The Bush administration is famous at re-directing the attention of the American public, and for that matter, the attention of the entire government. Yet again this week the
United States Congress is going to spend valuable time debating, an already defeated, amendment to the Constitution of the United States. This amendment would be the very first document added to the Constitution that would
limit the rights of the citizens in this country.
Just step back for one moment and silently reflect upon that fact.
When you contemplate the marriage amendment in light of current events; two wars being waged in the Middle East, both of which have their grounds on creating an American style democracy. These nations supposedly had a repressed populace, and now we wish to repress citizens in our own democracy. You can be only be left with a multitude of questions when contemplating this.
Is this what are men and woman are sacrificing their lives for over in Afghanistan and Iraq? Is this what spreading democracy across the "repressed" regions of the globe will result in? The limiting of rights of free people because of sexual orientation. Is that freedom? Is that what my grandparents fought to preserve 62 years ago, and the in every war fought since the inception of our republic?
I posit that the main reason this issue is being even allowed to grace the floor of Congress is that our media, the journalists out in the "field", have failed us completely. They have lost all honor and dignity to the solemn responsibly of faithfully reporting the news and upholding the transparency that is necessary in a free republic.
Jack Cafferty said this the other day.
Guess what Monday is? Monday is the day President Bush will speak about an issue near and dear to his heart and the hearts of many conservatives. It's also the day before the Senate votes on the very same thing. Is it the war? Deficits? Health insurance? Immigration? Iran? North Korea?
Not even close. No, the president is going to talk about amending the Constitution in order to ban gay marriage. This is something that absolutely, positively has no chance of happening, nada, zippo, none. But that doesn't matter. Mr. Bush will take time to make a speech. The Senate will take time to talk and vote on it, because it's something that matters to the Republican base.
This is pure politics. If has nothing to do with whether or not you believe in gay marriage. It's blatant posturing by Republicans, who are increasingly desperate as the midterm elections approach. There's not a lot else to get people interested in voting on them, based on their record of the last five years.
Why on Earth are we debating this in our nations capital when we are currently engaged in two wars, with a possible third one on the way. Million upon millions of Americans are without health insurance. We have an arm of the government actively spying on its on citizens illegally. We are currently in the vicious grips of an energy crisis, and very likely close on it's heels a housing crisis. On top of all that our currency is losing value quicker than the computer I am writing this on, and our national debt has inflated to such an incomprehensible number that future generations will be saddled with an incredible and unfair burden (if not possibly an insurmountable one) All of these issues, which are far more important than imposing limitations of freedom upon a certain group of United State citizens. This needs to be addressed, immediately! Unfortunately, to the detriment of every single person in this country, and the rest of the world, for the next week the entire attention of our government will be focused on this one issue.
The media, the last defense in this war against our Constitution, and our system of check and balances, needs to bring up these points every single hour, to every single person they interview on this subject. They must not allow this administration to one more time turn attention away from the real issues that face our nation, and the global community as a whole.
If the media cannot dutifully fulfill their role as watchdogs over the government, then they no longer deserve to have the bully pulpit they have acquired. It is time to remind these talking heads, and journalists, that their moral responsibility weighs upon faithfully reporting the news for the people. The steady degradation of the MSM into being just another megaphone for the government has hurt our Democracy. And the greatest tragedy is that these men and woman have disgraced the great valor of our soldiers who have stood up and put their life on the line to defend and preserve our great nation. Ever time a talking head, and journalists, tows the party line, and disingenuously reports the "news," they are desecrating their own profession, and with every word they spew, they slander the great honor of our fallen men and woman. Shame on them!
To all journalist out there who read this: Don't tell me, or anyone here in the liberal blogosphere, that I am not a patriot! You my friends are the paper mache patriots. You my friends are the ones undermining the pillars of democracy this nation was founded upon. You my friends need to get your act together, and start reporting the news, and asking relevant and professional questions. It's your solemn responsibility to do all of those things. That's what being a journalist in the United States of America requires of you. That's what being a patriotic American requires of you. That's what being a decent, compassionate, and morally aligned human being demands of you!
I digress...I have been wondering if it is possible for us here at Dkos, and the several other intertwined blogs on the digital ether, to force these questions unto the MSM? Can we create one large collective megaphone and say hey, this is what the national, and global, dialogue should be about!