getting the important matters of state addressed
i was going to write a long and detailed report on the activities in the senate this past week or so, in which we discover the debate on an amendment banning same-sex marriages took 3 days, and the judiciary committee passed 11-7 an amendment banning physical desecration of the american flag.
i was going to direct you to the congressional record, on july 9, 2004, july 12, 2004 and july 13, 2004 where you would find that the “federal marriage amendment” was the main order of business in the senate for three days, while other issues of interest to our democracy, such as the discussion of energy policy, the no-bid halliburton contract, the valerie plame leak investigation, intelligence committee reports, the darfur humanitarian crisis, and such were worked into the schedule.
i was going to remind you that congress is getting ready to go on vacation – the “august recess” from july 26 to september 6. so as they’re wrapping up the legislative session, it’s nice to know that they are dealing with the important issues of policy and integrity in the american government.
and i was going to remind you that the president has repeatedly assured us that “the american people are safer,” so i guess that helps explain why the senate, which is supposed to act as a check on the executive branch, would take president bush’s word for it and move on to less pressing matters, such as making america safe for heterosexual marriages.
i was going to say something about how the senate, having achieved nothing with regard to legislating the terms upon which americans are permitted to establish relationships, that the portion of the senate known as the judiciary committee would move on today to recommend a anti-flag-burning amendment for consideration by the senate as a whole.
then i was going to say something about how i am comforted, as an american, knowing that my elected legislators are busying themselves with measures to restrict the rights of the american people in the fields of sex and protest, so that we may continue the recent tradition of american hypocracy as we insist that the rest of the world adopt the policies we profess rather than the policies we practice.
i was going to make this an elaborate and empassioned plea for change, but nobody is listening.
is anyone listening?