Independent Voices
Topic: State Of The Union
The Indy Voice, in honor of July 4th, is proud to present our "Declaration Of Independence." A document written by Thomas Jefferson and signed, sealed and delivered by a rag tag group of predominantly lawyers to an oversees King who had troops stationed within our borders and his navy parked off of our shores and yet we, a poor and technologically inferior bunch, having neither a standing army or navy, were able to not only repel, but defeat, the mightiest fighting force the world had known to date,

Presenting our Declaration of Independence,

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
A DECLARATION
By the REPRESENTATIVES of the
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
In GENERAL CONGRESS assembled


When in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People
to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another,
and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal
Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a
decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should
declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness-That to
secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving
their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any
Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of
the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,
laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in
such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and
Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long
established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and
accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to
suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by
abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long
Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object,
evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their
Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide
new Guards for their future Security. Such has been the patient
Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which
constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The
History of the present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated
Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment
of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be
submitted to a candid World.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for
the public Good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing
Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should
be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend
to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the Accommodation of large
Districts of People, unless those People would relinquish the Right of
Representation in the Legislature, a Right inestimable to them, and
formidable to Tyrants only.

He has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unusual,
uncomfortable , and distant from the Depository of their Public Records,
for the sole Purpose of fatiguing them into Compliance with his
Measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with
manly Firmness his Invasions on the Rights of the People.

He has refused for a long Time, after such Dissolutions, to cause others
to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of
Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise;
the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the Dangers of
Invasion from without, and Convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that
Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing
to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the
Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent
to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their
Offices, and the Amount and payment of their Salaries.

He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of
Officers to harrass our People, and eat out their Substance.

He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the
consent of our Legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of, and superior to
the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to
our Constitution, and unacknowledged by out Laws; giving his Assent to
their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders
which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For Cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:

FOR TRANSPORTING US BEYOND SEAS TO BE TRIED FOR PRETENDED OFFENCES:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring
Province, establishing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging
its Boundaries, so as to render it at once an Example and fit Instrument
for introducing the same absolute Rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and
altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested
with Power to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection
and waging War against us.

HE HAS PLUNDERED OUR SEAS, RAVAGED OUR COASTS, BURNT OUR TOWNS, AND DESTROYED THE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE.

He is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to
compleat the works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with
circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most
barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to
bear Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their
Friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic Insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to
bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages,
whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all
Ages, Sexes and Conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in
the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only
by repeated Injury. A PRINCE, WHOSE CHARACTER IS THUS MARKED BY EVERY ACT WHICH DEFINE A TYRANT, IS UNFIT TO BE THE RULER OF A FREE PEOPLE.

Nor have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have
warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to extend
an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the
Circumstances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed
to their native Justice and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by
the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, which,
would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too
have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of Consanguinity. We must,
therefore, acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our Separation,
and hold them, as we hold the rest of Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace,
Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in
General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World
for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority
of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That
these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and
Independent States; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the
British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the
State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that
as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War,
conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all
other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for
the support of this declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection
of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our
Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

JOHN HANCOCK, President

Attest.
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.

