Where were you people the last 8 years?

When Bush violated every single Amendment in the Bill of Rights and people protested, they were considered terrorists. There were those who said that the laws Bush passed were necessary in order to protect our country from additional terrorists attacks and if you didn't agree with those laws you were most likely a terrorist at worst or terrorist sympathizer at best.

Quote from John Ashcroft:

"To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty … your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and … give ammunition to America’s enemies.”

The above quote set the tone for many pundits, commentators, and politicians who blindly followed Bush in whatever he did. They regurgitated these words in one form or another over and over again telling those they were referring to, to "Shut up and be a patriot. Let us take your rights or the terrorists will surely win if not."

The PATRIOT Act allows the gov't to come into our homes at anytime under the suspicion of acts of terrorism alone, arrest us, throw us in a secret prison without being charged with anything, we can be tortured, refused representation, denied the right to face our accuser or see the evidence against us.

The FISA Act lets the gov't surveille anyone they want. They just have to SAY your a possible terrorist with no evidence to back it up.

My point is this--Where were all these people that are crying fowl and brazenly condemning the gov't when Bush was wiping his butt with the constitution after signing these bills into law?

Don't get me wrong--I agree with these people that something needs to be done and it needs to be done yesterday. I fully understand their frustrations and fears. I think they are justified in their reactions to the atrocities that have been bestowed upon the American people.

I DON'T CARE which president is doing it. I don't care if you're a conservative, liberal, independent, anarchist or what-have-you. I want to know why, when the federal gov't during the years of 2001-2008 was systematically turning America into something COMPLETELY OPPOSITE of what it is supposed to be, these same people that are condemning the current administration for taking away the rights that have already been taken away didn't say anything then?

Why is it suddenly that starting in January of 2009 up until now, May of 2009 are these people suddenly so upset that our constitution has been defiled? Why are they now claiming they are being treated as unpatriotic when these same people were calling people terrorist lovers from 2001-2008?

Let me be clear: I did not support the Bush administration, and I do not support the Obama administration.

If these same people that were calling others terrorists during the past 8 years had been reacting the way they are now, I'm am about 98% positive that the gov't would not have gotten away with what it has gotten away with.

It makes me so furious that people have been more concerned with partisanship and purposely disagreeing with those who don't share every single opinion that they do in the interest of proving how right they think they are.

It makes me so furious that I was (embarrassingly) yelling at a radio show host through radio, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THE LAST 8 YEARS?!!!"

And now, in the past 5 months we've had these same people crying fowl. Crying that they are being attacked for loving America and everything she holds dear.

I would like to ask, "How does it feel?", but I wont' because I know and it sucks! I also won't say, "Now your getting what you deserve", because they aren't. No one deserves to be crucified for loving their freedom. No one deserves ridicule for demanding our gov't adhere to the constitution they swore to uphold.

But they, those on EVERY SIDE, do deserve to be called a hypocrite.

On the flip side of the coin, why are the people who were so mad at Bush the last 8 years now looking at Obama with admiration in there eyes when he clearly has no intention whatsoever of undoing all the harm Bush did. He is not going to declare these laws unconstitutional because HE VOTED FOR THEM! Why can't people see that?

It's like, now that Obama is in office, the fact that these laws are still in place and still being implemented means that they can just sit back and relax now. As if we suddenly have all of our freedoms back.

Please notice that I am upset at both sides. Please refrain from turning this into a "well those stupid conservatives/liberals..." type of "discussion".


Edit to add: When I say "you people" I don't strictly mean ATS'ers.




[edit on 27-5-2009 by nunya13]

I've been in the same place since Bush senior.

My selfishness and unwavering desire to be left the hell alone keeps me consistent.

Most people who understand what is really going on and who really pulls the strings have "been here the last 8 years." I have understood how things work since Bill Clinton was in office. It has nothing to do with Right and Left.

I've always been here.

Well, not always. But I opposed the Bush administration and now I realize even more so how the Obama administration is continuing all of that mess.

Now I'm fully aware, realizing, that Obama isn't the hope-change candidate he was out to be. I'm more mature, and, I am more serious about it now.

I was quite young and naive at the time. But now I'm different.

Hmmm...interesting. The only one's who seem to respond to this thread are the people who can see through all the bogus partisanship that is acted out in order to divide us. Edit to add: But I do appreciate the responses I have received. Thank you!

Not that I don't want those who can see through the BS to respond, but I'm just disappointed there's no one who just keeps going on an on about how horrible Obama is and how he's turning America into some kind of socialist state, but have not admitted, at all, that Bush is just as much to blame.

I don't really know what I'm going for here, I suppose that I'm just trying to see if these people really don't think that Bush did nothing wrong ever.

I guess what I'm wondering is...Do you only fear a loss of your freedoms when a president from a party you don't support is in office? On the same note....do you think your freedoms are secure as long as a president you support is in office?

[edit on 28-5-2009 by nunya13]