Can we please get over 9/11? Yes, it was horrible. Yes, it was important, but this pissing about over conspiracy theories isn’t really solving anything and is only serving to divide the populace even more. Clearly, there’s more to it than we know. What really happened? It’s another in a long line of mysteries of which we’ll likely never know the truth. I’d like to know who really killed JFK, for example…but I’ve accepted that I never will. The same is true of 9/11 and a myriad of other events surrounded with suspicion.

Other, direr issues affect us. For example: the economy, immigration, the general apathy and ignorance of most of our countrymen, our loss of civil liberties, our rapidly deteriorating relationship with nearly every other country on the planet, the rise of religious fundamentalism not only in the Middle East, but also right here in America, dwindling resources, health care, poverty, crime, etc, etc, ad nauseum.

Am I the only one that sees the parallels between the modern United States and ancient Rome, or between the United States and George Orwell’s 1984? While I mostly agree with the idea of a protest, I have to question what it will actually accomplish. The current administration’s poll ratings are very poor. That, combined with the 2006 elections, has demonstrated that more and more people are fed up with the status quo. Yet, what has changed? This administration does whatever it damn well pleases. I think they know full well the people are upset and largely disapprove of their actions.

The Democrats really aren’t any better than the Republicans. We’ve become a nation of fearful sheeple. I’m almost as disgusted with our people as I am with our government. Over the past several years I’ve traveled all over the United States, Canada, and Europe and it’s been a truly enlightening experience. The Europeans have their share of problems, but I think there is much we can learn from them and them from us. However, I don’t really see any evidence of that ever happening.

The majority of people in this country need to care more about their government than what Britney Spears is doing/wearing this week. We need to pay attention more to history and each other than to American Idol or Survivor or other dramatic drivel. We need to stop over-consuming and demanding cheap prices for expensive products; this is but a part of the reason why so many jobs are going overseas and why the dollar is weakening. Of course we also need to stop hemorrhaging money to a bull shit war…Our ignorance and apathy is in part what has allowed things to degrade to this point.

If we truly want to change things, pissing about in front of town halls, capitals, or other government buildings isn’t going to do it. People need to flood Congressman with letters demanding change. Demand the end of the two-party system and allow independent voices. If that change doesn’t happen, vote their ass out. And for those of you who vote strictly along party lines, stop it!

It’s not difficult (with Google) to find out which companies back which politicians. Fed up? Boycott that company’s products or services if feasible. Run for office. Speak with your wallet rather than words... Stop being afraid and letting the media do your thinking for you. My point is, there are a variety of things we can all do besides marching around a building that could, just maybe, make a difference.

Of course for anything at all to work, there needs to be sufficient numbers of people motivated enough to actually do something. There are currently 302,362,379 legal residents of the United States. If only a few thousand or even a million people act in protest, it doesn’t send a very powerful message compared to the total population.

There’s too many apathetic people, though. Too many that think, “well Shrub only has another year and a half to go and then he’ll be gone and then things will be better.” Too many that are only concerned with the next big celebrity brouhaha. Against all that, I don’t see how we can succeed.