To my brothers and sisters on ATS

They don't need to divide us, we do it all by ourselves.
History shows this again and again.
It's nothing new, as old as man. My ol' Dad once told me he thought it was about not wanting to be on the bottom of the heap. As long as there's someone you can "look down on", for whatever silly reason, you can still feel you're "better than those guys".

After all, we all know that the star bellied sneetches are the best sneetches on the beaches...

Thank you for your words because these things have been on my mind.

We are so separated, by our own thinking and by society. Your left-wing, so your not important, your right-winged so you don't count. Your too rich, too poor, you're not educated, you don't work hard enough, all you do is work, too old, too young, too ugly, too fat to count. The high school 'clicks' mentality.

When there is an attempt to make this world better, whether a movement or an organization, the oppression begins.
It's not far enough on this side, it's not explicit on it's motives, there's too much faith, there's not enough faith.
They talk about God, so forget it, they don't talk about God, not going to listen.
Your pointing out one bad point your attacking ALL, not going to fix it, not going to listen.
Forgetting the message all together.

So true that we do it to ourselves and also allow it to happen to us. I can't tell you how many times I've read a good post and someone came in and says its too far left or right to have any significance.

For the life of me, I can't understand why the majority is based on politics,parties and propaganda. Social class, social status, voting rights, who you know, who you don't know. Its ridiculous.

Last time I checked we were still human right? The way ideals get bumped and knocked around makes me think the whole world is schizo.

reply to post by synnergy


As has been stated, some people are stripped of their humanity because there's another (catch this irony) human who believes they are superior.

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


Excellent thread.

Thank you!

Divide & Conquer They win / we all lose.

reply to post by 5 oClock


It's time for us to win. They may have HAD the upper hand, but we can take 'em.

Liberty.

Your ability to live your life as you see fit, without government interference.

Your ability to take care of your family and raise your children without someone else telling you how you should do it.

Liberty.

It's what OWS isn't.

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


Great OP. We need to be aware that disunity is always the spoiler of everything. If we are going to deny ignorance we need to be more concious of our prejudices and put them aside in favor of a little wisdom. One of the hardest lessons I had to learn was that prejudices are sometimes carefully taught and encouraged.

I wish we could just settle our difference for once, then maybe we could make a difference.

I have to say I've turned the corner and basically agree with you.

I don't agree with a lot of the rhetoric of OWS, & ACORN's involvement does--imo--make the organizational aspects suspect, BUT the folk in the streets are living their convictions and we need to settle this business of having our dear, dear right to protest trampled on if nothing else.

Especially so in the last 10 years. We are all in this together.

I'll leave this vid with this well-spoken American here. Most of you have probably seen the OP it came from, but if not:

Veterans with AR15s protecting Occupy Phoenix

Originally posted by The GUT
I have to say I've turned the corner and basically agree with you.

I don't agree with a lot of the rhetoric of OWS, & ACORN's involvement does--imo--make the organizational aspects suspect, BUT the folk in the streets are living their convictions and we need to settle this business of having our dear, dear right to protest trampled on if nothing else.

Especially so in the last 10 years. We are all in this together.

I'll leave this vid with this well-spoken American here. Most of you have probably seen the OP it came from, but if not:

Veterans with AR15s protecting Occupy Phoenix

edit on 27-10-2011 by The GUT because: (no reason given)

That guy isn't a "well spoken American" He's a nazi

www.azcentral.com...

and is not representative of the armed forces, by any means. He's a scumbag.

reply to post by tangonine


holy #, you seem to have REALLY missed the spirit of this thread!

Originally posted by tangonine
Liberty.

Your ability to live your life as you see fit, without government interference.

Your ability to take care of your family and raise your children without someone else telling you how you should do it.

Liberty.

It's what OWS isn't.

Please expand on this, the government interferes with my life all the time. They tell me I cannot assault some whack job that seriously needs it, they tell me I can't smoke in a restuarant, they wanna tell my wife she should continue her pregnancy even if it kills her, they tell me I can't grow cannabis in my backyard. From your post, I am sure you support one or all of these government interferences.

Originally posted by BubbaJoe

Originally posted by tangonine
Liberty.

Your ability to live your life as you see fit, without government interference.

Your ability to take care of your family and raise your children without someone else telling you how you should do it.

Liberty.

It's what OWS isn't.

Please expand on this, the government interferes with my life all the time. They tell me I cannot assault some whack job that seriously needs it, they tell me I can't smoke in a restuarant, they wanna tell my wife she should continue her pregnancy even if it kills her, they tell me I can't grow cannabis in my backyard. From your post, I am sure you support one or all of these government interferences.

