The Reigns of Power
In the highly polarized political atmosphere we see across the nation today, it is more important than ever to be certain that the hands holding the reigns of power are the proper hands.
Some would say that it is difficult to discern just who is suitable to take up the responsibilities of government. In actuality, it is a simple thing.
Those unworthy to hold the political power they seek to hold, or already hold, can been seen by their actions...Their words are irrelevant,and are little more than an attempt to hide their actions behind their words. They promote fear and hysteria in order to secure their grip on power. They use what power they have to shroud their actions in secrecy and discourage inquiry into their actions. The world is viewed in terms of overly simplistic black-and-white terms. They seek to displace blame for their actions on others. The thought of accountability for their actions never seems to arise or, if it does, it is but a shadowy movement on the periphery of their consciousness.
These actions are the hallmark of President Bush, his administration and its supporters. We need look no further than the shifting rationales for the invasion of Iraq...The secrecy shrouded meetings haeld by Dick Cheney to set U.S. energy policy...The failure of the White House to co-operate with the 9/11 Comission and the grand jury investigation into the leaking of Valerie Plame's identity as a covert operative...The President's refusal to accept the grim realities on the ground in Iraq...These, and many more instances show just how disconnected from reality this administration is and how poorly they were equiped to take up the reigns of power.
President Bush, his administration and its supporters have consistently failed to accept the responsibility imposed upon them by the power they hold. And that is the key to good governance...The responsible use of power. In their hubris, they have forgotten that they serve the people, not vice-versa. They grasp the reigns of power, not gently, but with a death grip born of the fear of losing all that they have gained. But it is only fitting that they do lose everything, as they have profited at the expense of countless others and sacrificed the lives of too many of our service men and women on the bloody altar of their blind ambition.
These small, petty, narrow-minded, mean-spirited men did not earn the right to hold the reigns of power. Instead, they snuck in, like thieves in the night, and took them. And we are to blame. Freedom requires vigilance, and our vigilance faltered. We slept, and as we slept the reigns of power were taken from our limp hands by these thieves. It is not, however, too late yet to wrest them back. Demand an accounting by you Congressional representatives. Remind them, in no uncertain terms, that their first loyalty lies not with their party, nor even the President. Their first loyalty lies with the Constitution which they swore to uphold and defend when they took their oath of office. Remind them that if they fail to act in the face of an increasingly imperious and imperial presidency, they may as well pack their bags and go home...They will have rendered themselve irrelevant. Remind them too that if they fail to act, they may find themselves packing their bags anyways...Midterm elections are coming up.
