I recently wrote an article about the Bush administration and their attacks on our Constitutional Rights. One of the things that I mentioned is that we are all Americans Left and Right, and that as Americans, we are all in danger of permanently losing the rights and freedoms that we won in the War of Independence. For over 230 years, the Declaration of Independence has stood as a document that explained why we separated from Great Britain and what we were trying to accomplish. In 1789 we ratified the U.S. Constitution, and that working document has served us well for 226 years. The idea of removing safeguards that prevent a dictatorship of the executive branch or an7y other branch is abhorrent to most Americans. Yet, since September 11, 2001, we have steadily weakened the very cornerstone of American liberty.

This is not a left or right issue. On the MSM in the last few weeks, I have constantly heard the talking heads that find a need to explain everything that is happening to Americans, as if we cannot think for ourselves, that the Democrats are not going to â€œgive-inâ€ to the â€œleft-wingâ€ of their party. That the Democratic win in 2006 was because the people wanted to â€œchange the course of the war and not to impeach the presidentâ€. That is a very subjective observation, and the people that made this observation on Wolf Blitzerâ€™s show on CNN last night, had no right to say what it was that the American people did or did not vote for. For many years now, we have been told what Americans are thinking, and why we do the things we do. The analysts have gone way overboard when they make these comments. The woman that said these things should have began that statement with some kind of modifier. She could have said that â€œSome believe that the American people did not vote for the Democrats to impeach Bushâ€.

Besides the gutting of the Constitution by the executive branch and the 109th Congress, the mainstream media acts as if it has a crystal ball and can read the minds of the American people. Both of these assaults on our values have got to stop. I donâ€™t believe that it is just â€œThe Leftâ€ of the Democratic Party that wants this President impeached. I also donâ€™t believe that the election was won by the Democrats because we just wanted to change the course of the war. I believe that Americans may be just about sick and tired of our rights being taken away by the government under the guise of â€œThe War on Terrorâ€, and this executive throwing away the resources of the American people on this war that in reality was a huge error of judgment by the intelligence community and George W. Bush. This is not opinion, this is fact. Do I have to repeat the FACT that NO weapons of mass destruction were found?

What I had set out to expound on before I found myself diverted, is that the is just not the left wing of the Democratic Party that wants this war to end and our rights restored. There are people on the right and there are Republicans that also support this. This idea that the MSM is trying to deliver to the American People that it is just the â€œfringeâ€ of the Democratic Party that is demanding that is a cover-up of the truth. I saw the same tactics when the nation decided that it had enough of the Vietnam War. At first, the media claimed that people who wanted out of Vietnam were â€œradicalsâ€. This went on until the government and the media could no longer deny that the majority of the people in this country thought that the Vietnam War should be terminated.

It is not only the â€œleftâ€ that want this war over. I served 21 years in the Army. I am no Democrat. Am I part of â€œThe Leftâ€? I am tired of people being marginalized by the far right by applying â€˜labelsâ€ to people. Regardless of peoples political affiliation, they can see what we have done to the Iraqi People. We at first told them that we were going to free them from a terrible dictator. We then invaded them, and instead of leaving, we disbanded their Army and Police, occupied the country, and put people that we chose to be their leaders. Now, instead of having a free and stable Iraq, these people are dying by the hundreds each day, with no military, and no police to stop different warlords from trying to seize power. You donâ€™t need to be â€œof the leftâ€ to understand that the average Iraqi is worse off than before we invaded their country. Any sane and responsible human can understand that the people of Iraq have become victims here. Victims of this administrations need for oil, for power, and for God knows what else.

This is no longer a â€œradical leftistâ€ movement. I believe that the majority of ALL Americans want this President out of office, and this war to end. I believe that if voted on today, that Americans would vote to be free of Bush and Cheney and to be out of Iraq. It is unfortunate that the Mainstream Media must use labels to describe people that are sick and tired of the status quo. It is a sad situation to hear them minimize this nations discontent, in fact it is almost criminal. I believe that a large majority that donâ€™t consider themselves â€œleftistsâ€ would agree with me. I might agree with the left, sometimes I can agree with the right. Labels simplify complicated matters do everyone determent. The sad fact, is that the Iraqi and the American people are worse off than they were before this war. I think most can agree on that.

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Timothy V. Gatto

