Trucks want Obama removed from office? Watch video.

[klaasend]

IMO, Sarah Palin is why Obama was elected in the first place.  The GOP shooting themselves in the foot is why Obama won his 2nd term.  Sara Palin, Ted Cruz and the rest of the Tea Baggers will be the reason Hillary Clinton (or whoever the Democratic nominee is) will be elected in 2016. 

The minute Sara Palin was chosen as McCain's running mate, I told everyone including Red the election was over.  I was right 

[klaasend]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Million-Vet-March-on-the-Memorials/539097822833735?ref=stream

Million Vet March on the Memorials

Official statement from the organizers:

Million Vet March on the Memorials · 64,112 like this
Yesterday at 6:00am ·

    Dear Americans,

    Today you rally here to honor our Veterans. The joy and honor that you display for America's beloved Veterans has touched everyone of us in the Brats For Veterans Advocacy group. 10 Days ago, we asked three things of you: 1) To gather and rally across this great nation, 2) To sign our petition to demand from our government to keep open the memorials for Veterans and 3) do these marches in a peaceful, non-political way. We have sought to facilitate and moderate and keep all Americans that joined our Facebook page and our website working together toward a common cause. It has been one of the toughest weeks of all of our lives! We have heard and dealt with extremists on both sides.

    For some, it is hard to separate the politics from the issue at hand. Some will blame the President, some will blame the Congress. Make no mistake about it Americans. We, as Americans, voted everyone of our elected officials into office. We are ALL responsible for this mess. It is up to us, as Americans to correct this mess. We all have opinions, but we need to drop them and get to the business of fixing what is wrong with our government, not what is wrong with America. America is a great nation with people from all over the world and to blame one party, faction or group over another is counter productive to democracy in a Constitutional republic.

    Why were Veterans prevented from visiting their memorials and monuments dedicated in their honor? We don't know. We would really like to know the justification for why this was done. However, to us, it is one issue. Monuments, Memorials and Parks dedicated to honor the sacrifices of our American Veterans and their brothers and sisters-in-arms know NO politics.

    To shut down the memorials to our Veterans is the greatest dishonor to Americans who have gallantly served on the field of battle and those that have laid down their lives in the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow man for the cause of freedom. It is also of the highest dishonor to those who currently serve, who are under enemy fire every day in battlefields abroad and those military spouses and their children that are left behind. As military brats, we all faced the possibility of one or both of our parents not coming home as a result of military action. It was a huge burden to carry most of our lives.

    It is our official position that the purpose of this march and the accompanying rallies is focused on the re-opening of the Veterans memorials and keeping them open. While we understand that a Constitutional republic requires the equilibrium of checks and balances to maintain the democratic process, the memorials, monuments and parks built in honor of Veterans should NEVER be closed, blocked or restricted from use. We take the official position that no government office holder shall have ability to abridge the freedom of access to these hallowed grounds.

    We have, as a group, been prevented from certain groups that have piggy-backed off our grassroots efforts, to effectively create a comprehensive media message campaign. We made the mistake of trying to partner with some Washington insiders that thwarted many of our genuine concerns for keeping this apolitical and grassroots. While we support many of those groups common causes for Veterans, we do not support the manner in which they go about it. We chose instead to not incite or create panic.

    We chose to listen to all Americans and all Veterans that have asked us to keep going on despite the disingenuous politicians, political action committees, talking heads on the televisions and press reports attempting to hijack the message. This included many threats of personal and political attacks on our group's character, businesses, colleagues and our true intentions. While our hearts were heavy by the disheartening acts of a few powerful Washington elite and political extremists jumping on the opportunity to make money, we decided to stay true to our message of a non-partisan effort to assist Veterans.

    We chose to listen to those WWII Veterans that were prevented from accessing the World War II memorial on the first day after the government shutdown. Who, instead of gratitude and thanks for a lifetime of selfless sacrifice, were greeted by barricades, fences and uniformed officers preventing them from enjoying the memorial to them and their fallen comrades. Memorials that are always open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

    We chose to listen to the Korean War Veteran that was suffering from complications of stage 4 cancer telling us "Do not let your spirit be dampened by personal or political attacks. You can choose to stand or fight. Standing does not move you forward. Semper Fi!"

    We chose to listen to the Vietnam Veteran's spouse that said to us "I'm sorry but I am disabled. My husband, a Vietnam Veteran, died last year from a long term illness from complications of Agent Orange. I cannot be there but I want you to know that I support you and my husband who I know would support you."

    We chose to listen to the Iraqi war Veteran, a double amputee, that stated he would love to go but is instead participating in a 10K race in his hometown to support breast cancer awareness. A person dedicated to selfless service despite his circumstances.

    We chose to listen to the Veteran struggling to make ends meet in Nottawa, Michigan that could not afford the gas, food or hotel to get to Washington DC, but will instead support us in our online grassroots efforts in his hometown.

    We chose to act for the 5 year old daughter of an active duty member expressing her support; telling us to "March On Brats!"

    We chose to act, not simply because we are military brats, but because we are Americans. Americans proud and honored at the sacrifice of all American veterans. To dishonor our Veterans is the same as dishonoring our parents. We are proud to be of service to our parents. We choose not to let them down in this grave time of need.

    We were asked many times why we did not come forward and be talking heads for a political group. Well, the answer is simple, we chose not to be part of the Washington politics-as-usual, personal attack behavior that has continuously persisted in this country. We are not politicians, nor will we choose that route.

