We are at a crossroads now.
The United States of America has - particularly recently - been acting more like "The Untied States" of America. The protection of our fellow citizens and our nation, as well as the enabling of a proper response to same when a great need arises, has failed miserably. Our politics and system of government, as well as the voice of the people and the capability of the main stream media to carry it, has been undercut to the point of incapacitation.
In response to this, the words of a poem by Dylan Thomas come to mind. Words that are oft-quoted, inspirational, and appropriate.
More below the fold.
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Dylan Thomas, 1951
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
As we sit here now in the wake of Katrina and contemplate both the loss of life and destruction in her wake as well as our failure as a nation to support those of our brothers and sisters in their time of greatest need, and news of the passing of Chief Justice William Rehnquist begins to disseminate across the land, am I the only one who notices the growing darkness?
"Lady Liberty", our guardian of the gates of freedom, holds aloft a torch symbolizing a guiding light to the land of the free and home of the brave, now holds a flickering lights. Darkness now spreads across the land, and we are in danger of losing our way.
Are we so enveloped in our own "hearts of darkness" that we fail to see the cause of this? Do we stand aghast, uncertain of how we could be in this situation, and look to cast blame rather than take action to rectify the problems currently extinguishing that once bright and shining light? Have we taken leave of our senses, and become so dependent upon the media-based pablum constantly spooned into us that we are unable to stand up and fight this gradual descent into darkness?
I have faith in my fellow citizens that we have not yet sailed beyond the safe harbors of our founders' vision for this nation. Take heed of the words written by Dylan Thomas, and follow the advice he provides: Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Do we need words of inspiration to gather our senses about us, and move us forward? Very well then. The rage against the dying of the light is already in place. Now what? Turn to Bob Marley's words: Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight. Quote "Trooper", and Raise a little hell.
Get out into the streets with your fellow Americans on September 24th. Demand the immediate impeachment of the entire Bush cabinet, the firing of Michaels Chertoff and Brown, the arrest of Karl Rove, and the removal of Tom DeLay. Demand the rebuilding and restoral of FEMA.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.