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July 25, 2004 As two lines from Evita say: “Dice are rolling, the knives are out. [A] would-be president [is] all around [us].” I’ve added my own alterations but, the phrase still rings true. The pre- convention vilification of our sitting President, during a time of war, has already reached fever pitch. I can still hear the ranting strains of Al Gore’s “He Preyed on Our Fears” and Howard Dean’s (now infamous) “I Have a Scream” speeches. Now that the 9/11 Commission has delivered its report, it appears that the “fears” Mr. Gore yelled about were and are well-founded. As for Mr. Dean…well, best to leave that one alone. It didn’t make sense, at the time, anyway. However, during another speech, given by Mr. Gore at Georgetown University Law Center on June 24th, Mr. Gore said: “I am convinced that our founders would counsel us today that the greatest challenge facing our republic is not terrorism but how we react to terrorism, and not war, but how we manage our fears and achieve security without losing our freedom. I am also convinced that they would warn us that democracy itself is in grave danger if we allow any president to use his role as commander in chief to rupture the careful balance between the executive, the legislative and the judicial branches of government.” I certainly have questions of Mr. Gore. For example: What does “the greatest challenge facing our republic is not terrorism but how we react to terrorism and not war” mean to you? From my perspective, terrorism IS the problem. How we react to it is to fight against it. Fighting it, as terrorists understand nothing else, most generally means we are forced into war. Didn’t one of the 9/11 Commission's statements report that they [the terrorists] were at war with us but, we weren’t at war with them? That is, we weren't until the 9/11 al- Qaeda attacks. What might Mr. Gore’s posture, in this circumstance, have been? Would he have held hands with France’s Chirac and sung Kumbaya? Somehow, I don’t think that would have worked with al-Qaeda. Second, what does “how we manage our fears and achieve security without losing our freedom” mean? From personal experience, “managing fears” means facing them. Facing them means confronting (not running away from) them. So, “achieving security without losing our freedom” means facing our fears and confronting them and their [root] causes. When we affected this stance during World War II, I don’t recall reading of any diminishing of freedom. In actual fact, it was just the opposite. As the rest of the world became freer… so did the United States. It’s amazing how that seems to work! Finally, Mr. Gore, what do you mean when you question the President’s use of the executive branch to “rupture the careful balance between the executive, the legislative and the judicial branches of government”? From what I have observed, our leftist and activist judiciary (with multiple Clinton appointees) has already usurped the legislative and executive branches of government. I know you were preaching to the choir at Georgetown, when you gave your speech, but you’re going to have to do a great deal better with those who have some semblance of logical thought. The knives are, indeed, out and have already been used. However, indications are that Mr. Kerry (now that he has decided to [at least temporarily] become the “centrist candidate”) has advised the democrat speakers to “tone down their rhetoric (aimed at President Bush)” during the Democratic Convention. Nice touch. But, after they’ve left the convention halls will they and the other democrat surrogates begin their slander anew? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. But, my bet is that they will; with renewed and revitalized anger. ------------ About the author: Sher Zieve has a degree in Journalism, appeared on the CBS program "Mysteries of the Millenium", has been included in "Who's Who in the West", "Who's Who in the US" and "Who's Who in Entertainment". Ms. Zieve is the author of "The Scattering-Book 1 of Earthseed" and her website is: www.e-kard.com/earthseed. Email: earthseed@iwon.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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