I believe that saying “I told you so” to prove that I was right is only self-serving to me and does nothing productive. In this case, I will make an exception since the stakes are so high. In a previous article, I wrote the following:
Fifty occupiers were arrested today (December 17th, 2011) in New York City. Most law-abiding citizens are probably thinking this is a good thing. We can let the occupiers continue to test the limits of authority for the rest of the country.
My point was to let the occupiers test the limits of the new NDAA act to show America what was coming. The following video filmed in Grand Central Station shows what happens to people (occupiers) who are standing up against the NDAA’s attack on freedom:
Lauren DiGioia Talks About Arrest
Lauren DiGioia of Occupy Wall Street talks about the 27 hours she spent in police custody for protesting the NDAA at Grand Central Station. The NDAA, recently signed into law by President Obama on New Year’s Eve, allows for the infinite detention without trial of American citizens.
Listening to Ms. DiGioia explain that she was arrested for supporting the 1st and 5th amendments made me wonder what would be the reaction of the public if she was twenty-five years older and did not have green hair? Would the TEA Party factions across the country stand up with her? Do we ignore the message because Lauren is an occupier, has green hair or smokes?
Freedom must be fought at every level. If the occupiers are willing to stand up against the NDAA and the TEA Party is willing to whine at home or send another useless petition around, I side with Lauren. Actually, I will side with anyone or any group whose purpose is freedom and supporting our founding principles. For those of you out there dismissing this message and the occupy movement, I understand. It is easy to dismiss the message in favor of the media coverage and government’s mixed messages concerning the occupiers and the terrorists formerly known as the TEA Party.
When will patriots stand up for the Bill of Rights? You can watch the arrests of the occupiers but remember:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
David DeGerolamo
It doesn’t matter the color, the shape or the size.
Freedom fighters are our friends.
We may not agree on other issues, but freedom underlies all other causes.
Keep the faith sister!
I suggest we pause and examine the logic of your assertion …
Example: “All who wander are not lost.” {may be True}
Example: “Freedom Fighters are our friends.” {may be False}
Many who labor under the label of “Freedom Fighters” do so only to establish a tyranny more to their liking than the one they displace.
(ref. historical events in Afghanistan and current events in north Africa.)
Be cautious … the “rose” you describe might not “smell as sweet”.
Freedom based on principles instead of anarchy is the key. A communist will tell you he is also a freedom fighter but we have examples to guide our way: Cuba, China, Russia, Germany, Italy and the 2008 elections should never be repeated in our efforts.
We can make two assumptions from the video in the article. She is fighting for the Bill of Rights and against the NDAA. She is fighting for some other goal that she is hiding. Instead of saying there but for the grace of God go I, we should be saying with the grace of God go I.
Were they arrested for preventing other people from being able to get on public transportation? If I’m in DC, at a Metro Station, trying to board….and a bunch of people, regardless of their cause, is preventing me from exercising my own freedoms -- well, sorry -- you get ZERO sympathy from me, ZERO. That’s what it looked like, but of course, I could be wrong.
So what I hear from the responses is “we” support freedom as long as “we” are not inconvenienced. I assume there were people inconvenienced by the freedom fighters during our country’s founding. I am glad that inconvenience was not cause to stop the fight or we might still be British subjects!
well, if that’s what you are hearing, you need to listen again. Some dingbat with green hair looking more for attention than anything else sure as hell doesn’t speak for me. And as far as her account of her jail time -- I’m old enough to know there are two sides to every story. The OWS movement is being fueled by people who are pushing us to One World Order… Van Jones (I’m sure you must know a little bit about him) bragged about what he was doing with OWS. These incidents are STRAIGHT OUT OF THE CLOWARD-PIVEN HANDBOOK. Create as much chaos as possible, to overwhelm the system. That’s EXACTLY why they chose the 5:00 pm hour to throw their little hissy fit.
If you have a cause, and your cause is just -- you use the system our founders provided. We have an election coming up, if the freaks from OWS and their antics don’t prevent us from having one. I can promise you one thing -- there are people in the OWS that have never even so much as written a letter to congress, thousands of them have probably never even made it to the voting booth. So, hell no, they don’t speak for me and I won’t stand shoulder to shoulder with useful idiots of Soros/Obama. You go through the American process of learning the issues, studying the candidates, and showing up at the voting booth. If that fails, then you fight, and you fight in a way that these people would never understand. But in my opinion, we’ve got many more legal avenues to fight the NDAA before we go to civil disobedience.
Maybe it isn’t that I need to listen again, but that now your message has changed. Your original message indicated it was all about “them” getting out of your way “regardless of their cause”! Your words now send a different message.
Let me tell ya ’bout “inconvenienced”! I have spent the last 9 years or so of my life on the streets standing up for America. It has cost an enormous amount of time away from home and family, effort when there was no energy, wear and tear on my auto, dollars spent on gas, lodging and food. It WAS ALL WORTH EVERY FREAKING PENNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have stood on the streets of D.C with a HAND FULL of patriots (freedom frighters) and faced down 50K lefties and not blink and never let up! Don’t for one minute think Tina nor I would be “inconvenienced” at standing with others against the NDAA. It is not a matter of being inconvenienced, it is a matter of being smart in dangerous times. Do we need to make a stand? Hell yes! But with OWSers…hell no! If you want to make a stand then announce it and gather the freedom frighters. But you had best be preparded to stand alone…been there and done that! It was the wrong venue and they were asking for trouble. 3/4 of Americans still do not know what NDAA is and the rest of us really do not know the depths it will take us to.
Do I support freedom at any cost? yes, Yes , YES! The day is coming soon where we will see what it is going to take and what people are willing to do to secure their freedom. Make no mistake, I will fight while hoping and praying that I am smart enough when doing so and that my fellow American freedom frighters are doing the same.
Tina, you are correct in my opinion as well. The cause IS just but the venue was wrong, I too would not care what their cause was if I was trying to get out of the city. Folks THIS is a start to protest NDAA but let’s pick a place where they cannot shut us down.
I’m no fan of the OWS, who seem like a rent a mob for Obama most of the time. But this NDAA is Orwellian and the silence from conservatives like Levin and Limbuagh is troubling. Why on earth would someone like Demint vote against the Udall amendment which would have taken this power to detain Americans without due process? Things are getting curiouser and curiouser and it appears we can’t count on anyone, even folks we thought were trusted conservatives.