"I can’t stands no more!" (apologies to The Simpson’s parody of Popeye)...

WARNING! SNOBBY POLITICAL STATEMENTS AHEAD!

Have you noticed the "If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention" bumper stickers? Well, I honestly can’t understand why I can’t pop my head out the window at any time of the day or night to hear flat-out screaming for the impeachment of George W., or (at the least) the takeover of the house and senate this November by non-Republicans.

I haven’t the time or the space to go into the details about injustices which have been readily accessible to all humans willing to stray a bit from the inaccuracies that consistently emanate from the Fox News, Anne Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, etc. websites. Lately, though, I've started to feel as though the administration is personally insulting my intelligence. From the AP:

Bush said the Geneva Convention's ban was "very vague" and required clarification. "What does that mean, 'outrages upon human dignity?' That's a statement that is wide open to interpretation."

I’ll spare you any stupid remarks that statement is begging for, and just say this: Your President, a grown adult, is fighting for the United States’ right to torture whomever it feels like torturing, based on the tiniest shred of "evidence" (hearsay from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, for example). There are studies that show that information extracted under duress is not generally reliable. If, for example, I wired your nipples up to a car battery and asked you to confess that you're Donald Rumsfeld's love child, what would you most likely say? This (torture, and the mindset of those who want to torture), people, is WRONG. Exhibit B, from the White House website last week:

Q Thank you, Mr. President. Earlier this week, you told a group of journalists that you thought the idea of sending special forces to Pakistan to hunt down bin Laden was a strategy that would not work.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q Now, recently you've also --
THE PRESIDENT: Because, first of all, Pakistan is a sovereign nation.
Q Well, recently you've also described bin Laden as a sort of modern day Hitler or Mussolini. And I'm wondering why, if you can explain why you think it's a bad idea to send more resources to hunt down bin Laden, wherever he is?
THE PRESIDENT: We are, Richard. Thank you. Thanks for asking the question. They were asking me about somebody's report, well, special forces here -- Pakistan -- if he is in Pakistan, as this person thought he might be, who is asking the question -- Pakistan is a sovereign nation. In order for us to send thousands of troops into a sovereign nation, we've got to be invited by the government of Pakistan.

Do I even need to explain to anyone what is WRONG with that statement?

If you are a resident of Illinois, it behooves you to write to Senators Dick Durbin (http://durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm) and Barack Obama (http://obama.senate.gov/contact/) and tell them how you, as constituents, feel about the excesses and abuses of power perpetrated by the Bush Administration. No matter how pissed off you feel about the current regime (or how happy you might feel about the prospect of legalized torture, even—I won’t ask) you need to contact these people by e-mail, U.S. Mail, or telephone because NO ONE—not Michael Moore, not Jon Stewart, not Ben from True Majority, not Al Franken--- is speaking for or can speak for YOU.

I won’t tell anyone what to write, although I will suggest this: Tell them that no matter what comprimises are reached with the GOP and the President during the remainder of this administration, you do not want language installed that will grant immunity from prosecution to anyone involved in abuses of power and authority in the past.