From: Joel@[censored by SEF web site]
To: feedback@elmerfudd.usREMOVE
Subject: liked your site
Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 08:31:18 -0600

Greetings, Joel!

> I agree with your points completely. The main problem I have
> is that the standard US response to everything is to impose
> fascism.

Yeah, I had hoped that America was through with doing that after the civil rights movement and the anti-vietnam movement made such progress. Now we're back to square number 1.

> Terrorist attacks in the US? Just take away a few more rights,
> and keep taking away more rights, until we're safe.

The thing is, Joel, Americans are _giving_ the Bush regime our Constitutional rights. Half of America has committed suicide and the rest of us are dragged down into fascism because of them.

This regime didn't take our rights, liberties, and freedoms away from us at the end of a gun: Half of America handed all of our rights away without a wimper.

> One has to disregard Ben Franklin's quote about trading freedom
> for safety ("Those that give up their freedom for a little safety
> deserve neither freedom or safety"), but what the heck. The ends
> and the means, and all of that.

Yeah. Thing is, America is 1000 times _less_ safe because of the Bush regime despite "USA PATRIOT Act" and other fascist acts that nullify our rights.

We've had other Presidents suspend the right of Habius Corpus (or however it's spelled) yet they did so when America was _truly_ under a legitimate and demonstrable threat. And when the legitimat threat was over, American's rights were re-established.

Under this fascist regime, we'll never regain our rights, freedoms, and liberties.

> I suspect that if people follow the advice on your website,
> the immediate reaction will not be contrition, but it will
> be a demand for more restrictions.

Probably. One thing I don't want to see any more is people setting fire to people's SUVs and stuff. I like the idea of these things burning, but I don't like vandalism or arson, nor the pollution that results. But among the major reasons why I don't like to see people strike back unproductively against Elmers is exactly what you suggest: It gives the fascist regime an air or degree of legitimacy to further strangle our rights.

> Remember the story beind Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle?"

No, I never read it though I've read other Sinclair stuff.

> It was a book about the horrible ways meat plant workers were
> treated. People read the book, they were outraged, and
> immediately they reacted, missing the point. Conditions didn't
> improve for meat plant workers. Laws were passed because people
> were outraged -- not at how the workers were treated, but at how
> filthy the meat plants were.

Ah, interesting. I've made a note to look for the book when the library here reopens (it's closed for the rest of this week.)

> In other words, while I agree with your premise, I don't think
> the reaction will be what you want.

Well, if someone who thought burning SUVs was a good idea has read the web site and thinks putting bumper stickers on them is better, that's a plus.

But seriously, web sites like this one are insignificant and virtually invisible. Web sites like FUH2.COM and StopSUVs.ORG kind of carve out a plot of land on Internet that caters to the people who already agree or mostly agree; I don't think much mind changing takes place on the Internet.

> In the end, these things go in cycles. In a few years, people
> will lose interest in the gas hogs and move onto something
> else equally as stupid.

I hope so. The price of gasoline should help.

> What can you do until then? About what you're doing. You'll
> never convince the Elmers, however, you might convince some
> people on the fence not to buy SUVs.

If people who are planning to purchase an SUV were to read something like, "High and Mighty: SUVs -- The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way," that would convince all of them not to buy one. But web sites don't have the ability to make Elmers think.

Thanks for the note!

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