Stone Riley's Blog: Stone Riley's Shoebox - Posts Tagged "democrat"
A Beautiful Resistance But
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Mid-January 2018
Suppose this week there is what's called a “town hall” kind of public political meeting and I attend. Suppose, as he surely will, Mr. Trump is opened for discussion and suppose, as undoubtedly it will, my hand goes up asking for a turn to speak. Suppose my old gray head, as perhaps it might, attracts the attention of the moderators so there is a moment when a microphone is held in front of me.
And suppose the moderators give each citizen a reasonable amount of time; if the citizen is sane, intelligent and courteous let's say maybe twenty breaths of time. What will I say?
You understand, this is only slightly hypothetical. Some time this year it's fairly certain I'll be present at some similar event, Mr. Trump will be discussed and I will have a chance to speak maybe twenty breaths if I am very sane, intelligent and courteous.
If it's this week here is what I'll say.
“My name is Stone Riley. I'm an old man member of Veterans For Peace. Did six years U.S. Army during the Vietnam war and fate had it that I did not go to Vietnam. On the other hand a friend – a fellow soldier where I was – was sent to Nam … and promptly … killed … for nothing. That is why I am a veteran for peace.
“So now I need to tell you … the resistance to Trump is beautiful. The resistance to Trump is beautiful! But … please remember!
“Please remember that grotesque individual is only one piece of our nation's great troubles.
“Like, this week we celebrated the birthday of Doctor King. And Doctor King said the United States is the greatest … purveyor … of violence … in the world.
“True then and true today for if you add up our government's so-called 'defense' expenditures – add in the amazingly expensive so-called 'intelligence' programs, the atom bomb programs, the flood of weapons given out around the world (and to police forces here), the endless aircraft carriers and multi-million dollar warplanes, add it all up and our government's war expenses equal the rest of the world.
“Yet still this week, the Democrats in Congress – and Republicans in Congress, almost every one of both – are jumping up saying … More!
“Almost every one of both are saying we must give trillions more to the war profiteers. Because, they say, somehow, our safety depends on the war profiteers.
“Our resistance to Trump is beautiful! But please remember! That grotesque individual is only one piece of our nation's great sorrows.
“Thank you for listening to me! Thank you for the microphone.”
Mid-January 2018
Suppose this week there is what's called a “town hall” kind of public political meeting and I attend. Suppose, as he surely will, Mr. Trump is opened for discussion and suppose, as undoubtedly it will, my hand goes up asking for a turn to speak. Suppose my old gray head, as perhaps it might, attracts the attention of the moderators so there is a moment when a microphone is held in front of me.
And suppose the moderators give each citizen a reasonable amount of time; if the citizen is sane, intelligent and courteous let's say maybe twenty breaths of time. What will I say?
You understand, this is only slightly hypothetical. Some time this year it's fairly certain I'll be present at some similar event, Mr. Trump will be discussed and I will have a chance to speak maybe twenty breaths if I am very sane, intelligent and courteous.
If it's this week here is what I'll say.
“My name is Stone Riley. I'm an old man member of Veterans For Peace. Did six years U.S. Army during the Vietnam war and fate had it that I did not go to Vietnam. On the other hand a friend – a fellow soldier where I was – was sent to Nam … and promptly … killed … for nothing. That is why I am a veteran for peace.
“So now I need to tell you … the resistance to Trump is beautiful. The resistance to Trump is beautiful! But … please remember!
“Please remember that grotesque individual is only one piece of our nation's great troubles.
“Like, this week we celebrated the birthday of Doctor King. And Doctor King said the United States is the greatest … purveyor … of violence … in the world.
“True then and true today for if you add up our government's so-called 'defense' expenditures – add in the amazingly expensive so-called 'intelligence' programs, the atom bomb programs, the flood of weapons given out around the world (and to police forces here), the endless aircraft carriers and multi-million dollar warplanes, add it all up and our government's war expenses equal the rest of the world.
“Yet still this week, the Democrats in Congress – and Republicans in Congress, almost every one of both – are jumping up saying … More!
“Almost every one of both are saying we must give trillions more to the war profiteers. Because, they say, somehow, our safety depends on the war profiteers.
“Our resistance to Trump is beautiful! But please remember! That grotesque individual is only one piece of our nation's great sorrows.
“Thank you for listening to me! Thank you for the microphone.”
Stone Riley's Shoebox
A poet writing essays. Why the title? You know you keep a large size shoe box with all those creative ideas and suchlike stuff scribbled on the back of electric bill envelopes?
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