That's because you're making assumptions about me. And you know what Samuel L. Jackson said about assumptions: They make an ass out of you, and umption. I do not disagree with any of your scenarios.

Assault the whackjob if he threatens your life, smoke where you want, tell your wife to do what she wants and grow whatever you want.

I think you mistook me for a republican.

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine
reply to post by tangonine

 

holy #, you seem to have REALLY missed the spirit of this thread!

Nope. Just pointing out that that poster was quoting a nazi party member. Google is your friend.

reply to post by tangonine


So by that logic, anyone who is against smoking is a nazi?

Originally posted by tangonine

Originally posted by BubbaJoe

Originally posted by tangonine
Liberty.

Your ability to live your life as you see fit, without government interference.

Your ability to take care of your family and raise your children without someone else telling you how you should do it.

Liberty.

It's what OWS isn't.

Please expand on this, the government interferes with my life all the time. They tell me I cannot assault some whack job that seriously needs it, they tell me I can't smoke in a restuarant, they wanna tell my wife she should continue her pregnancy even if it kills her, they tell me I can't grow cannabis in my backyard. From your post, I am sure you support one or all of these government interferences.

That's because you're making assumptions about me. And you know what Samuel L. Jackson said about assumptions: They make an ass out of you, and umption. I do not disagree with any of your scenarios.

Assault the whackjob if he threatens your life, smoke where you want, tell your wife to do what she wants and grow whatever you want.

I think you mistook me for a republican.

I will agree that it is dangerous to make assumptions, but I feel that you have done the same thing about the OWS crowd. I will say that I think the OWS movement is being underwritten by Soros and his crowd in the same way that the tea party folks are underwritten by the Koch brothers. Both are fringes, what we need is for common sense Americans to stand up, and see if we can bring the fringe to the center. The fringe, right or left, is not the way this country should be led.

Originally posted by tangonine

That guy isn't a "well spoken American" He's a nazi

www.azcentral.com...

and is not representative of the armed forces, by any means. He's a scumbag.

Whatever he might or might not be, he's definitely representative of what our armed forces have fought for. One of those issues is freedom of speech and the right to assemble peacefully.

My definition of a scumbag is whiney folk with no backbone who easily forfeit those values.

reply to post by The GUT


I admit, didn't watch the whole video, but missed any reference to him being a vet. I am one, and trust me I don't run around wearing camo anymore.

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine


Our government has gambled with our lives, our children's lives, and further. To take it further, they got you hooked on stupid tv shows, fast food with mad MSG, aspartame tainted food and soft drinks, and fluoridated water. Now we live in a country where the majority are like "ohh well, I think I live a great life!" and "ohhh well, the American dream is pretty nice. And the french fries are good too!" Have you ever tried to tell somebody that their motivation has been purposely depleted by the government adding fluoride to their water? I have, and the response was "noooo, they just want to protect us from cavities!"

So....the government made McDonalds...and Burger King and KFC and tv dinners and canned raviolis and squeeze cheez and diet coke...oh and also forced us all to continue eating there? I don't believe for a minute the govt is responsible for the fast food we eat or the rest of the crap we put into our bodies. Come on at some point we have to be accountable for our actions. To blame the govt for people eating msg and crappy filled foods is ridiculous.

And if you're saying the govt should ban or pull these foods from the shelves....wouldn't that be taking our rights away!!! As we all loudly decree they are doing each and every day....that's quite the contradiction

Michelle

Originally posted by Michelle129th

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine


Our government has gambled with our lives, our children's lives, and further. To take it further, they got you hooked on stupid tv shows, fast food with mad MSG, aspartame tainted food and soft drinks, and fluoridated water. Now we live in a country where the majority are like "ohh well, I think I live a great life!" and "ohhh well, the American dream is pretty nice. And the french fries are good too!" Have you ever tried to tell somebody that their motivation has been purposely depleted by the government adding fluoride to their water? I have, and the response was "noooo, they just want to protect us from cavities!"

So....the government made McDonalds...and Burger King and KFC and tv dinners and canned raviolis and squeeze cheez and diet coke...oh and also forced us all to continue eating there? I don't believe for a minute the govt is responsible for the fast food we eat or the rest of the crap we put into our bodies. Come on at some point we have to be accountable for our actions. To blame the govt for people eating msg and crappy filled foods is ridiculous.

And if you're saying the govt should ban or pull these foods from the shelves....wouldn't that be taking our rights away!!! As we all loudly decree they are doing each and every day....that's quite the contradiction

Michelle

While I have to seriously agree with the OP on the divide and conquer, he lost me with the fluoridation rant. We are all humans, and have a right to a choice, his rants are typical of the D & C, little arguments divide people, we have bigger issues to work on.