SIGNERS

Adams, John MA Lawyer
Adams, Samuel MA Political leader
Bartlett, Josiah NH Physician, Judge
Braxton, Carter VA Farmer
Carroll, Charles of Carrollton MD Lawyer
Chase, Samuel MD Judge
Clark, Abraham NJ Surveyor
Clymer, George PA Merchant
Ellery, William RI Lawyer
Floyd, William NY Soldier
Franklin, Benjamin PA Printer, Publisher
Gerry, Elbridge MA Merchant
Gwinnett, Button GA Merchant
Hall, Lyman GA Physician
Hancock, John MA Merchant
Harrison, Benjamin VA Farmer
Hart, John NJ Farmer
Hewes, Joseph NC Merchant
Heyward, Thomas Jr. SC Lawyer, Farmer
Hooper, William NC Lawyer
Hopkins, Stephen RI Judge, Educator
Hopkinson, Francis NJ Judge, Author
Huntington, Samuel CT Judge
Jefferson, Thomas VA Lawyer
Lee, Francis Lightfoot VA Farmer
Lee, Richard Henry VA Farmer
Lewis, Francis NY Merchant
Livingston, Philip NY Merchant
Lynch, Thomas Jr. SC Farmer
McKean, Thomas DE Lawyer
Middleton, Arthur SC Farmer
Morris, Lewis NY Farmer
Morris, Robert PA Merchant
Morton, John PA Judge
Nelson, Thomas Jr. VA Farmer
Paca, William MD Judge
Paine, Robert Treat MA Judge
Penn, John NC Lawyer
Read, George DE Judge
Rodney, Caesar DE Judge
Ross, George PA Judge
Rush, Benjamin PA Physician
Rutledge, Edward SC Lawyer
Sherman, Roger CT Lawyer
Smith, James PA Lawyer
Stockton, Richard NJ Lawyer
Stone, Thomas MD Lawyer
Taylor, George PA Ironmaster
Thornton, Matthew NH Physician
Walter, George GA Judge
Whipple, William NH Merchant, Judge
Williams, William CT Merchant
Wilson, James PA Judge
Witherspoon, John NJ Educator
Wolcott, Oliver CT Judge
Wythe, George VA Lawyer

Warms The Cockles
Topic: Misc.
Out of step with my usual cantankerous self I've decided to post a light-hearted story having nothing to do with our nation (which is burning to the ground by the way, just kidding, lighten up already will ya?),

Bride calls off wedding, throws party for the homeless

When A Chickenhawk Squawks
Topic: State Of The Union
I admit it, I don't like Karl Rove and almost everything that comes out of his cynical little mouth. If he is the brains behind the Republican party operation they're headed off of a steep political cliff. With that being said, I do admire his chutzpah, unapologetically saying things as inane as he does,

"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11
in the attacks and prepared for war;
liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks
and wanted to prepare indictments and offer
therapy and understanding for our attackers."

Let me first say that this liberal, if I was so inclined, could slap Rove so hard his therapy needing head would spin around his little pencil neck. I would never do such a thing, not because I realize that it wouldn't get me anywhere or make me feel any better but the crisis of our President being advised by a moron would not be radically improved. On the contrary, the slap would probably damage many of the few precious brain cells that Karl needs to desperately hold on to.

But Karl's strategy of not apologizing for uttering statements that are not based in reality is a good one.

Let's look at the situation through the lens of logic. Karl makes a statement that is so asinine that only the most loyal of right wing talking heads would consider it profound. It's so outrageously simple minded and contradictory to reality that it begs for "outrage" from liberals like myself. But I won't entertain such garbage and I beg of you my liberal brethren, do not fall for this distractionary tactic.

You see Karl has advised his buddy George to get the American people into a war based on false pretenses, a war that was never winnable and that has inspired an entirely new generation of Muslim people that now have legitimate grievances, to radicalize for the sake of their perceived self-defense. Lately these truths have been making their way to the American public's ears and eyes. We saw glimmers of it in the Downing Street Memos and reports of an illegal and secret air campaign taking place before Congress authorized war.

Karl's behavior is perfectly understandable under the circumstances. He's scared to death that the American people are going to wake up to the news that George W. Bush lied this country into a war that has caused the deaths, maimings and injuries of thousands and thousands of people without reason. And this is what really gives him cold sweats at night, he's worried that the American people are going to ask why we attacked a country that had no connections to Al-Queda, no WMD, didn't threaten us and had nothing to do with 9-11, when we had unfinished business with those that DID attack us.

So don't fall for the distraction by engaging the stupidity of the argument. Stand tall and unapologetically speak loudly and truthfully and feel comforted that if Karl won't apologize for speaking lies, we shouldn't apologize for speaking the truth. And the truth should be spoken whenever there's an opportunity, like when a chickenhawk squawks.

