Sam Adams — the man, not the beer — knew
a bit about agitating, organizing, and fighting for democratic values and
liberty.
Adams was the founder of the Sons of Liberty and the
organizer of the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Even after the colonists had
defeated King George III and established our fledgling democracy, Adams
knew that the forces of plutocracy and autocracy would constantly threaten
America’s democratic promise, and he warned future generations to be
vigilant.
“If ever vain and aspiring men shall possess
the highest seats of government,” Adams said, “our country will
stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.”
Well, here we are 232 years later, living under the
reign of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld & Co. — a group of men as vain
and aspiring as has ever controlled our government. In four short years,
they have looted our public treasury of hundreds of billions of dollars to
give to their corporate backers, and they now have our great nation mired
in a maniacal, messianic, testosterone-driven war to make the world safe
for Halliburton and ExxonMobil.
While the loved ones of ordinary Americans fight and
die in Iraq, the elites whom Bush represents sit comfortably in their
suites without having any of their loved ones at risk and without even
being taxed to pay for his ruinous war. As Thomas Jefferson would say,
it’s time for a little rebellion. Let’s start starting by
bringing our troops home from Iraq — now.
One thing you can do is to join the grassroots march
on Washington to end the war in Iraq. This mass protest will be on
Saturday, Sept. 24. For information, contact United For Peace and Justice:
www.unitedforpeace.org.
Sam Adams would be proud of you.
This article appears in Aug 25-31, 2005.
