V for Vendetta

Remember, remember, the 5th of November
The Gunpowder Treason and plot ;
I know of no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
--Old English Rhyme

I just watched V for Vendetta with Kate, and it still has the wheels in my head turning three hours later. That movie struck a chord in me which one hasn't done in years. Perhaps it's because it resonates so much with what is happening around us now.
Recently the congress has passed laws giving the presidency powers far beyond the scope of what it was origionally intended to posses. They have chosen to abridge freedoms of speech, the right to be free of unreasonable searches (I define unreasonable as any search that can be conducted without a warrent), the right of civilians to not be held accountable for a crime without coviction by a grand jury through due process by law, the right to be free of cruel and unusual punishments (and yes, i think that tortue counts), and the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, to confront witnesses arranged against him, to summon witnesses in his defense and to have counsel.
That is to say that congress has chosen to violate the first, fourth, fifth, and sixth ammendments.
V for Vendetta paints an eloquent explanation of how this happens. People become afraid in chaotic times, and they chose to sacrifice their freedoms for what appears to be security. In times such as we are in now, it is easy for a political group to play upon those fears to gain power. The republican party--and I will give those members of the party who have objected to this credit: it isn't all of the party, just mostly the neoconservatives--didn't even have to circumvent the democratic system to do this. We gave them all the support that they needed because they told us that they would protect us...but they didn't. Instead they used that power that we gave them to increase their own power. But there have only been two terrorists kept at Guantanamo Bay that I know of, and many of the people sent there are not prisoners of war, but American citizens who have the misfortune to be born Islamic. Now, not only can they use tortue in Guantanamo Bay or deport suspects to Syria, they can do it within the vagiaries of U.S. Law, and the presidency wanted to explicity be given the right to do so. They take away liberties because it gives the illusion that they are winning the "war on terror". I'm not going to suggest that the Republican's took away liberties because they want to put us more firmly under their thumb...I can't believe that, even of them...but they are doing it to stay in power all the same. They don't have to pass laws for the purpose of subduing the general public if by passing those laws they keep the people in such a state of fear that they are voted back into power. It's like V said, to look for those ultimatelyt responsible, we need only look into a mirror.
If you need any further proof, just look at the latest replican add where the show tapes of Osama Bin Laden and then end with the statement, remember the stakes. I cannot think of a more blatent use of scare tactics to win an election. The GOP has descended to the point where it's only reason for being in power is to stay in power. Everything that they have done, and done innefficiently I might add, has been designed to maintain their power. Am I the only one who noticed that we invaded Iraq just in time for the presidnetial elections?

Well, I don't have it in me to hurt anyone except in the final defence of my life or the lives of those I love...but I am a believer that dissent is patriotism, and I will remember the fifth of november in my own way.

Do not dissent out of hate of Bush or the GOP or anyone else, do so because you love America and want it to be all that it can be.