Could the Bush Regime be Feeling the Heat?, Part 2
By Jill McLaughlin, WCW National Steering Committee, 7/4/07
I remember the
first time I saw Sir No Sir. I was
awe struck. It was a visceral experience. My heart was beating so fast and my
gut was twisting. I wanted to jump up and down and scream, Yeeeeehhhh!!!! I have that same visceral experience and impulse to
scream enthusiastically every time I hear of a U.S. service man or woman resisting
and speaking out against this illegal and immoral war. These men and women are
demonstrating courage under fire. Recently we have heard of the courageous
resistance and dissent of Liam Madden, Adam Kokesh, and Reverend Lennox
Yearwood even the face of intimidation and discipline from the military.
There are
thousands more service men and women who are struggling with the decision to
speak out and resist, but they fear the repercussions that it could bring.
However, when they see the courage demonstrated by Madden, Kokesh, and Yearwood
it makes it that much easier for them to make the decision and act.
The Bush Regime
knows this. They can’t bear the truth being thrown out into the light of day,
especially their war crimes. Just look at the lengths to which Cheney has gone
to keep the truth from ever being known. The last thing the Bush Regime wants
to see are U.S. troops, whom
they”ve said we have to support by keeping them in Iraq, fanning the flames of dissent
by speaking truth to power. The Bush Regime knows that these men and women have
the depth and weight of first hand experience. And because of this the Bush
Regime knows that millions will listen to what these men and women have to say.
Included in these millions are other military men and women ready to speak out
and resist. The Bush Regime can’t have that because their argument that we have
to support the troops by supporting this illegal and immoral war goes up in
smoke every time there is resistance from service members. So the military
resorts to intimidation and discipline. But this has had unforeseen
consequences and in cases like Madden’s and Kokesh’s the military has backed
down. You see by going after these brave men and women, the Bush Regime has
both unintentionally revealed it’s ugliness and put in the public eye the very
men and women they are trying to keep quiet and keep hidden. Damned if they do,
damned if they don’t. They are trapped in a burning a house. The Bush Regime
struck that match itself in March 2003. Military resistance is another source
of heat that the Bush Regime is feeling”another fire they can’t put out.
Whenever a
service man or woman courageously resists and speaks out against this illegal
and immoral war a fire is lit in the hearts of other military service members who
are grappling with the decision to resist. They need to see that resisters are
supported by the people. We are responsible for creating the smoke signals that
send out the message about courageous resistance and dissent of military
service members. We must talk about military resistance to millions. We are
responsible to create and maintain this public discourse. Let us be warmed and
heartened by these great fires and let the Bush Regime shrink from the heat
into the cold and dark.