s thrown their way, don't ask questions and move on. We have become a nation where our new national bird has become the ostrich. In essence, sticking our heads in the sand, and daring not to ask questions or rattle the system. Instead of boldly asking questions and demanding answers, which is representative of our present national bird, our American eagle. The eagle soars above all in search of the truth and the protection of our citizens, and does not cower in the sand, where it will be blinded from getting at that truth.

On September 11th, 2001, an attack occurred on our soil, and left us frozen for a time. Yes, we reacted to it, but did not really wish to understand how an unbelievable attack could happen. We were told by George W. Bush that he would get Osama bin Laden, "dead or alive". Have we held him accountable to that promise or have we cowered?

Back during the Clinton administration, our government launched an investigation known as White Water which intermingled with the Monica Lewinsky affair. While I do not condone that behavior by former President Clinton, I do question the intensity of such an investigation. Especially, when no proof was found in the pudding, millions of our tax dollars were wasted, and no massive loss of life was experienced. It was wall to wall coverage by our media in search of a false truth. Where our nation cowered at facing so many other issues that could have prevented a September 11th.

Getting back to September 11th, yes an investigation has been launched, but not one with the intensity of the investigation into White Water. We have not seen wall to wall coverage in regards to this attack which took the lives of 3,000 people. We have heard several victims organizations calling for this, but no American outcry to back these victims up. Where was and is your voice, America? Have you stopped being the eagle and settled upon becoming the ostrich? What truth are you afraid of facing? Are you afraid of finding out that your government, and this administration let you down? If that is your fear, then you are ostriches. If you keep demanding through your elected leaders for us to get at this truth, then you are most certainly eagles.

3,000 lives lost is not a political issue, but a human issue, and no one is standing up for these human victims and pushing for wall to wall coverage. America, be the eagle and demand that George W. Bush keep his promise to capture Osama bin Laden, "dead or alive" and if he is dead prove to us that he is. Someone said to me, "We'll get him", and I thought with all the intelligence at George W. Bush's hands, we should have had him by now. Unless, George W. Bush does not wish to find him. If that is the case, we are all in danger.

Our government passed a law that went against everything our country stood for, and that is our liberties. That law is the U.S.A. Patriots Act. Our freedoms and liberties set us apart from many of the countries that we feel have no real freedoms or liberties. Where Bush stated, "They hate us for our freedoms". Let us at least get to the bottom of September 11th before we even think of extending this law. Let us at least find out if the cause of September 11th had anything to do with our liberties. More than likely, it had to do with intelligence failures, and we have thrown away our liberties for our government's failure to protect us, and yet our nation in totality did not scream out. We stuck our heads in the sand like ostriches and allowed this very un American bill to become law.

Many groups and individuals have been called anti American for daring to ask the tough questions, which is representative of an emboldened eagle. They refuse to cower in light of the popularity of nationalism, instead they act like patriots. Just ask the Dixie Chicks, Susan Sarandon, Timothy Robbins, and lately Ashleigh Banfield how people have reacted to them. Yet, they through their words became a soaring American eagle, daring to speak out. Instead of the ostriches that accept what is thrown at them. Not only by our government, but a controlling media.

We were told by our government, that we would go into Iraq because they had weapons of mass destruction, yet our government has refused to produce such proof. Then it switched gears and told us it was to liberate the Iraqi people. Turns out, some Iraqis do not want liberation, instead they want us out. But, again, Americans are acting like ostriches in holding our government accountable. Just where are those weapons of mass destruction? We went in front of the UN Security Council to uphold resolution 1441 which stated that Iraq could not have these weapons. Weapons inspectors were making great strides in proving there were non, and we told them to get out that we were coming in, and for what? You guessed it. Oil. We have protected the oil fields at the expense of the lives of thousands of Iraqis and over one hundred troops. We have had many of our troops die under friendly fire, and many reporters die as well. Yet, America sticks her head in the sand.

We have also acquiesced when it comes to the budgetary means to pay for this war, at the expense of many social programs that have been severely cut. We have acquiesced our will as an eagle to question just how much will it take to rebuild this country, which morally we have to at the expense of rebuilding right here in America. We have acquiesced our will to ask, who are the corporations who will profit from this rebuilding of another country, while so much of our own country's infrastructure needs rebuilding.

Our baby boomers, which is one of the largest population groups are about to retire. How much funding to Social Security and Medicare has been ripped away to pay for this war. Many of us baby boomers have children in public school, how much has been ripped away from funding these schools?

Many if not all of our states are now in deficits, and a while back, George W. Bush stated that there will be no help coming from Washington. Many of these states are now set to cut funds to Medicaid. And this is alright with the American people?

Then, yesterday, I read an unfathomable article on Capital Hill Blue's web site, "Government Headed for Default", which states in it's opening paragraph, "The Treasury Department says the United States could face the prospect of not being able to pay its bills in late May unless Congress raises the government's borrowing authority, now capped at $6.4 trillion." Insane huh? Yet, George W. Bush still wants his tax cut. Someone remarked to me that she too felt this insane, and my remark back to her was, "No, you have not gone completely insane. Those that support this administration have gone insane. This does not mean anything to them. Just as long as they see Bush standing in front of troops, wrapping himself in the flag, a perceived victory in Iraq, they cheer him on. Just wait till all of this comes due, and trickles down to every single person in this country. Will they react saying, "What happened?" Right now, Americans by and large are ostriches when it comes to issues such as this. But wait till it really effects them, I am hoping they become eagles in search of the truth and accountability from this government.

Last week one of the most obscene campaign strategies was announced, and American sat silent. George W. Bush plans on using the third anniversary of September 11th as his bloodied back drop for his campaign. Does this not offend anyone senses? These three thousand murdered American citizens should not be resurrected as Republican backers. We as a country should be doing more for them, instead of letting the Republicans use them in this heinous fashion. We should be launching THE biggest investigations seen in recent history to finally get to the bottom of how and why they died. We should not be sticking our heads in the sand, and letting the Republican Party get away with this. If I had my druthers, and were able to produce the special effects for George W. Bush's acceptance speech as the Republican nominee, I would use that special effect used in the movie Carrie. Where Carrie became the Queen of that dance, and a bucket full of blood was dropped on her.

But, until we have soared like our American eagle, demanded our questions be answered, our new national bird must be the ostrich. Well, America, are you an eagle or an ostrich?

http://www.geocities.com/silent_legacy2000 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/silentlegacy2000

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