The New King George

February 12, 2002
By Jay R. Cavanaugh, Ph.D.
     

The New King George
February 12, 2002

Once before Americans were forced to confront and fight the tyranny of their government. That government was in England and was headed by a soon to be mad King George.

Following the single most disputed election in United States history, a new King George was placed on his putative throne in Washington. Surrounding this new tyrant are his despised and distrusted lieutenants.

The new Royal Court includes failed politician John Ashcroft as Attorney General, recalcitrant and truculent drug warrior John Waters as Drug Czar, and fellow religious fundamentalist Asa Hutchinson as Chief of the DEA.

This American Taliban led by King (or is it Mullah?) George Bush oppresses the American people in much the same insensitive and unjust fashion as the mad King George of England. Just as the American colonies found their independence and freedoms under assault from England, today Americas sovereign States are under assault from the Washington zealots attempting to run the show on strictly Intra State affairs such as Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act and California’s pioneering Medical Cannabis program.

The new King is no better than the old one. Instead of hiding behind royal robes, our King George hides behind the “war on terror”. It is now clear that the cowardly assault on Americans by real terrorists is being used as the sole rationale for the American Taliban to relentlessly pursue an internal religious crusade that targets the sickest and most vulnerable in our communities. The hastily passed “Patriot Act” is now being applied to the personal affairs of Americans that have nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism. The 4th amendment along with a host of others have been suspended in the name of national security.

Does Congress have the guts to call this King on our expanding tyranny or will our Representatives try to duck out of the fight? Will States Attorney Generals join with Oregon in seeking injunctive relief from Federal overreaching or just measure the polls for the next election? Will voters so fear real terrorists that they will hesitate to throw these new royal rascals out of power?

Today, harm reduction centers and compassion clubs in the Bay Area were raided and shuttered while the Kings lackey Asa Hutchinson came to the City to lay down the law according to the new Washington. The tarnished knights of the DEA had already closed the Los Angeles CRC placing over 900 patients at eminent risk. Just last fall extremists of the Christian right had raided a real Christian, Dr. Mollie Fry, and violated the privacy of thousands of patients. Federal prosecutors doing the new Kings bidding have already convened star-chamber like secret Grand Juries to provide a thin “legal” cover for their assault on States Rights and the sick and dying. What “tea” is about to be thrown into the San Francisco harbor?

It is now past time for our State and Congressional Representatives to act forcefully to protect the Constitutional Rights of the citizenry.

It also time to hold all elected officials immediately accountable for just where they stand on liberty.