those who seek such a state are getting all the help they need. Those who don't support them are apathetic, and those who do are zealous.
I know there are people out there who may not believe me, but America is fast becoming the very thing it sought to escape in its founding.
Sadly, those with good jobs will enjoy the status quo and do nothing. Those who are suffering under the class-warfare will also do nothing. And saddest of all, our young people, filled to the brim with apathy and self-seeking, will also do nothing even though this impacts them in ways they cannot begin to imagine.
When things like these "Witch Hunts" happen a question pops up in my mind: "What will it take?" When I hear about electoral fraud that question pops up. When I hear the Supreme Court chipping away at a woman's right to control her own person that question pops up. When I hear a young person say they have no means to pursue their higher education that question pops up.
And the answer always seems to be: "More than this." Because these things go unanswered in any meaningful way. A small group of brave individuals makes a stand and they are ignored. The status quo continues.
Once the corporations and the government have completely wiped out the middle class in America there won't be enough people to stand against these types of tyranny, and they know it. There is a "class war" going on in this country and the middle class is losing. 11,000 jobs last week, 13,000 jobs this week. Our headlines scream the truth, then tell us calmly that everything is fine because our media is now controlled by large corporations.
We cannot believe what we are told any longer. It's been so painfully obvious that we have been lied to on so many levels. Yesterday I made a decision to return to my personal news boycott and I'm glad I did. There is no "truth" there, no "accurate reporting of the facts." There are only "stories" that further the status quo.
People are losing their houses and jobs in record numbers, but the stock market is doing great, so our corporate media says the economy is doing just fine. Fine for who? Not for any of my friends. Most of my friends are hoping their jobs won't disappear because they live from paycheck to paycheck. They have no savings because they are being bled dry for every fucking penny.
You may say I've digressed, and maybe I have a bit, but it's all part of the larger picture. These "Witch Hunts," the Corporate Media, our Fascist Government – are all part and parcel of the same problem.
I keep hoping it will get better while I watch it get worse and worse. That's why I've gone back to a personal "news blackout." It's too depressing to watch this stuff happen while those around me turn into sheep waiting for the shears or the knife.
I know there are people out there who care, and are fighting, but their efforts go largely ignored and they need much greater numbers to make an impact. We need the spirit of the 1960s back but with the focus of the 2000s. Instead of a movement fueled by drugs we need one fueled by rational thought and dedication to stopping the growth of fascism in America.
But I've long since tired of holding my breath, waiting for this to happen.
(Once again, my apologies to practicing Witches for the term I used in this essay.)
