People of Faith CT

Un-American Activity
By Todd Vachon

If you enjoy your freedom, thank a protester; thank a dissident, because dissent protects democracy. Be it a stingy two-party democracy, it is still better than a really stingy one party totalitarian state. False patriotism, flag waiving and unquestioningly supporting your government is not defending freedom, it's opening doors for fascist minded folks to eliminate our freedoms right from under our collective nose.

The extreme right has been drumming up all sorts of McCarthy era attacks in the past weeks including cries of 'unAmerican activity' and 'anti-American' and 'socialist.'

I find it rather odd that these same folks who don't miss a beat to run the rhetorical bits about 'The Land of the Free' and 'Defending Freedom' are the very same folks who would attack and limit our freedoms.

America was founded on the notion of freedom from persecution. How can someone who claims to defend freedom propose to limit it for certain groups of citizens. The real unAmerican activity is the work of those who would eliminate a women's freedom to control her own reproductive health, those who would discriminate and deny a couple the right to get married because of sexual orientation.

Puritans and Protestants, and later immigrants from all walks of life fled their home lands to come to America to seek freedom. Should women, LGBT folks, people of color and other minority groups make an exodus? There is nowhere else left to go, no more 'uncharted land.' This is what we have folks and who we are. We'll just have to start getting along and excepting each other for who we are. Period.

And one more bit, Obama is no socialist. He is a fervent supporter of Free Market ideas that exploit the many in order to enrich the few. Just look at his advisers and likely future cabinet...we're talking University of Chicago Economics. There are many socialist political parties in this country and none of them are backing Obama for President. In fact, The Socialist Party, USA has it's own candidate; Brian Moore, who is an eligible write-in candidate in CT. The PSL has Gloria LaRiva and The Peace and Freedom Party of CA have chosen Nader.

Todd Vachon
www.vachonforcongress.blogspot.com

'I'd Rather Vote for what I want and not get it than vote for what I don't want and get it.' - Eugene Debs

“Totalitarian states love voting. You get peopleto the polls and they register their approval. I know there is adifference- they have one party and we have two parties. We have one more partythan they have, you see.” - Howard Zinn

'There must be renewed recognition that societies are kept stable and healthy by reform, not by thought police; this means that there must be free play for so-called 'subversive' ideas--every idea 'subverts' the old to make way for the new. To shut off 'subversion' is to shut off peaceful progress and to invite revolution and war.' - I.F. Stone