(Click above to check out the whole deck of chickenhawks)

Support Em'? Then Bring Em' Home!
REPUBLICAN Senator Chuck Hagel had this to say about the situation in Iraq,

“...things aren't getting better; they're getting worse.
The White House is completely disconnected from reality.”

In the House of Representatives there is a bipartisan resolution that's gaining momentum calling for President Bush to draft a plan for withdrawal that would bring our soldiers home starting in October 2006. The resolution now has a total of 18 co-sponsors, including both Democrats and Republicans but we need to push on the other Representatives who are sitting on the fence.

Please take 10 seconds to let your Representative know that you support our troops and you want to bring them home,

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS BY BRINGING THEM HOME!!!

Flash: The Downing Street Memo
Topic: State Of The Union
Did you get the memo?

Flash: The Downing Street Memo
(Patience is a virtue)

CBC Bringing The Downing Memo Mainstream
Topic: State Of The Union
At least our neighbors to the north value the truth,

The Downing Memo Revolution Will Be Televised

O Canada!!!

Dubious Democracy
Topic: State Of The Union
The American people should be watching. They should want to know if members of the Republican party are capable of dealing with the truth even though it may go against their partisan inclinations. The Downing Street memo raises serious question about a sitting President LYING to the American people about his intentions for war. The Downing memo also raises questions of this President LYING to the United States Congress. If the President can be shown to have lied and had the lie been discovered prior to our engagement in Iraq than this President should have only faced censure. Sadly, this lie has directly led to the deaths of thousands of people. Congress might not have voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq had they been aware that this President already had made up his mind to take this country to war.

Some have chalked up the President's intentions to a simple matter of politics i.e. planning for political contingencies. An objective and non-partisan analysis should reveal that if these allegations are in fact true they would be the most deplorable actions a President could ever take and would be no less than depraved, grotesque and disloyal to the values and laws of this country in using our Congress and our troops in an endeavor which has destoyed thousands of lives based upon false pretenses.

Logic dictates that if this President had already made up his mind to go to war and willing to lie to our nation to do so, the facts used to justify the war were of no importance. It just had to be marketable to the American people. If we can assume that the President knew that Iraq possessed no WMD and had no connections to Al-Queda, like the experts were claiming before the invasion, then the question that we may never find an answer to is what is the real reason or reasons that we went to war? Was it oil? Strategic positioning for a future war against Iran? Payback to campaign contributors? Familial retribution? We may never know but the Downing Street memo raises the issue that this President did not care about the facts so long as the end result was war.

That leaves our soldiers in a incredibly difficult situation. The problem is with the oath that every soldier must make,

"I,____________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God"

According to the Uniform Code of Military Justice every soldier must obey LAWFUL orders of their superiors including the Commander-in-Chief. The internal conflict within the soldier that the Downing Street memo could raise is if President George W. Bush did in fact lie us into war violating the constitution and international law. If that did in fact occur our soldiers would be under no obligation to follow his illegal orders. Imagine 150,000 armed troops realizing that not only do they not have to follow the illegal orders of this Commander-in-Chief but that over 1700 of their brothers and sisters have died for a lie.

Is the memo in and of itself reason for impeachment? Absolutely not but it does leave us asking some very serious questions that MUST be resolved. Depending upon the answers to these questions the President of the United States may be impeached. That point is well off. First, questions must be asked of the principals in hearings by the Congress. Questions to Sir Richard Dearlove, Jack Straw and Matthew Rycroft who are responsible for the content of the memo. Questions like do you dispute the minutes contained within the memo? Who did you meet with in the U.S.? When did you meet? What was discussed? Were you told that this President wanted to go to war with Iraq? Was an ultimatum issued to Iraq so that war could be legally justified? Was any other nation brought into the discussions about Iraq prior to the U.N. resolution? Who ordered the escalation of the bombing of Iraq prior to the start of the war and the U.N. resolution, to the point of dropping twice as many bombs as the previous year in a matter of months? How was this legally justified? Was intelligence being presented to the American people, the United Nations and Congress knowingly false or inflated to justify war? Is it known whether or not this administration was intent upon war despite the reality of the situation?

