November 21, 2006


I remember that a group of religious zealots and ethnic bigots attacked, killed and enslaved men, women and children in places we now call New England.[1]

I remember the lies of Vietnam – that the U.S. was attacked, that communism was out to get us. How true are the words of Muhammad Ali today? Unlike Michael Richards, no Viet Cong ever called me, or anyone else, "Nigger."

I remember that Mumia Abu-Jamal is still in prison, awaiting justice – as did Stanley Tookie Williams

I remember that Bush lied about: (1) Iraq having WMDs; (2) a link and or relations between Saddam’s regime and al Qaeda; and (3) not authorizing organized and systematic torture of detainees.

I remember that G. W. Bush admitted that he ordered the NSA to conduct warrantless wiretaps – in blatant disregard of American law and the Constitution.

I remember that Bush has ordered, engineered and overseen the slaughter of thousands of innocent people in Iraq and elsewhere – meaning that he is a war criminal.

I remember that Bush pushed for and signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006, without any caveats in the form of signing statements, in order to give himself immunity from civil or criminal prosecution for his involvement in that torturing and killing innocent men and children in Guantánamo, Cuba or for the crime that is extraordinary rendition (suffered by Maher Arar, Khalid al-Masri and others).

I remember that though he was elected in a relative landslide, Richard Nixon decided to resign rather than suffer impeachment and conviction for breaking American law, violating the Constitution and an abuse of power.

I remember that Nixon’s crimes included organizing and authorizing illegal wiretaps and spying on Americans (usually political enemies) without a court warrant.

I remember that the nation was not irreparably harmed by the actions against Nixon, nor even the farcical efforts to oust Bill Clinton.

I remember that in the current class and culture war, the rich and the Right pursue a scorched earth policy – win at all costs as Mehlman and Rove exercise self-hate, bigotry and elitism, in their effort to exploit homophobia, racism, and mistaken economic beliefs of so-called Christians and the poor.

I remember that Nancy Pelosi is simply another face of wealth and privilege who cares less about the Constitution that she does about her own fleeting hold on power.

As a child growing up in the United States, I was told the foundation myths of the United States. These included a rosy picture of stalwart and peace-seeking Christians who, as victims of circumstance landed in Plymouth, yet through no fault of their own, soon faced hunger and starvation. My ignorant, or knowingly racist teachers explained that the noble savages – who just happened not to exist anymore – decided to share their bounty and teach the Pilgrims how to farm.

How eerily do the lies of the past of those non-American, European colonizers parallel the crime against humanity we see suffered in Iraq (and Afghanistan) today?

Led by people like John Mason, in the 1630s, in what is now Connecticut, English and Dutch invaders killed men, women, and children, burning many alive. They sold survivors into slavery. [2] About those to whom we attribute Thanksgiving, their legacy is built upon stolen crops, burned crops, and murder – often achieved through the provision of small pox laden blankets.[3]

And so today, Bush has ordered the invasion and conquest of Iraq. Hundreds of thousands killed by American bombs and bullets – some burned alive with chemical weapons like white phosphorous and bunk busting bombs. On the 2006 campaign trail, Bush openly celebrated the fact that now Iraqi oil was not in the hands of people who might raise the price on Americans – implying that record profits for his friends in the oil business are now acceptable as the petroleum economy is safely in the hands of Americans instead of, oh God no, the indigenous peoples of the world. Instead of sowing salt into the fields of Iraq, Bush’s bounty has irradiated the fertile land between two rivers with depleted uranium … now cancers grow and babies are deformed in record numbers. What will the future hold?

So we give thanks. I prefer to remember, and urge for the impeachment of the murderous war criminals. Recently Lawrence O’Donnell claimed that 99% of Americans have no attachment to the war in Iraq as they have not made any sacrifices, and have no relatives in the military deployed to Iraq.[4] O’Donnell concludes that we need members of Congress to push Republicans and other pro-war advocates to confront their hypocrisy and vote on Rangel’s provision for a draft. O’Donnell is wrong – we do not need more posturing and needless votes. We need impeachment – we need to show thanks to those who helped to create a system of government that empowers the elected body to correct and thwart efforts of empire.

John Calvin Jones
www.virtualcitizens.com


[1] http://www.blackcommentator.com/66/66_cover_thanksgiving.htm
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[2] http://www.dickshovel.com/Narra.html

[3] http://www.blackcommentator.com/66/66_cover_thanksgiving.htm
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[4] Lawrence O’Donnell, "Rangel is Right." Wednesday, November 22, 2006, Huffington Post