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THESE are the times
that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country;
but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet
we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we
esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its
goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated. ~ Thomas Paine, The
American Crisis, December 23, 1776
Thousands
of innocent people were dead. Billions of dollars were lost to business and in
property. The world’s stock markets had begun a free fall with a major
recession on the horizon, with which we are still dealing. Portions of New
York City looked and sounded l like a war zone with the destruction
and total collapse of the World Trade Center.
It
is sad, but even today few see that the terror of September
11, 2001 was nothing more than the result of years of lies, hypocrisy, and foolishness. America should have asked itself just which “terrorists” are we going to make war on? We should have been aware, that as Americans, we are responsible to fight terrorism at all times in all
places.
With
the assent of William Clinton to the Presidency, in 1993, the United
States government embarked on a path of state-sponsored
terrorism, by its own definition. In
the United States Code: Title 22, Section 2656f, we find that “terrorism” is any “premeditated, politically
motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents.”
Ramesh
Thakur, the vice-rector of the United Nations University defines terrorism as:
- “…(T)he use of violence,
the primary targets of which are civilians, to spread terror. Political goals are sought through the exploitation of such
terror. This definition includes state-sponsored terrorism. Indeed, the most common form of terrorism is that by the state
against its own citizens, including the use of chemical weapons.”
Furthermore,
the Terrorism Research Center provides this definition of terrorism:
- “Terrorism is a crime, consisting
of an intentional act of political violence to create an atmosphere of fear. Terrorists use violence to make a political statement
about a government or policy with which they disagree. The victim may be symbolic or random, but the act itself is always
political. Acts of terrorism are premeditated by their perpetrators and are conspiratorial in nature. It is by generating
fear the terrorist hopes to motivate the public, group or government to make changes whereby the goals of the terrorist might
be realized.”
For
the sake of clarity let’s recount some of the “terrorist” events that preceded the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
We
all should remember that the eight years of the Clinton presidency were punctuated with cuts in military spending and lip service to a war on terrorism. Then when the political climate seemed to turn against Clinton—due to myriad of sexual improprieties—
we were treated to the bombing of Iraq, the loss of civilian life in the destruction of an aspirin factory in the Sudan, and cruise missile attacks
on empty caves in the mountains of Afghanistan. If that wasn’t enough we sent troops world wide
for experiments in “social engineering” and “nation building” all of which, I might add, have failed
with the exception of fostering more hatred of America.
In
America, honest citizens were faced with the destruction of their homes by fire, due to the calculated ineptness of the USFS
in managing the forests. Gun laws were put in place with the sole purpose of
making the 2nd Amendment null and void, putting Americans in mortal danger. Dictatorial
decrees from all three branches of government placed public land “off limits” under the pretext of preserving
bio-diversity. Fish, bugs, and animals were elevated to positions of greater importance than the freedoms and lives of humans
and businesses, as was seen in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Even
today, two years after 9-11, Americans have seen no action from U.S. government agencies against, the sub-national,
Eco/animal rights-terrorists, while they continue to destroy businesses, homes, research labs, and endanger the lives of honest,
hard working citizens. Yet, we continue to witness government sponsored acts of terrorism against peoples of other nations
and American citizens. Peoples worldwide are experiencing first hand what
occurred at Ruby Ridge, Waco, and against a six-year-old child in Miami, Florida. Still there is no congressional indignation only silly, senseless, slogans
about freeing people from tyranny and murdering oppressors. The same judicial
and public silence we heard with Clinton’s “pardoning” of terrorists for political gain is now surrounding the declarations
of weapons of mass destruction that has lead to an illegal, immoral war and producing weeping mothers and widows in our own
country.
Through
all this our congressional leadership has been silent or supportive, with their votes, of the very acts of terrorism that
are taking place within America’s borders!
The
United States government, at all levels, has supported or shrunk from dealing with domestic and foreign terrorism for
so long and in so many ways, they are left with no one to blame but themselves for the events of September 11, 2001! Yet, we are asked to believe that these congressional leaders under a Republican leadership
are now prepared to change their ways and fight terrorism. I wonder; can a leopard change its spots?
If
Congress and a host of government officials have had a true change of heart what could be the cause? Nothing is more probable than blind raw “fear!” Government
officials are learning what we of the pro 2nd Amendment faction have known for years; there is no safety or freedom without
a credible, lethal response to an armed, and dangerous assailant.
Perhaps
9-11-01
taught the Executive and Congressional branches of government a valuable lesson. There
should always be an armed response, to any act of war, against all those who would have us live in fear. However,
that response must be legal and moral not arbitrary without any foundation in truth.
Maybe, someday, the leadership of terrorist organizations worldwide will pay the ultimate price for their acts of murder
and theft.
It
would certainly be refreshing to see those who are responsible for planning, financing, training, and supporting horrendous
acts, against innocent people, made to pay with their lives and fortunes, regardless of who might be involved. I, for one,
would rejoice if the United States government was to obey its Constitutional mandate:
- “To define and punish piracies
and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;”
- “To declare
war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water…” Article 1; Section
8 United States Constitution
There are many other lessons to be learned from the events that have occurred since September 11, 2001. These lessons go directly to our struggle to keep our rights and freedom, especially
our 2nd Amendment rights.
- It is the responsibility of every American citizen to
be ever-vigilant, armed, and prepared to defeat terrorism wherever it is found; within our borders by an armed citizenry,
internationally by the elected officials of our government, regardless of its source.
- This declaration of war on terrorism and the government’s illegal acts in making
war has made all arguments for passive resistance to criminal or tyrannical assault null and void. It makes no difference if the theater of operation is on the national or international level, between governments
or between individuals.
- Americans at every social and political level must begin active resistance to
all forms of terrorism. The federal government must wage war on the international
stage. Free men and women must wage war on laws that are an attempt to abolish
the clear meaning of those rights stated in the Bill of Rights. We have as the
weapons of choice, voting, organizing and civil disobedience.
- We as a people need to learn that it does not take armies to bring about change,
but a committed few. General Douglas MacArthur expressed it this way: “It
is the spirit which we bring to the fight that decides the issue.”
- American's had better learn quickly that “the most common form of terrorism
is that by the state against its own citizens,” which places Waco, Ruby Ridge and other like incidences on the
same footing as the September 11, 2001, act of terrorism. Unconstitutional law is unconscionable and as such is terrorism,
because it removes Americans from the security, and safety, inherent in the Constitution.
- It is time that we start declaring that there is no moral apologetic whereby one act of
international terrorism is called an act of war, and domestic political terrorism is not the same act of war.
- If the American population continues to remain quietly passive to any act of terrorism,
state sponsored or otherwise, we too will suffer the results, and like the federal government on September 11, 2001, will have no one blame but ourselves.
It
is a hellish wakeup call, but we need answers to a very real question. Does this
war on terrorism include the terrorism that is funded and condoned by the United States government through its own institutions? If not then where is our safety and what is our hope?
National or international appeasement and peaceful coexistence with the evil of terrorism, in any form or at any level,
will only lead us to reap the whirlwind! If you don’t think so then watch
Iraq. This ancient people may very well teach the self-indulgent, insolent
American Army how to resist tyranny by using guerrilla warfare.
Remember,
democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit
suicide. ~ John Adams, 1814
Either
the American public will wake up and change the course that is destroying America or it very well could be America's turn!
22 August 2003
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