* Words about Freedom
Page 1
Back to Words Menu | To Page 2

The following speech was given by Hermann Goering at the Nuremberg Trials in 1945. "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That's easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifist for lack of patriotism, and exposing them to greater danger."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peace can never be achieved on any lasting basis without greater understanding between people. When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?
 ------Eleanor Roosevelt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Menu

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS

"God bless our troops," "Support our troops" are the two phrases always tied in with the defense of Bush and our government, who send our young off to foreign shores to defend the - - I’m not going to go there.

They are trying to make it appear that if a person does not support Bush, the government or the war, that they don’t support the troops. I don’t think that there are many people in this country who do not support our troops, those poor misguided souls that have been placed in harms way. This is a ploy to make those individuals, who buy into the rhetoric, regarding our reasons for being there, feel self righteous. They are trying to make it appear that those who disagree with the government are un-patriotic. What a cruel ploy. That is splitting this country in two.

These are the tactics Hitler and Stalin used to gain power. Remember what they did with that power? If you don’t, then you have some reading to do. Briefly; through lies and extortion, they used the greed and ignorance of the people to imprison and enslave the entire populace. At that time, if you disagreed, you were either imprisoned or killed. Do we want that here? Remember, they not only imprisoned those who disagreed but those, who they thought disagreed. No one was safe, even those in official positions, who helped them gain power, were imprisoned or killed, along with their families. Power!

While we still have some freedom, let us seek out the truth. Not an easy thing to do, when it’s the fashion in big corporations to cover up anything disagreeable with lies. Hitler said, "The bigger the lie, the more chance it will be accepted." It’s been proven time and again. I ask God to bless us with the truth and unite us before it’s too late. God bless the troops. God bless the misguided, and show all of us the truth.
----Sam Younghans

Here is an open letter from the poet Sharon Olds to Laura Bush declining the invitation to read and speak at the National Book Critics Circle Award in Washington, DC. Forward it along if you feel more
people should read it.
Sharon Olds is one of most widely read and critically acclaimed poets living in America today. Read to the end of the letter to experience her restrained, chilling eloquence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laura Bush
First Lady
The White House

Dear Mrs. Bush,
I am writing to let you know why I am not able to accept your kind invitation to give a presentation at the National Book Festival on September 24, or to attend your dinner at the Library of Congress or the breakfast at the White House.

In one way, it's a very appealing invitation. The idea of speaking at a festival attended by 85,000 people is inspiring! The possibility of finding new readers is exciting for a poet in personal terms, and in terms of the desire that poetry serve its constituents--all of us who need the pleasure, and the inner and outer news, it delivers.

And the concept of a community of readers and writers has long been dear to my heart. As a professor of creative writing in the graduate school of a major university, I have had the chance to be a part of some magnificent outreach writing workshops in which our students have become teachers. Over the years, they have taught in a variety of settings: a women's prison, several New York City public high schools, an oncology ward for children.

Our initial program, at a 900-bed state hospital for the severely physically challenged, has been running now for twenty years, creating along the way lasting friendships between young MFA candidates and their students--long-term residents at the hospital who, in their humor, courage and wisdom, become our teachers.

When you have witnessed someone nonspeaking and almost nonmoving spell out, with a toe, on a big plastic alphabet chart, letter by letter, his new poem, you have experienced, close up, the passion and
essentialness of writing.

When you have held up a small cardboard alphabet card for a writer who is completely nonspeaking and nonmoving (except for the eyes), and pointed first to the A, then the B, then C, then D, until you get to
the first letter of the first word of the first line of the poem she has been composing in her head all week, and she lifts her eyes when that letter is touched to say yes, you feel with a fresh immediacy
the human drive for creation, self-expression, accuracy, honesty and wit--and the importance of writing, which celebrates the value of each person's unique story and song.

