Meria Heller’s Column
As an American with Italian ancestry, I have lived over a half century in the country of my birth, America. I grew up an innocent in New York City believing in my country, democracy and freedom. I have done many things in my life, mostly concerned with the environment and spiritual balance of people. However, the past two years I have been webcasting to the entire world through Net Radio Live online. My shows took on a life of their own during the campaign for Presidency in 2000. Realizing the danger to the environment if Mr. Bush were to become President, I strongly supported the Democratic party’s choice for President, Mr. Al Gore. It wasn’t that I was against the Greens candidate, Ralph Nader, however I felt I needed to put my voice and vote on a candidate that had a chance to win. Although Americans don’t like to admit it, there truly are only two parties in our system. At times it’s hard to tell if we even have two parties. I pray for the day that will change, but it doesn’t appear that can be anytime soon.
I have interviewed the best minds on the planet as far as I am concerned over the course of the past two years: Vincent Bugliosi, Dr. Arun Gandhi, Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, Charles Kelly, Stan Goff, William Rivers Pitt, Norman Solomon, Robert McChesney, John Nichols, Howard Winant, Greg Palast and many more. My most recent interview was with the brilliant young man, Nafeez Ahmed on his book “War on Freedom”.
Along the way, I have learned many ugly truths about my country especially where it’s foreign policies are concerned.
I have watched as most of America did nothing when our Supreme Court picked our President, disenfranchising every voter in this country. I have watched most Americans continue to do nothing as our constitutional freedoms are washed away by this administration and the so-called “USA Patriot Act”. I watch the lack of response from the people and the media on the attack on America on September 11, 2001. I watch this bullying oil/military lobbying cartel called our administration tell us that to ask questions is “unpatriotic” and threaten us with arrest for dissenting. I have interviewed average Americans who have been stopped from flying because their names turned up on the “No Fly List” as discussed with Matthew Rothschild on my show barely two weeks ago. I have reported the stories of the new McCarthyism happening here in America in 2002. I have followed the “legitimate” news services on our “non-action” or “non-response” to warnings prior to September 11. I have interviewed people who have spent months researching all this information and put it together to make quite an ugly picture. So ugly, in fact, that most Americans psyche’s cannot handle it. Yes, conspiracy theories abound, but with the recent defections within the FBI and CIA, obviously there is more to consider than conspiracy theories.
Last week I interviewed Nafeez Ahmed on his book “The War on Freedom”. I thought it was the best compilation of FACTS I have seen or read so far on September 11th. Due to my web–cast I’ve read many books, articles and stories. Through a series of notes, letters, newsgroups and plain old intuition, I realized that Nafeez’s work was being “shunned” due to his name. How ridiculous is that?
If we are truly to begin understanding the events that led up to where we are in world history today, we cannot get stuck on pre-programmed prejudices and boundaries set into place decades ago by religion and politics. Truth is truth. It matters not who speaks it, truth can be felt, seen, touched and realized. If we are to discriminate against any source of truth, then all is already lost. The human race can just continue racing towards extinction. With the lack of water and food added to by the devastating effects of global warming and war covering up the very things we need to know about to survive, it surely looks imminent. Yet there are heroes popping up every day.
Heroes know no boundaries. What defines a hero? An ordinary person doing extraordinary things. Male, female, black, white, red, yellow, Christian, Buddhist, Islamic, Muslim, Jewishéé.what does it matter?
It seems that today in America most of the heroes that have spoken out have ended up being heroines é WOMEN. Does that make them any less credible? Was Cynthia McKinney proven to be correct after all? Coleen Rowley? Diane Feinstein? Nancy Pelosi? Meria Heller? There are cultures on the planet that would find that offensive. However, I doubt that the Creator cares whether the truth is told by any particular being based on some pre-conceived ideas of “divine authority”.
Let’s take a look at the planet, yes Earth herself. Right now there are many wars being fought in the name of “God” or “religion”. How religious or godly can any war be when innocent civilians are being killed? Women? Children? Old? Young? Do you see “God” in any of this? One of my guests said it best, I believe it was Stan Goff “all wars are fought in the name of G.O.D., gold, oil and drugs”. Pretty sad, isn’t it?
Martin Luther King, Jr. said “democracy cannot exist, unless it exists for all people worldwide”. He knew what he spoke of. True democracy. Not the democracy that our Administration demands of other countries while denying the rights of Americans at home. True democracy. Where all people and their needs are cared for. Where the planet, and all other living species are cared for. I’m talking about health care for all, food for all, clothing, shelter and safety for all. Not just Americans. Not just Israeli’s. Not just Europeans, but for ALL.
Every fifty minutes in America a child starves to death. Every month over 50,000 children die worldwide because of starvation. How many more deaths can we add to this list if we include the horrors inflicted on other nations of PEOPLE through sanctions? How about the 18 year high unemployment in America due to jobs going away thanks to the NAFTA treaty and WTO? Slave labor? Prison labor? Horrific third world working conditions both abroad and here at home in the U.S.A. thanks to the corporate greed of companies like Wal-Mart? Enron? Microsoft? They are just a tip of the iceberg, not singled out as any worse than most corporations.
Add to this list a secret government. No, not the recent exposed Shadow Government, but the secret government. The one that refuses to answer any questions, provide any cooperation with investigations, the one that works in tandem with the corporate owned media to keep their own citizens uninformed and misinformed on the world. The one that bullies from the “pulpit” that to ask questions is to put one’s life in danger as a traitor/dissenter/terrorist. What would the founders of this country think of this administration? From their own writings you can imagine what they would think.
There are many sides to each story, and perhaps both sides of every argument does have valid points. However, being “right” isn’t going to fix what is wrong with the entire system. Only people who exercise their brains, compassion and humanity can fix what is wrong with this world. Mohandas Gandhi knew the power of peaceful protest. He led a nation. There have been many who have walked the Earth who taught the lessons of the “peaceful warrior”.
It is now time in human history and/or survival for all people of the planet to become “peaceful warriors” and stand up. There is much you can do. I discuss the options at length in my show which I provide five days a week and in archived forms out of a sense of duty to my fellow humans and the passion of my soul. Please awaken your own sense of duty and passion for all living things before it is too late.
I will continue to be a “voice for the voiceless”. Will you join me?
Meria Heller is MMN‘s columnist and one of the most popular web–caster on the Internet. She hosts an international web–cast heard in over sixty countries, and has for over two years now. She believes in truth, justice and humanitarianism for all living things.
Related Interview (s):
Meria Heller interviews Nafeez Ahmed
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