- For most of my life I have been a "library regular",
visiting sometimes several days weekly over many years. Often, I have check
out several books in a day, and depending upon the length of each, finished
them all within a few days and went back for more.
-
- My curiosity has always been very wide ranged and therefore
the books I've read have been on topics of history, science, biographies,
non-fiction and fiction subjects.
-
- Since the first Patriot Act became LAW, and we were told
about the 'invasion' of libraries and the 'danger' of being targeted depending
upon which books we have been reading, my personal choice was to not visit
libraries at all. This is of course a major loss to me and I'm sure to
the millions of people who have enjoyed our FREE Libraries.
-
- Over the past three years, there have been so many new
books advertised which I would immediately think to "check out"
at our local library. But then when I remember the risk of being "investigated"
because of just the "title" of some books which our government
may deem as possible terrorist or unpatriotic material, it stopped me from
going to our library.
-
- Also, I would think to just buy a book, and then remember
that book stores are also being 'monitored', so I didn't go there either.
-
- The sadness I would instantly feel when backing off from
what had been a life-long part of my normal activities was and is now even
as I write about it, almost physically debilitating. I mean, I actually
feel sick to my stomach!
-
- As one who has written many articles encouraging others
to stand up and speak out and stop these madmen from destroying our freedoms,
I now feel that I too have succumbed to the fear that has kept so many
Americans silent about our fearsome fate at the hands of our own government.
-
- Until now, I had truly been unafraid. Until now, I had
not been stopped from doing anything by fear of being a "person of
interest" to any branches of law enforcement in our country.
-
- This realization today, however, that I am not visiting
our library and am not buying books at our book shops has brought an undeniable
truth for me to face and try to decide how to reconcile it with my previous
bold declarations that we must live FREE and we must be brave and we must
do whatever it takes to stop the ruination of our country.
-
- Well, folks, I offer my most humble apology to those
I may have offended in my previous articles when I was boldly advocating
standing up and speaking out.
-
- I am too old to survive being tasered.
-
- I am too old to survive the rigors of prison life.
-
- But worse, my spirit has been crushed at the realization
that I have been defeated by my own fear of losing the last freedom, i.e.,
living a life untethered by fear of our own government.
-
- I write this today to both say good-bye to my readers
and to explain why I won't be writing for online postings again.
-
- Thanks to those of you who were complimentary and supportive
of my previous articles. I hope other writers will continue bravely, but
I have hit the wall in my own crusade on behalf of all of us who want to
keep our country free.
-
- I still say what we need is a full blown revolution.
-
- But revolutions are bloody, too. And while I like to
think I would participate in a revolution, the reality is that if I cannot
even make myself go to a library...well, you can see my dilemma.
|
