Non-Violent Resistance: It's Time to Join the Ranks of Activists

Suffice it to say that our democratic republic becomes less democratic every day. If you want your constitutional rights to remain; if you still want access to the courts and fairness when you get there; if you want free and fair elections despite the Citizens United decision; if you want your government to actually represent you, rather than corporations, it is imperative that you become an activist.

What happened to Tim DeChristopher is one good reason. I won't waste your time or insult your reading skills by repeating Tim DeChristopher's story. This article will fill you in on the details: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-michaelson/why-liberals-should-be-ou_b_910432.html Here's a link to his statement to the court at his sentencing. http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/07/26-13

Ready to join the non-violent activist ranks? Start reading Gandhi's "Satyagraha." and other books like it, learn about and start training people in non-violent resistance, start organizing rallies and demonstrations, write letters to the editor, write/call/e-mail/visit your representatives in government, start educating the public with facts about who's behind our government (and this corporate-backed political and justice system is not just happening in America). I've only just begun, myself.

What I see here in the USA, with my own eyes, are attacks on organized labor, education (Corporate "Reform" that demonizes and scapegoats teachers, while promoting NON-FUNDED change that results in students less capable of critical thinking - AKA teaching to the test. They want an unthinking, uneducated populace. Remember that those behind most government takeovers attack the educated and education, first?), and attempts across our country to repeal minimum wage and child labor laws. I know that the education reform laws were actually bent on taking down the National Education Association (one of the largest unions in the country) in multiple states (remember what happened in Wisconsin?) and that ALL the bills were submitted with EXACTLY the same words to get rid of collective bargaining, and the union along with it. Most importantly, I see those in power trying to pit us against each other in order to diffuse our collective power.

Economic and political repression are just two of the means by which those in power attempt to maintain the status quo. They have the deep pockets and media outlet ownership with which to control government and produce the public relations, propaganda and product defense with which they can sway unsuspecting citizens. They control the courts (Citizens United decision) and, now through that decision, election results. They control our access to the courts through recent tort reform laws. People need to make some serious choices - NOW! Are you for humanity or for power and profit? If you're for humanity, remove the wool from in front of the sheep's eyes and uncloak the wolves in sheep's clothing! Caveat - do this all non-violently.