These questions must be asked of the highest members of our government. Failure to ask them goes way beyond partisan control and goes directly the heart of our democracy. If the Republicans cannot rise above what's good for their party for the greater good of the United States of America this experiment known as democracy is frankly headed towards failure.

The Winds Of Change
Topic: Iraq
There has been talk by some members of the mainstream media that the Downing Street memo is a rehash of ancient history. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Bob Woodward, Joseph Wilson, Richard Clarke and Paul O'Neill were all targets of this administration after questioning its motivations in its push to an illegal war with Iraq. The Bush administration either attempted to assassinate their characters, claimed that they had an ulterior motive like a book to sell, or that they were just plain wrong, but that's history. The Downing Street memo raises new questions based on new evidence.

Revelations about our President from the upper echelon of the Bush administration itself, in a highly top secret and not politically motivated meeting taking place in another country is a major revelation. And the fact of the matter is that most average citizens aren't even aware of the memo's contents or that it exists because it has been discarded by the perogative of the media before the discussion has been allowed to begin.

I have just one thing to say to the mainstream media that is choosing not to cover this major political event that, if proven out, should lead to the impeachment of this President in an unprecedented way,

UP YOURS!

We're going to do this ourselves, the bloggers that is; the little people. We are going to push these questions whether or not you do it.

You're either with us or against us!

There are millions of examples throughout history of institutions that have failed to understand the power of the will of people for change and in the process the change that ultimately occurred was the destruction of the inflexible institution. So I say to you goodbye if you aren't willing to do your job. This means goodbye to you New York Times, LA Times, USA Today, Newsweek, CNN, CBS, MS-NBC etc. Either get off your ass and do the necessary work or face extinction at the hands of people like me because while me and my friends don't have nearly the resources as your corporations we have the will and your standing rigidly in the winds of change.

Downing Street Memo Hearing
Topic: State Of The Union
On C-Span 3 right now (2:30 P.M. - 4:30 P.M.)(Click Right Hand side under C-Span 3)

Downing Street Memo Hearing

Schiavo: The Final Chapter
Topic: Misc.
I never wanted to weigh in on the Schiavo case at all. I eventually did because the Republican's behavior was so self-righteously horrendous, judgmental, meddling, anti-American and downright scary that I felt compelled. Their behavior demonstrated how the Republican party is now being controlled by extreme religious demagogues who only believe in their strict interpretation of the Bible and who abhor science and forsake facts when and where it suits them.

The autopsy of Terri Schiavo has been finalized and these are the results,

- The autopsy found that her brain was so severely damaged that no amount of therapy would have helped to regenerate it

- "She would not have been able to form any cognitive thought"

- "There was a massive loss of brain tissue."

- Schiavo died of dehydration and did not starve to death

- Any fractures could be attributed to severe osteoporosis Schiavo suffered during the years after her collapse

- Schiavo could not have swallowed if she had been fed by mouth and would have choked

- Removal of her feeding tube would have resulted in her death, whether she was fed and hydrated by mouth or not

- No evidence to support allegations that Schiavo had been given poison by her husband

(Read more here, Schiavo had irreversible brain damage-autopsy)

I'm not going to harp on being right again or shove things like "I told you so" down your throat, after all this is a human tragedy exacerbated by the Republican party and making such comments would make my actions no better than theirs. As for those of you who were politically motivated in trying to deceive people into believing that this was the decision of liberals, when in fact the repeated decisions were made by a Christian conservative judge, the Florida Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court, I have just one thing to say to you:

Had you left this as a personal decision to be made by a loving husband you wouldn't look like the cold-hearted ignorant fools that you do right now.

---

Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you either hear or are about to repeat a rumor.

In ancient Greece, Socrates (469 - 399 BC) was widely lauded for his wisdom.

One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Test of Three."

"Three?"

"That's right, Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to test what you're going to say. The first test is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it." "All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not.

Now let's try the second test, the test of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued. "You may still pass though, because there is a third test - the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"

No, not really..."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed.

This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.

It also explains why he never found out that Plato was banging his wife.