Tuesday Topic

by Bluebear2
Today is the fifth Tuesday in the Million Blogs for Peace endeavor to stop the war.

In the past week we have lost a great man. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was perhaps my favorite author. His works were so fitting for the time, as I was coming of age in the 60's.

In October, 2005 Kurt was interviewed on the PBS show "Now" and read a letter to George W. Bush:

"I am an elder in this the greatest Democracy in the history of the world. I will be 83 in November. I am a member of what has been called the Greatest Generation. I am a combat infantry veteran with a Purple Heart and a Battle Star and I now want to put my President on notice and I'm talking about IMPEACHMENT! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
If he commits oral sex in the oval office, and I don't care with whom, that will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
OUT HE GOES!
There. I've thrown down the gauntlet! If that be treason, make the most of it!"

The moderator then asked what he meant by the oral sex item. Kurt explained that it seemed to be the only thing left that would cause an impeachment. (This comment was not specific to Bush, but rather to politicians in general)

He also went on to say we have a 2 party system. The winners and the losers. The winners are made of two groups. The Republicans and the Democrats. The losers are the rest of us.

In this past week we have also had a tragic incident at Virginia Tech which has taken over the media's attention. Bush has raced off to the scene to use it as another of his backdrops to try and gain political points. Much the same way he has been using our military personnel.

At the same time, the scandals: Gonzales getting caught lying about his actions; Rice facing a subpoena; Rove being exposed for obstruction of justice; several years worth of government e-mails deleted; Cheney facing articles of impeachment, all are receiving no notice.

Therefore it is only fitting that this weeks Tuesday Topic is based on a quote of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and a pitcher of warm spit.

Fifth Tuesday Topic
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
When asked about the anti-war movement during Vietnam and at the time, during 2003, Kurt Vonnegut (who passed away last week) said the following:
"When it became obvious what a dumb and cruel and spiritually and financially and militarily ruinous mistake our war in Vietnam was, every artist worth a damn in this country, every serious writer, painter, stand-up comedian, musician, actor and actress, you name it, came out against the thing. We formed what might be described as a laser beam of protest, with everybody aimed in the same direction, focused and intense. This weapon proved to have the power of a banana-cream pie three feet in diameter when dropped from a stepladder five-feet high.

And so it is with anti-war protests in the present day. Then as now, TV did not like anti-war protesters, nor any other sort of protesters, unless they rioted. Now, as then, on account of TV, the right of citizens to peaceably assemble, and petition their government for a redress of grievances, 'ain't worth a pitcher of warm spit,' as the saying goes."
What do you think of this quotation?
How do you think the modern anti-war movement can rise above the value of a pitcher of warm spit?