- A group of old men gathered one day to decide what kind
of country they wanted to live in. They had been tried and tired
old men, tired of the old queen running and ruining their lives. They
wanted the people to have a say in the politics of a future country,
so they talked and talked and talked again then they decided to have a
representative body from the people to run the new country.
In that way, they would have a President who represented the
people, rather than a king or a dictator. Someone suggested that
they create a Congress, so they did. But what if a dispute
occurred between the President and the Congress, they wondered. And
so, to resolve that problem, they created a Court, they called Supreme.
.
-
- And so, the story goes, these old men thought
they had created a tight circle, complete with balances and checks
and checks and balances. They were packing to go home when a
voice asked, "What would happen if these three powers collaborated with
one another? What would happen if they became controlled
and were used against the people? "
-
- The old men grew confused. One of the group, known
for his wisdom said , " We can free the Press to make the
people aware of the insides and outsides of the system, and if a problem
occurred the people can take care of it with the Polls and the Ballots."
-
- Sounds very good, and everyone seemed to approve of
his suggestion and the men breathed a sigh of relief as they picked up
their bags and headed for the door.
-
- Suddenly a voice was heard from the corner of the room.
All eyes turned to the skinny old man with the frown on his face.
-
- "Hold on for one cotton-picking minute!"
The man was agitated. "What if the Press conspires with
the powers that be? "
-
- The group stared at him. That could never
happen.How could it be? Nobody could ever gain control of all the
news papers in the country. Of course they were not aware about television, at
the time, nor were they aware of big business control of
the media. Of course they had not heard of Rupert Merdoch and his FOX friends
either.
-
- The old men grew confused. "Lets sleep
on it." Someone suggested.
-
- The men had grown weary and confused and felt unable
to solve the problem that was being posed. Meanwhile,
a group of people, who were waiting outside, were eager to hear
the result of this meeting.
-
- As the men exited the building, an old woman standing
on her balcony asked one of the old men what was going on in there.
He replied, "I don't know yet".
-
- A few days later, the old woman approached the same old
man. His answer was still the same.
-
- And so, the story goes, everyone came back to the
room still confused and not knowing how to fix that problem. One
old man had a crazy idea, but was afraid to share it with the
group. He feared that they would laugh at him. Not knowing what
to do, so he told a friend who told the audience the million
dollar idea. What was his idea?
-
- He suggested that the guns should be kept in the
hands of the people. "That is the only way you can guarantee
against total control of the government and/or a total conspiracy
between the powers inside the circle and the Press."
-
- Everyone else laughed at that idea. And yet, they could
think of no other solution. It was beginning to make sense.
The government would have guns and rifles, but so would the people.
-
- The one thing that they did not consider was that government would
get different guns, bigger ones too, and tanks, and stealth
bombers. So, in their innocence, they left the meeting
feeling tired yet happy.
-
- And then they heard the voice from the corner of the
room. It was the skinny old man again who sat scratching his head.
"What if the government doesn't allow anyone to speak out and
challenge them?"
-
- Ah yes. They began to remember. That was
why they were there in the first place. How could they have forgotten?
-
- A wise old man suggested that they should guarantee freedom
of speech without any fear of reprisal from the government.
"We need to make sure that the government never ever be able to change
that. We need to guarantee that this power will always rest with
the people."
-
- So everybody went home and lived happily ever after.
-
- Is the story over? Not at all.
"Happily ever after" lasted until the day that Dubya and the
seven Cons entered upon the seen. (I know there are more than
seven, but let's keep it simple for the sake of the story)
-
-
- Today the old men are long gone and have been replaced
by other old men. The Ballots do not work anymore; they
no longer protect the innocent. All the power is in the hands
of a few. The tight circle has been invaded,The people have been
lulled to sleep. The Media had long been concurred. Left,
Right, East, and West all seem to be heading in one direction.
The parties that had been created to offer alternatives have blended into
one amorphous mass. You can no longer tell the difference
between a Republican or a Democrat, a Liberal or a Conservative, a follower
of a religion and an atheist. You can no longer tell the difference
between the Right FOX or the Left CNN.
-
-
- There are only two options left for the people
now. If you are thinking they are "Votes and Ballots",
you are incorrect. They are no longer a viable option. The
only remaining option is "Mavericks and Guns."
-
- Guns? By now you must realize that guns
in the hands of the people are no match for guns in the hands of the government.
That is not a viable option. So what are we left with?
Mavericks. This is the only salvation for our nation. We need Mavericks
in the right places. Do you know who they are? Find them and support
them.
-
- Note: Please bear in mind that this is a fictitious
story; so all you history junkies please do not beam me up.
-
- _____
-
- Hesham Tillawi, PhD International Relations is a Palestinian
American writer, Political Analyst and a TV show host. His program Current
issues with Hesham Tillawi can be viewed Live every Thursday evening between
8-10 PM Central Standard Time on Cox Cable system Channel 5 in Louisiana
as well as Live on the Internet at www.currentissues.tv and can be contacted
at Tillawi@currentissues.tv
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