Articles are being printed all over the country accusing Al Gore of being a traitor. Where is the outrage from Americans who respect and cherish the First Amendment in this country? I am sick and tired of these hatefilled Conservative mouthpieces for the Bush administration being allowed to set the tone in this country! This isn't about Republican/Democrat either. This is about a group of people in this country with a deliberate plan to brainwash Americans into now thinking that Al Gore is a traitor, and that all who dare to speak up in defense of the law or criticize Bush are "unpatriotic." That is what is patently anti-Democratic, and I'm calling on all who read this to inundate Mr. Thomas's mailbox.
More below.
This also isn't just about Al Gore, this is about a mindset that is pervasive in this country that seeks to label any American who dares to speak their mind as a "traitor" with NO basis in fact. You remember how those against the war were also labelled "unpatriotic" by these same people. Why are we allowing them to set the tone when we know it is wrong?
This is his e-mail address below, his column that has been printed in many newspapers already, and my response to him today. THEIR view is all people will see out there however, if we don't start writing back to defend our rights. This isn't the time to stroke them, appear on their shows to talk nice to them, or blog for them. This is the time to FIGHT BACK for what is right, and defend those who have the guts to get out there and tell it is like it is! They have done enough damage to the Constitution and this country with their partisan hatred, and I've had it.
cal@calthomas.com/
Cal Thomas Calls Al Gore A Traitor
My response:
Mr. Thomas;
Methinks you need to read up on the word "traitor" and what it really means before bandying it about simply to give your Conservative readership something to froth at the mouth over. It is also amazing how you all expect Americans to respect this current USSC appointed Vice President who can't even shoot straight and claims he has the power to give orders to leak CIA operatives's names ( BTW, that is treason,) yet you can't muster the same respect for a man who served this country well for over a quarter of a century, all because you hate.
The day after Mr. Gore spoke in Saudi Arabia, the Conservative hatemongers as usual spewed their screeds of intolerance across the country and as expected, called Al Gore a traitor. So really, while your libelous claim is outrageous, it is surely no surprise. Even almost a week later you all still can't let it go, even for all of your talk that he is "irrelevant." However, do you even know what he said and in what context it was said?
He claimed there were abuses against Arab Americans after the 9.11 tragedy, that it was wrong, and that the majority of Americans do not condone such intolerance and hatred. And that is true, and the abuse has been documented by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the DOJ, also showing that the majority of those picked up and subjected to the abuse were not related in any way to terrorism. Do you condone any innocent American regardless of race being picked up without just cause and shackled without due process, Mr.Thomas? If you do, you are then not someone who believes in what America stands for. Some research about this would also prove that Mr. Gore was indeed correct about what happened after 9.11 in this regard. However, you didn't feel the need to discuss that, just to spew your "anti-America" screed when it was no such thing. Why do you hate your fellow Americans so much, Mr. Thomas?
And of course, you also didn't quote or discuss the current policy on visas he mentioned, nor that visa acceptances actually went up in 2005 to 27,657 from the 2004 figure of 16,004 according to the State Dept. Is the Bush State Dept. full of traitors too then, Mr. Thomas? Do you even understand what Mr. Gore was speaking of regarding this? Do you even care if it doesn't fill the preconceived notions you have? BTW, where is Bin Laden? Under whose watch did 9.11 happen under? Who had evidence that Moussaoui was involved and did nothing? Who ignored the August 8th 2001 PDB? Who went on vacation 46% of his first year in the White House? Who refused to be questioned under oath regarding that tragic day? Who refused the creation of a 9.11 commission? Hint, it wasn't Al Gore.
As a matter of fact, he told that audience that we should be hearing more from the Middle East regarding Iran and the threat it poses to the world. I notice that doesn't seem to be in any screed by a Conservative writing in this country in regards to these comments. Don't think many of us don't know why.
Al Gore is also a private citizen speaking his mind about policy (a policy I suspect he knows more about than those trashing him, including you,) as other former politicians did at that economic forum as well. Btw, there were other Americans at that economic forum, including Steves Forbes. Is he a traitor too for attending? Of course not. However, Al Gore is to you, because he tells the truth and shows a humanity that so many on your side of the fence could never hope to have. Also, just fyi, Mr.Thomas, rounding up innocent Americans regardless of their background simply based on profiling and not allowing them due process and keeping them in deplorable conditions is illegal and unconstitutional in this country, and it is that treatment that leads to hatred against Americans, not standing up for the rule of law.
I would then suggest that before you write another article you do a bit of research first instead of writing out of your partisan hatred. It is well known that the media in this country is nothing more than a clearinghouse for the sound bites of this administration, and you are then nothing more than an enabler of the destruction of the First Amendment in this country. Perhaps you can also then write a follow up to this article and discuss in detail policywise what Al Gore was speaking of as an American seeking to maintain peace amongst all innocent people in working together to actually apprehend real terrorists, while keeping the balance between keeping America safe and our people's civil liberties intact. You could do that, but I won't hold my breath.
If you do write to him, please let it be known here. Thanks.