Is no one viscerally offended by fascist elements creeping into our lives?

Isaac J. Conner - A voice on the speaker tonight at Sheetz informs everyone that security is monitoring all of us and to have a nice night, DHS ask us to report "suspicious activity" at Walmarts and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight to reminders that we should be afraid of one another but not of our paranoid government. And yet, no one is viscerally offended by these fascist elements creeping into our lives.

Lauryn Beth Faulkner ‎- 1984. It's getting scary. Hell, it's BEEN scary.

Isaac J. Conner - The scariest part, to me, is that everyone else seems to be generally alright with this. It's as if they are walking zombies, with no conscious ability to recognize when they are being manipulated.

Lauryn Beth Faulkner - You're right about that. Apathy is KILLING this country.

Wendy Frederici ‎- @Lauryn I think that's my new favorite quote. Apathy IS killing this country. And I admit that I am pretty apathetic. There is so much inherently wrong with our government and I feel very small and insignificant in comparison. I know my vote counts and all that... Well, shit, Isaac. I just hijacked your post. lol Sorry, dude.

Lauryn Beth Faulkner - That's how they control us. They make us feel insignificant, helpless, hopeless. They make us believe that the only way to fix the economy and the environment is for the Federal government to do it.
We are many and they are few. All people have to do is realize that we only think we have no power and it would all be over for them.

Jeanine Valencia - It's not the elite that bring about the change we need, its us...you, me, my neighbor, your neighbor. While we are so busy trying to make ends meet, keeping food on the table, a roof over our heads, will we take a moment to stand up and say enough is enough? Not an excuse, it's the reality. They want us busy, they want us poor, they want us feeling like we are powerless, they want us to believe that that little itty bitty vote will change the way of the land...all the while their wiping their asses with our hard earned money.

Lauryn Beth Faulkner - I always ask people where is the line?

Janet Texas - Don't you find it funny that people seem to have all the time in the world to make comments on Facebook, but they're "too busy" to phone, email, or write to their local, state, or federal representatives to tell them what they want? If everyone who made one comment today on Facebook, also made one call to one of their representatives be it their mayor or governor or congressman, perhaps politicians would start to take notice. I make it a point to communicate in some way with some elected official at least once a week - and that doesn't include also communicating with some corporation I feel is screwing us.

Lauryn Beth Faulkner - I fax, call, write hand written letters, go to protests, join organizations, volunteer, fund raise, ect ect.
I'm a pest. It kills me that people think that "liking" a cause on facebook does a damn thing.

Lauryn Beth Faulkner - I've been advocating for a Cracker Barrel boycott because they have it written into their hiring policy that they don't employ gay people because it is against their values.

Isaac J. Conner - I like my ability to remain calm in various storms of life, but I do occasionally erupt. Tonight I asked the gentleman behind the counter if he experienced any kind of cognitive dissonance when hearing this fear-based tripe at work. He basically said that there are some scary customers that come in late at night and it makes him feel safe to have these announcements. After I rhetorically asked, "where does this end?" he gave the obligatory "I know what you're saying" comment.
I do not live in NYC. This is a town of 30,000 people. Shall I wear a shirt with the Benjamin Franklin quote, "Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither." and would he even understand it? What has to happen for our brothers and sisters to wake up?

Isaac J. Conner - Janet, that works for people like you and me that are active citizens, but what does it take to inspire the rest of our countrymen?

Wendy, as a self-described apathetic, does knowing that there are some of us acting on those things for which we are passionate have any effect on you?

Janet Texas ‎- @Lauryn - you are so right!! I went ballistic over the recent Facebook idea to change your profile picture to a cartoon character to show your "awareness" of child abuse. Huh? really, how does changing your profile picture help some poor kid who's getting his head bounced off a wall every day? What exactly does "being aware" of something accomplish if you aren't willing to actually do something constructive about it?

Lauryn Beth Faulkner - I did that just because having Daria as a pic was fun, but I totally agree. People are "aware" these things go on. People need to be enraged that they go on and DO SOMETHING about it.

Janet Texas - Well it would have been nice if everyone said - I changed my picture AND made a contribution to my local women's and children's shelter.

Lauryn Beth Faulkner - or volunteered at one. That's what I do through a church.

Jeanine Valencia - I hope we get our shit straight, before China pulls it out our ass.

Jeanine Valencia - Just sayin'...

Derrick Shearer - ok , i am confused!.. great thread though. I think any organization or place of employment(civilian) should be allowed to hire or enroll whomever they chose. I also think they should be able to create an organization or company based on how they want to run things.If they chose to hire only gays or no gays or only allow boys into boy scouts or hot women into hooters or only intelligent life into NASA or only cross dressers into LIPS then that is their right. You do not have to join their staff or be involved in any fashion if you disagree with how they choose to run things however; i feel that saying that the goverment should go in and mandate how they run the show is 1000% wrong! We have enough big brother mandates so i vote no thank you on that one!

Janet Texas ‎- @Derrick - I think we did things that way once. It was called segregation and discrimination and it denied blacks access to schools and jobs keeping them under-educated and under-employed and poor. It was great for the white people - for black people it didn't work so well.

Derrick Shearer - there is a slight difference.Public education is a government run instituion. Day cares are privately ran. If a daycare does not want to hire pedophiles that is their right to have their company profile set up the way they choose, unless so...mone can proove that being a pedofile is not a choice and that their sexual orentation should be respected and should not discriminate them. I am old fashion- when i hear gay people talk about themselves and say it is not my fault, i think..fault? no it is not a fault at all..it is a choice..but that is how i feel. I also think alcoholism is not a disease...do they wake up alcholics or hoarders? no....if sperm is donated from a gay person and an egg from a lesbian is taken and they are placed in a test tube and the child is raised by a 3rd party are they going to be gay based on genetics alone? i think no..maybe i am wrong.maybe it is a coincidence that almost all strippers had child abuse...or maybe that is a gentic predispostion as well.That is not what i was talking about..i am saying if i set up a company and i have policy on who i want to represent my company it should be my choice. Example; i start "Derricks Platinum Blonde Dating Service" and i require all of my employees to have blonde hair..who can has the right to tell me i am discrimintating and must hire brunetttes?

James Berkheimer - I just want to point out that we did go through a period like this in recent history. The "Red scare" looks eerily like our recent islamophobia. It's deeply in bedded in the American psychology to have a deep insecurity that causes this f...ear that our country is on the verge of collapse even when it is the most powerful country on the planet.

I personally don't have any fear that our country is in decline. A study of history and the current political and economic environment will show this. I am more concerned with the willful ignorance and the lack of compassion that has become a staple of a segment of the population. This is what leads to the fear mongering. But this is just but a passing phase. The best way to fight it is to promote knowledge and understanding.

Oh, and for those who are afraid of China. Don't believe the hype and fear factory that is the media. Study the country and it's history. They are far more reliant on the US than we are of them. Also, they are always very close to civil unrest due to the HUGE regional income disparity in that country.