    None of us enjoy being in the spotlight, some of us work in the intelligence community in defense of this country and some our family members work in sensitive government positions. We prefer to live quiet, unassuming lives supporting our families; lives that we have put on hold until this dilemma is fixed. We chose instead to put the spotlight on Veterans and access to their memorials by facilitating and coordinating activities of all supporters of our effort.

    At some point in the very near future, we will choose a figurehead for our group to assume a more public profile to talk to the media.

    Make no mistake about it. We will do this again. This will not be the only time we assemble peacefully for this cause. We will rally until the change is made. Our voice will only get stronger. Our resolve will only harden. Our love for our Veterans will only deepen.

    We will continue to ask for your support on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Million-Vet-March-on-the-Memorials/539097822833735 and our Million Vet March site at http://1mvetmarch.wordpress.com/. We will take up the slack on singularly focused issues where it is needed. And Americans, there is a lot of work to do!

    If you are at a rally, we ask that you turn to your left and right and thank each other for their support. If there is a Veteran beside you, thank them from every American. If you are online or on your mobile apps at a rally, share with us your story, pictures and video on our Facebook page at Million Vet March on the Memorials. Flood our Facebook page and our Twitter account at http://twitter.com/1MVetMarch .

    Thank you for your service, sacrifice and selfless support,
    Brats For Veterans Adocacy

[MuffyBee]

 "Freedom of Speech" and civil disobedience are two different things imo. The act of the truckers slowing down or stopping traffic (if they were driving below the minimum posted speed limit or stopping in the road) is civil disobedience and it's not freedom of speech.   We have freedom of speech and should not be penalized for it.  However, if you want to protest and do things like stopping or slowing down traffic (below the speed limit), to make yourself heard, that would fall under civil disobedience and you should be prepared for the consequences for breaking the law.  Some people go into it knowing and expecting the consequences and it may very well be worth it for them to achieve their goal.
 I guess what I was going at earlier about the truckers is, if they want to do a slow down etc., they need to follow the laws and when they don't they should expect the consequences.  Slogger was right about them not making much of a point if they went over to a park, protested and went home.  It wouldn't be effective.  Holding up traffic is definitely an attention getter.  I think we're on the same page for part of the thought process.  It's not practicing freedom of speech to hold up traffic if they stop or drive slower than the speed limit nor is it their right to do so.   That's against the law and falls under civil disobedience and they should expect consequences.  It may be worth it to them to make their point.   ::justice2nj2::eive a ticket, be arrested etc., (the consequence) my rights as a citizen are preserved in a sense.  What I think had my attention was Slogger saying by holding up traffic, the truckers were practicing freedom of speech. That isn't freedom of speech, it's breaking the law.   Am I making sense here?  The people in the sentence I've bolded in the article below were civilly disobedient and they made change (or tried to) by doing it, but they also paid the price for it.  In other words, and imo only, the truckers weren't practicing free speech and they didn't have a right to hold up traffic.  Those that drove below the speed limit or stopped on the highway completely were practicing a method to try to promote change through civil disobedience.  Through the years I've witnessed people beaten, fire hosed, arrested and etc. as they performed acts of civil disobedience to call attention to their cause.  It can be a high price and one some are willing to pay. 

Civil Disobedience

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20disobedience
civil disobedience noun
: refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something

Examples of CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

In an act of civil disobedience, the family sent its tax money to an antiwar organization.
A student organization is encouraging civil disobedience as a way to get the university to change its policies.

civil disobedience noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)
Refusal to obey government demands or commands and nonresistance to consequent arrest and punishment. It is used especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing government concessions and has been a major tactic of nationalist movements in Africa and India, of the U.S. civil rights movement, and of labour and antiwar movements in many countries. Civil disobedience is a symbolic or ritualistic violation of the law, rather than a rejection of the system as a whole. The civil disobedient, finding legitimate avenues of change blocked or nonexistent, sees himself as obligated by a higher, extralegal principle to break some specific law. By submitting to punishment, the civil disobedient hopes to set a moral example that will provoke the majority or the government into effecting meaningful political, social, or economic change. The philosophical roots of civil disobedience lie deep in Western thought. Cicero, Thomas Aquinas, and John Locke, among others, appealed to systems of natural law that take precedence over the laws created by communities or states (positive law). More modern advocates and practitioners of civil disobedience include Henry David Thoreau, Mohandas K. Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

[Slogger]

IMO, Sarah Palin is why Obama was elected in the first place.  The GOP shooting themselves in the foot is why Obama won his 2nd term.  Sara Palin, Ted Cruz and the rest of the Tea Baggers will be the reason Hillary Clinton (or whoever the Democratic nominee is) will be elected in 2016. 

The minute Sara Palin was chosen as McCain's running mate, I told everyone including Red the election was over.  I was right 

This would make an interesting thread.

The minute Sara Palin was chosen as McCain's running mate, I told everyone including Red the election was over.

What was it that caused you to make this instant decision?

[Slogger]

Muffy,

We don't know exactly what happened because the Press didn't cover it.  I think we could agree on that--the Press didn't give us the information.

I see the Truckers' Protest as a demonstration against the erosion of the Constitution.  The point of the protest seems to have been that they could shutdown DC, and shutdown America--which may be true.  Apparently, the Media decided it "didn't bleed" so it didn't "lead."  There is the question of a partial Media blackout--meaning, Media was told not to cover it.

Your *original* point was concern about unimpeded travel, and equal rights on the highway.  The Truckers' points "seemed" to be erosion of the Constitution, oppressive regulations, exercising their right to free speech and assembly.

With all the Laws, Rules/Regulations, how does anyone address grievances?