"The group who spoke here the other day did not represent the American ideals of freedom, liberty and spreading that around the world," Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican, told the crowd. "I frankly don't know what they represent, other than to blame America first."
This statement was made on Sunday, Sept. 25, at a pro-war rally in Washington, D.C., and of course, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions was right in the middle of it, proudly proclaiming the "ideals" not of America, but of the pro-war movement.
See, in America, there are different political parties (at least by name), and there are different opinions, and there is this thing we like to call the First Amendment, which gives us a freedom of speech, which can be used as a freedom to dissent.
Using this American freedom angers the pro-war movement, as can by seen by signs at the rally stating, "Arrest the Traitors," with a list of names like "Cindy Sheehan."
So by using an American right to free speech to dissent a war and attempt to bring our troops home - alive - this is seen by Sessions and the pro-war movement as a form of treason.
Sessions' statement was in response to an anti-war protest that occurred the day before, in which Cindy Sheehan was one of the speakers. And the reason that I referred to Sessions as an "idiot" in the title is because of the part where he said, "I frankly don't know what they represent, other than to blame America first."
Using phrases like "blame America first" make him sound more like a political pundit rather than a US Senator. The "blame America first" phrase has been the slogan of talking heads like Sean Hannity for quite a while now,and for a US Senator to start using the phrase automatically lowers his respect level, and makes him look foolish. It is as if he is in Washington, getting first-hand information on what is really going on at the highest levels of government,but he still has to take his talking points from Fox News. It is rather pathetic.
He also said, "I frankly don't know what they represent..." It was an anti-war protest. They represent the anti-war movement. They represent peace. They represent the support of our troops. Senator Sessions may be able to sleep at night
knowing that he helped and continues to help send troops off to war to die, but some of us don't like to see our troops die. Some of us feel that putting a yellow ribbon on your car does not make it all right for our young people to die.
I have heard people try to justify this war by saying things like "they hate us because of our freedoms," but it sounds like the pro-war movement hates America's freedom of speech. Maybe Sessions and his followers should think long and hard before calling others "traitors."
more info:
Sessions: Anti-war demonstrators 'Blame America First'
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