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As a child of the Depression, and like many of my fellow members of Veterans for Peace, I come from a background that was of the Democrat persuasion, but now -- also like many of other vets -- have become persuaded that the Democratic Party has turned its back on the American people in favor of other interests.
Each of my compadres has his own perspective in this matter, but I view those "other interests" as Greed, Lust for Power, and Madness, and in these it is difficult for me to differentiate the Democrat Party (my ex-party) now from the Republican Party, other than for superficially partisan packaging and rhetorical flourishes, or as Rudyard Kipling would have it: The colonel's lady and Judy O'Grady are sisters under the skin.
I hope that you will use these insights productively, that is to comprehend the growing awareness of many that both the current major parties are mirror images of the other, uniting in disservice to America, its Constitution and indeed to Humanity.
We support peace, whereas your party has backed every funding of the War of Lies for eight-plus years. We support our Constitution, your party -- a la Bushco -- has persisted in suppressing our Bill of Rights. We support single-payer healthcare or a robust public option. Your House majority yesterday (Nov. 7) passed a strawman of such. We condemn torture. Your partisans have refused to bring the torturers to the bar of justice. In summary, we support integrity, political courage and the best interests of the American people, while Republicans and Democrats alike sell us out to the greed interests.
We're on to the game. Our numbers grow larger with each passing day of treacherous representation. And know this: You underestimate us at your political peril.
We gave you the majority of both houses of Congress in 2006 in hopes that you would repair the abuses of the Bush administration, and you abused our trust. We gave you the presidency in 2008, based largely on your proposition for "Change!" and yet you persist in the slaughter for oil and the profits of greed interests in the Middle East, to the death of our soldiers and the mayhem of innocent civilians.
We trusted you with our votes. You have used them as a charter to continue the atrocious war and to subvert our Constitution, to the horror of the decent peoples of the world and to the disgrace of our future history. We now see through the partisan costuming.
We are going to get to the peace, we're going to recover our Bill of Rights, and -- if after all the damage it is still possible -- to regain some respect for America from the international community and from humanity.
We're serious. Get ready.
............Sincerely, Rafe Pilgrim
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