So the prospect of a festival of books seemed wonderful to me. I thought of the opportunity to talk about how to start up an outreach program. I thought of the chance to sell some books, sign some books and meet some of the citizens of Washington, DC. I thought that I could try to find a way, even as your guest, with respect, to speak about my deep feeling that we should not have invaded Iraq, and to declare my belief that the wish to invade another culture and another country--with the resultant loss of life and limb for our brave soldiers, and for the noncombatants in their home terrain--did not come out of our democracy but was instead a decision made "at the top" and forced on the people by distorted language, and by untruths. I hoped to express the fear that we have begun to live in the shadows of tyranny and religious chauvinism--the opposites of the liberty, tolerance and diversity our nation aspires to.

I tried to see my way clear to attend the festival in order to bear witness--as an American who loves her country and its principles and its writing-against this undeclared and devastating war.

But I could not face the idea of breaking bread with you. I knew that if I sat down to eat with you, it would feel to me as if I were condoning what I see to be the wild, highhanded actions of the Bush Administration.

What kept coming to the fore of my mind was that I would be taking food from the hand of the First Lady who represents the Administration that unleashed this war and that wills its continuation, even to the extent of permitting "extraordinary rendition": flying people to other countries where they will be tortured for us.

So many Americans who had felt pride in our country now feel anguish and shame, for the current regime of blood, wounds and fire. I thought of the clean linens at your table, the shining knives and the flames of the candles, and I could not stomach it.
Sincerely,
SHARON OLDS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABORTION

South Dakota is setting the example for the American people to follow. Wow!

They’ve practically shut off the right to human choice. A right that so many young men and women have died for over the many years of war and strife. No matter what motives the government had for causing these wars, the troops were told it was for freedom; freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of choice, etc.. They went of to war and were killed or maimed for those reasons. Now some people with their minds still in the dark ages are taking control of those liberties.

If a person has a wart, it is permissible to remove it. Isn’t that wart a living part of a human? If a person is convicted of a crime, it is permissible to execute (kill) that person. It is permissible to bomb cities and kill those in the path of the bombs. A pro-life organization answered the question of their feelings about war and executions, "Well, if the person was guilty and if the war was for our protection." So for the pro-life people it is okay to kill as long as it is not a fetus. How stupid! When I hear of those laws imposed on the people, I cry for all of those boys and girls who fought and died for our freedom.

It is the right of all people to decide what is good for their bodies. Look at all of the obese people in this country. If a woman becomes pregnant because of rape, fun or love; if she decides that it is wrong to have the child, no matter what the reason, she should be allowed to abort. No hitches or requirements to notify anyone about her choice. It should be between her and her doctor, period. If a teen has overbearing parents or abusive parents what good would it do to tell them before getting an abortion. We are truly in the dark ages.

People will do what they want, even if it is a law. So, where do those people go? We send them out to the mercy of this filthy world. Do you want your daughter to sneak off to some unknown place, to an unknown abortionist? She will, if you don’t take off your blinders. Think beyond your selfishness.

 
Treason - trea-son: Disloyalty or treachery to one’s country; the illegal act of giving aide and comfort to enemies of one’s country. 
*Have you seen Fahrenheit 9/11 yet? Every true American must see this. Our government gave aide to suspects of the 9/11 act of terrorism without questions. They were flown out of the country when all air flight was banned. They owned oil wells in Iraq.

News Break: about the war!!
More News Break: about the war!
A.N.S.W.E.R. International
A.N.S.W.E.R.in Los Angeles.
A.N.S.W.E.R. in Boston
A.N.S.W.E.R. Search:  9,720,000 sites that talk about the war.
Save Social Security

Messages to the President: Both pro and con are printed.

