122 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 68 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing Summarizing
Exclusive to OpEd News:
OpEdNews Op Eds   

What if Sirhan Sirhan Had Missed?

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   9 comments

Jason Paz
Follow Me on Twitter     Message Jason Paz

Would RFK have completed Lyndon Johnson's Great Society or gotten us out of Vietnam? With the backing of his brother the President could Ted Kennedy have broken the second government and COINTELPRO?
Possibly, the evil Republican stranglehold on our liberties might never have occurred.
Hundreds of millions of Americans didn't change character from Sirhan Sirhan's sudden and tragic success. The capacities for good and evil already exist within every human heart. The assassin's bullet gave the evil within us a chance to flower and to dominate.
We all have a choice. The accused perpetrator, Major Hasan, doesn't force the President to send the additional 34,000 troops to Afghanistan. The Fort Hood killings merely facilitates Obama's potentially evil decision.

The assassination of JFK put much of the nation into shock and despair. Added to these were feelings of guilt. The public had not rallied to the youthful President in many useful ways. His life had ended too short and incomplete. The public wanted a fitting memorial and Lyndon Johnson moved boldly to give it to them.

The great surge in liberal reform provoked strong counter attacks from the political right.

Knowing Which Way is Up

Aside from Depression Era and Civil Rights reforms, the last century was a vast wasteland for human rights. It took a terrible toll from the human spirit.

Almost everyone today knows the system needs drastic overhaul. Few citizens can identify specific ills and the means to correct them. Even fewer people dare to speak in terms of real problems and solutions.

Israel presents an entirely different situation. The nation is entirely in the missile range of her foes and has received an average of three deadly attacks daily for the past eight years. These aggressive actions have outraged 84% of ordinary citizens to the extent that we supported the recent Cast Lead operation.

The Goldstone Report is inaccurate. We ordinary citizens are responsible for the military incursion and we put our young people in harm's way to make the correction. So, the UN is welcome to charge me with war crimes not my sons. Unusual for a UN member, citizens control Israel.

http://www.metacafe.com/w/2727644/

Perhaps, the Wrong People are in US Prisons

May I suggest a shortcut? Since the complaints are so widespread, it might be more effective to imprison all Federal employees guilty until proven innocent.
This would encourage whistle blowing.

I Guess It Depends on Whose Frogs Are Being Boiled

When we get extensive coverage of a boy in a balloon, it seems excessive to ignore the dissolution of our liberties and the theft of our nuclear secrets.
What is the going rate for a journalist or a public official to betray his country? Doesn't he realize the bombs could boomerang on his family?
The Congress hasn't acted on anything positive since the 1960's. One would think the general public would have caught on by now.

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Supported 1   Interesting 1   Valuable 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Jason Paz Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Born a month before Pearl Harbor, I attended world events from an early age. My first words included Mussolini, Patton, Sahara and Patton. At age three I was a regular listener to Lowell Thomas. My mom was an industrial nurse a member of the (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Follow Me on Twitter     Writers Guidelines

 
Contact EditorContact Editor
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied

What if Sirhan Sirhan Had Missed?

Kathleen Cleaver on Human Rights

What Goes Around Comes Around Like Torture

Martin Luther King and Unjust Laws Today

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend