Open Thread

by Mary

Cynicism threatens our faith in our government. So many people thought we would see change when we elected Democrats to put a brake on Bush, yet Bush continues untethered - making Iraq worse, blithely torturing because his gut knows it works, ignoring global warming, and keeping criminals like the attorney general in place because according to him, they serve him, not the public.

Yet, should Americans give up on their government because Bush is so stubborn and our congress is so ineffectual? Forty-three years ago Washington DC was just as deaf to forces outside the capital. Yet, the civil rights movement overrode the status quo. The civil rights movement changed the world because people persevered despite the obstacles, and despite the cynicism. It changed America because people everywhere decided it must change and they forced Washington to listen.

We need to do the same again. Bush might think he is impervious to public pressure. And the Congress might think they must bow to Bush. Yet both are wrong. No government, even ones run by the worse despots can carry on if the people they rule withhold their support. We can force our government to change. Meteor Blade vividly reminds us that changing America can be dangerous and hard, yet it can be done. We need to find a way to infuse our fellow Americans with the courage and the hope of the civil rights movement so we can get past the cynicism and despair that afflicts so many today. And yes, we can change our country's direction as long as we work together.

It's your turn now.