 Menu

Quotation by Victor Hugo

        The onward march of the human race requires that the heights around it constantly blaze with noble lessons of courage. Deeds of daring dazzle history and form one of man's guiding lights. The dawn dares when it rises. To strive , to brave all risks, to persist, to persevere, to be faithful to oneself, to grapple hand to hand with destiny, to surprise defeat by the slight terror it inspires, at one time to confront unjust power, at another to defy drunken triumph, to hold fast, to hold hard - such is the example nations need, and the light that electrifies them. -Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

Dr. Toro Tsuji, expert on the writings of Victor Hugo

          The fundamental freedom that Rousseau and others called for was the freedom to stand up against tyranny and oppressive authority. Today freedom has become simply the right to indulge one's personal whims. Freedom is being abused. This is a terrible shame. True freedom is the freedom to bring down tyranny, the freedom to cut the chains of the oppression with one's own hands. - Dr. Toro Tsuji, expert on the writings of Victor Hugo

Daisaku Ikeda, President SGI

           Those who stand up to fight for people's freedom can savor a sense of genuine freedom in the depths of their lives. They are truly free. -------- To remain focused and committed to the path you have chosen in life, to pursue it with all of your energy, and to be able to say at the end of your life: "I'm satisfied. I have no regrets," is to be a victor in life. ---------To simply stand by in the face of injustice is cowardly and self-serving. Cowardice is the greatest enemy of justice. When something needs to be said, we must speak out loud and clear. - Daisaku Ikeda, President SGI

Sun Yat- Sen

         If you believe in yourself, you can even move mountains and fill in the ocean: no matter how difficult the task, you will see the day when you succeed. If you do not believe in yourself, you will not be able to even lift your own hand or snap a slim twig; no matter how easy the task, you will never see success. This is how important the mind is. It is the origin of all things. - Sun Yat- sen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Embers of War
by Sam Younghans

The fires are out,
The war is over,
But, the embers glow on.

How long, how long,
before the fans of greed,
re-ignite the horror?

I See
by Russell Copley

I see the Rand is cold and on the rocks
Like Gerrie Coetzee on the ropes in
days gone by.
Shaken but not stirred.

Afrika.
Fallen to its knees again,
A posture we had hoped was forgotten
on British Colonials.

But still fresh manure is cast on fresh shit,
Like unwelcome Coke in a Nigerian's Nostril,
Covering the World's beautiful and most youthful continent in an excess of
Teenage Wildlife.

But the Beer flows
and the Fear grows
Lost on silent Ears.

Sadly, the World will not be watching
Contrary to indignant woes,
And posturing Shows,
of all those already
personally invested in the Dollar and sexless Freemasons.

You are on your own Africa,
Like your new found Aids cure,
your biggest opportunity for Global Integration
Has gone South.
Are you being betrayed by your own?

Yes, some say,
It's a leveling Field
Pol Pot's forgotten Buddhism
when Leaders plan the decimation of
their own kind,
in the interests of unemployment
and political hegemony.

No, Some say,
The Fields are being embraced,
Soon the men and women will 
be able to pick up from where they left off.
Ask any self-respecting Irish or Polish,
They will serve testament to how much
Repossession can heal a century,
And it will
Because it is on the Cards
with a helping hand from China.

Maybe, Others say,
The easiest choice:
Pack for Perth and San Diego
Me, myself I, Of that mind.
But how hollow some become after that choice,
How absent in the line of Soul.

But the Beer flows
and the Fear grows
Lost on silent Ears.
So Hello Afrika, Tell me how you're Doing!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Labels and Hate
We need a human revolution!

What happened to the UNITED in the "United States of America?" United we stand, divided we fall. Don’t we all know that axiom? Yet we have split ourselves asunder. How did this happen. At one time people in the government cared. They worked for peace and equality. Now, The eyes of those people reflect dollar signs and they have labeled us according to voting choices.

The labels we have given ourselves is splitting this country into pieces. Hate is taking over. To hate is to be ignorant. Ignorance is the lack of knowledge. The right hate the left, the left hate the right, conservatist, liberals, democrats, republicans all hate each other. Listen to Rush Limbaugh sometime, if you can stand it. He has done more to split this country than any 100 men.

