December 2005
By Jon Anne Willow
Dear Readers,
This is something every American should see.
Gyeongju, Republic of KoreaNovember 17, 2005, 12:15 p.m. local timeTranscript excerpt from press conference with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun
Q: Mr. President, Vice President Cheney called it reprehensible for critics to question how you took the country to war, but Senator Hagel says it’s patriotic to ask those kinds of questions. Who do you think is right?
BUSH: The Vice President.
Q: Why?
BUSH: Well, look, ours is a country where people ought to be able to disagree, and I expect there to be criticism. But when Democrats say that I deliberately misled the Congress and the people, that’s irresponsible… It’s irresponsible to use politics. This is serious business making – winning this war. But it’s irresponsible to do what they’ve done. So I agree with the Vice President. . . .
Bush’s words have already been all but washed away by Rep. Murtha’s call for withdrawal from Iraq and the Republicans’ subsequent quashing of that resolution, as well as by the president’s free-falling approval ratings, but his statement is an event of major significance. It may not be news, per se, but to hear the words spoken plainly, in front of an international audience, should at least piss you off and embarass you on behalf of your country, regardless of your party affiliation.
In this month’s “We The People” (p. 31), Phil Walzak takes up another aspect of the partisan struggle. So-called “liberals” are angry with current policies that favor war, bloat the national debt and prey on the vulnerable, and yet they (we) continue to offer no alternate plan, disagreeing over details and letting conservative strategists frame the debate. We all know this, but it’s crucial we knock it off right now. Can we put our differences aside, even if only long enough to take up the mantle of responsible governance? Are we really so willing to risk our very democracy that we can’t unify on key issues? Some say the beauty of liberalism is its plurality of ideas, and this is certainly true, but when one faction seeks to undermine the very tenets of our nation, it is the sworn duty of the other(s) to defend them, and to build bipartisan alliances with others who hold the same belief. Oppression is not inevitable. We can restore our lost principles. But we have to call it like we see it and not turn away because it seems scary and confusing. It is scary; it is not confusing. We are still free – but keeping ourselves so is a personal responsibility.
December marks my three-year anniversary as Editor of Vital Source. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long since Mehrdad persuaded me (browbeat is more accurate, but hey, re-writing history is popular these days) to accept half of what was then a 20-page tabloid with a circulation of 8,000 and a “quiet” coffee shop on a Riverwest side street. It’s a good thing I’m almost as crazy as he is. No rational adult would have looked at the numbers and thought this was a good idea. I didn’t. But I saw something compelling in Mehrdad, in his determination and tenacity. When he told me failure was not an option, I knew he meant it. His deeds and sacrifices have borne out his words, and given me strength I didn’t know I possessed. We’re still here, and we’re still growing. Even if Vital Source doesn’t live forever, we have succeeded. Thank you from both of us to everyone who’s come and gone, and to all the people who work so hard today to make Vital happen. It remains a labor of love. God knows we don’t do it for the money.
Three thoughts on the way out:
The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.– John Adams
When once a republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.– Thomas Jefferson
op·pres·sion (n): an unjust or excessive exercise of power, as a) unlawful, wrongful, or corrupt exercise of authority by a public official acting under color of authority that causes a person harm; … c) inequality of bargaining power resulting in one party’s lack of ability to negotiate or exercise meaningful choice.– Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law
Peace,
Jon Anne
P.S. If you tried to take our survey last month, you may have noticed it wasn’t working properly. It’s fixed now, and we’d appreciate it if you’d give it a go, at www.vitalsourcemag.com.
