|
|||||||||||||
|
Can Only Be Committed by the Other Side
An Open Letter to An Open Letter by Punkerslut to
Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) Homepage Greetings, There's much that sounds honorable in your program, but as I whittle through the pages, getting to the heart of what you are advocating, it becomes more and more distressing. On the surface, you want a political party that is "controlled by citizens, not corporate elites," that it should be built "from the bottom up," and that it should be "on firm progressive principles." Such principles include "accountability," and there's even two "Priority Teams," one for "Democracy Restoration Act" and another for "Accountability and Justice." The first provides for suffrage rights for formerly convicted individuals -- but it would probably be of more advantage to the parties that are trying to catch their vote. The second, the "Accountability and Justice Issue Organizing Team," is far more curious. It cloaks itself in vague and non-descriptive terms, such as your mission is "to hold elected officials accountable for all crimes there is probable cause to believe they have committed..." Then, finally, I get the real gist of what this "democracy," "accountability," and "justice" comes down to you. Ultimately, you are trying obtain "the appointment of an adequately funded, independent Special Prosecutor/Counsel to prosecute (where appropriate) individuals belonging to and/or associated with the Bush Administration." This is most clearly the defining sentence that tells me what you're actually trying to do. My suspicions are confirmed by the "Take Action" alerts posted throughout your webpages on "Democracy" and "Accountability." In one alert, you're asking for petitions to the Obama administration to appoint this "independent special prosecutor." In another, you want the same petition sent to Attorney General of the United States. One other petition is "Prosecute George Bush for Murder," and another is "Prosecute Bush Administration Crimes." It seems like justice, accountability, and democratic government exist within a very narrow frame of time: from the beginning of Bush's presidency to its end. You are decidedly silent on these issues of justice and accountability when taking into account our present government. Take the case of Oscar Grant: a man who was executed by the police. Were the police charged? Only one, and not even with murder. Was he tried by a jury of his peers? Not quite: in a case where a black man was murdered by a police officer, there was not one black man in the jury. (Drummond, Tammerlin (June 13, 2010). "Absence of blacks on Mehserle jury no guarantee of acquittal for former BART officer". Contra Costa Times. Contra Costa Times.)
When the trial came back with a verdict, finding him not guilty of murder, the Attorney General at the time was Eric Holder -- the first African American to hold an office for the upholding of the law. He seemed to be completely unmoved when police officers killed an African American in the style of an execution and the murderer was found innocent by a jury full of those who aren't African American. And this is the person you're going to who should prosecute the Bush Administration for "murder" and "crimes of administration." Doesn't it seem like it's time to file petitions against Eric Holder, for violating the US constitution's principles of equality before the law and the right to life? No? You're sure you can't say anything against President Obama and the administration of the executive? You can't indict them for violations of human rights, when they openly refuse to uphold the law and protect the rights to life and liberty of the people? And, essentially, am I producing any arguments that are different from the Anti-Lynching Laws of the 30's? No -- I want the same thing: the right to life, liberty, and equality before the law for every living human being. Essentially, spelled out, that means the right not to be hung, dragged, or shot to death in public by the police. But that's apparently way too radical for "Progressive Democrats of America." Take the case of Robbie Tolan: another unarmed black man shot to death by police officers at his own home, which revealed that the city's elected had secretly built a plan to target African-Americans with aggressive policing. In the 2010 trial, the police officers who committing this murder were found not guilty. (FinalCall.com) Where's the investigation into "murder" here? Where's the accusations of Eric Holder being nothing more than a very effective KKK leader? Where's the demands that you impeach him and his administration, for sitting back while African American people are butchered in the streets? In fact, I don't see it at all. Accountability and justice. Murder means something -- when the other political party commits it. Killing is a crime -- only when it's done by some other political candidates than your own. Human rights are valuable -- except when it's politically expedient to do away with them. Until you're willing to challenge everything that threatens Democracy, you won't be Progressive. You'll be just another mouthpiece for a business-driven, authoritarian, governmentalist Democratic Party. If you want to challenge these murders committed by your government, then do it. You're not very honest if you walk into a hall of executioners and you pretend to see blood on the hands of only one of them. Thank you for reading this far -- I patiently await a response. Everyone who believes in human rights, justice, and democracy, patiently awaits a response.
Sincerely,
|