Frankly, I don't know what I am. I like money as much as the next man. Does that make me a conservatist? I believe in saving the environment. Does that make me a bleeding liberal? I'm registered and an independent. Does that make me a traitor? I believe women should be allowed to make their own decisions about their bodies. I don't know what that makes me. I believe war is stupid and can be avoided. I can't stand to see young boys and girls slaughtered. And I believe when it says "Thou shalt not kill" that it means everybody. I really don't want to be labeled. I want to work with everyone. I don't feel like hating anyone. I never did and don't want to start now. I am lost. 

Maybe I could start by hating the weather. Too damn hot, too friggin' cold. Or maybe I could hate cats, or hate dogs. That could be a starter. Then maybe in time I could learn to hate human beings. Then maybe I could get a label. Is the label that important? I like people, I don't want to hate them. I don't need a label.

Placing labels on people makes it easier to kill them. One of the headlines In The San Diego Union Tribune the other day read "Mexican Soldiers Kill 11 Rebels". What if the headline read "Humans in soldier uniforms killed 11 humans in rebel uniforms" Either way you put it, 11 human beings were killed by other human beings.

Life is our most precious gift, to take life away from any one individual is a crime against all mankind. At one time these "rebels" were born, had parents, were children and then became adults who wanted something better for their people, and they were willing to put their lives on the line for their belief. There was something wrong with the way they were being treated and they wanted to change it. I am not making judgments, but isn't that they way our forefathers felt when they rebelled against their English government.

Rebels cause revolutions, revolutions cause change (good and bad). If the governments listened to the people and served the people instead of being so self-serving, would there be rebels? There may be criminals (another label) but no rebels.

Labels make it easy to hate, mistreat, rip off, and kill.. When we see each other as human beings instead of labels we will be starting the biggest revolution in the world; human revolution. If we conquer hate, we will be the most victorious rebels in the world. Stop hate and there will be peace. Human beings will be victorious.

Hate is taught, we don't come into this world with hate. To teach hate is the most criminal of all acts against mankind. Teach compassion and soon there will be no reason to hate. So simple, yet so hard. It starts with you. Can you wear it?

Sam Younghans - August 21, 2004


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back to "messages to the president"

The Prisoner by Emily Brontë

He comes with Western win winds,
 with evening’s wondering airs,
With that clear dusk of heaven that brings the thickest stars.
Winds take a pensive tone, and stars a tender fire,
And visions rise, and change, that kill me with desire.

But, first, a hush of peace – a soundless calm descends;
The struggle of distress, and fierce impatience ends;
Mute music soothes my breast – unuttered harmony,
That I could never dream, till earth was lost to me.

Then dawns the invisible; the Unseen its truths reveals;
My outward sense is gone, my inward essence feels;
Its wings are almost free – it’s home, its harbor found,
Measuring the Gulf, it swoops and dares the final bound.

Oh! dreadful is the check – intense the agony –
When the ear begins to hear, and the eye begins to see;
When the pulse begins to throb, the brain to think again;
The soul to feel the flesh, and the flesh to feel the chain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To kill is to murder 
A person who orders someone killed is as guilty as the killer.
When does a soul enter the body?
Questions for politicians
Yes or no questions based on morals.
Are these definitions true or false?
Is there right and wrong?
Define right.
Define wrong.
Are there gray areas for right and wrong?
Is one act right for one person and wrong for another?
Define morally right.
Define morally wrong.
Is a morally wrong act, right in any other context?
Is a morally wrong act, done in the name of business, right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Show Biz by Abel Green and Joe Laurie, Jr.- Page 524.- "Co-producer Joshua Logan, himself an ex-GI, waxed plenty sore at General Thomas T. Handy who banned Mister Roberts - which had "soothed" President Truman - from his European command. General Handy's wife thought Roberts "too rough" for our German Occupation Army GIs!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~