It is especially fitting prior to this Memorial Day weekend honoring people that gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy in the United States of America that we spread the message and petition against the slow and not so slow erosion of our fundamental rights as guaranteed by our constitution and Bill of Rights.

A continuation of why I am so passionate about reversing certain provisions of NDAA:

After the elections that were won by the communist party in Czechoslovakia, the government took drastic steps against anyone who had opposed them in the free elections.  My dad's family was one of the many families targeted.  My grandfather was a newspaper editor and my grandmother was a teacher.  Both lost their jobs.  My dad was studying journalism at the university and switched to law to try to avoid being kicked out.  That move kept him in school a bit longer but he was kicked out anyway.  He managed (with the help of family friends) to get some work so he could support his parents.  With his girlfriend (my mom) now in Germany, his prospects for a decent future dwindling and knowing he could fly under the radar only so long before he would be kicked out of his present job, he decided (with his parents' urging) to flee.  

Once in Germany, he and my mom married.  My dad was hired to work for a then fledgling Radio Free Europe on the strength of his dad's reputation.  From what I gather, he was a copy editor. One of the provisions of NDAA gives our military is the right to kill U.S. citizens on foreign soil if they are deemed to be a threat to our government.  Working for a U.S. backed Radio Free Europe, my dad was certainly a threat to the new communist government in Czechoslovakia. Under the NDAA passed last year, any citizen working on foreign soil would be in danger of assassination by the U.S. military if they were considered a threat to our government no matter what they were actually doing.  

This terrifies me. The provisions are way too broad and it is another slippery slope eroding our fundamental rights as guaranteed by our original constitution and Bill of Rights.  This erosion of our rights is slowly leading us toward a totalitarian type of government - totally eradicating the freedoms this country was built upon.  I wonder why we have not learned anything from history???

Please take some time and sign the petition against, at the very least, the indefinite detention provision of the NDAA.  Let our President and Congressional Representatives know that this is a slippery slope that we do not want to go down as it takes away our fundamental rights to due process. 

http://act.demandprogress.org/letter/ndaa_appeal?akid=1365.702686.Zp23qO&rd=1&t=5

It is especially fitting prior to this Memorial Day weekend honoring people that gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy in the United States of America that we spread the message and petition against the slow  and not so slow errosion of our fundamental rights as guaranteed by our constitution and Bill of Rights.

Just because we seem to have made headway doesn't mean that the issue is resolved.  We need to stay vigilant and continue to make our voices heard in any way we can.  This is not the only provision of NDAA I am concerned about.  As a child of parents that had to flee Czechoslovakia in the late 1940's and whose father worked for Radio Free Europe for a time, the provision that gives the military the right to kill U.S. citizens on foreign soil is terrifying.  

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/ndaa-a-victory-for-all-of-us-by-chris-hedges/

NDAA as it is written allows this type of action.  What if this happened to you as you were minding your own business at home.  No one would know what happened to you.  You wouldn't be allowed a phone call.  You wouldn't actually be charged with anything but you could be held indefinitely - scary isn't it?  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/nato-summit-chicago-activ_n_1527150.html

Click to see the painting that inspired me to write a new poem this Monday to go with it.  With only 10 days to go to fund this project through Kickstart, we are just shy of the 1/2 way point.  This project pairs a lot of my poems with some really wonderful artwork and there are other talented poets' poems paired with some awesome artwork as well.  Once the book is published, the sale proceeds will go to support art in schools.  Please pledge a few $$ to make this worthwhile project a reality.  

http://theartistinyou.typepad.com/taiy/2012/05/blue-grass-art-time-project.html

My poem ‘Besieged, Bewildered and Bewitched’ with Rebelwolf’s ‘Night Vision’ - please help make this project a reality by pledging a few $$ on Kickstart.  Thanks to all.

http://theartistinyou.typepad.com/taiy/2012/04/night-vision-art-time-project.html 

I am begining to believe that Posterous is censoring me, because when I tried to publish my last political commentary post, I got a message that my webpage no longer existed.  I will not try to recreate the whole post but the following is the video that prompted it:

Please support the Art & Time Project.  I would really like to see my poems in print paired with awesome artwork.  Please, please, pretty please?

http://theartistinyou.typepad.com/taiy/2012/04/erruption-art-time-project.html

I was inspired to write this poem by Isa LeWinter's art.  We are asking for pledges as small as $1 to make this book a reality.  If you like this art/poem combo and are on Facebook, please "like" to get it into the book.

http://theartistinyou.typepad.com/taiy/2012/04/sands-of-time-art-time-project.html
 

I am a part of The Artist In You Art and Time project and we need your support to make it happen.

"http://www.youtube.com/embed/mCaaq0Mqnng" 

I am thrilled that some of my poems are being paired with awesome works of art and I would be grateful if you would be willing to participate in making the publishing of 'Art and Time' happen.  You can pledge your support here (as little as $1 - this project will only be funded if we get pledges of a minimum of $5,000 by May 20):

Pledge YOUR support here:http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/art4good/art-and-time-where-works-and-words-of-art-meet-to

You can vote on the pairing of my poem 'Rapture' with the painting 'Eternal Flame' here:
http://networkedblogs.com/wgAaR 

You can further participate in this project by following the TAIY Blog post submissions and Voting for Your favorites here: http://theartistinyou.typepad.com/

Thank You!!!!!