By Irving Leemon, Contributing Columnist
When is this country falling apart? When people can’t go to the Hollywood bowl because drunken clowns paw women and security does nothing to expel or retain the offenders. When people riot when they find out that they can’t get into a show inHollywood, or get into sporting events.
When “their” team loses or wins. When a group of “fans” decide that someone rooting for the “other team” deserves to be beat to within an inch of his life. When an American “soldier” decides to shoot up an army base. When another American “soldier” decides that he is going to blow up his “fellow” men in arms.
When more and more people are getting away with murder (drive-bys are an example). When people who swore an oath to uphold the law and to serve and protect the CITIZENS of the United States, and to take another oath, and hold to that other oath, which does put those CITIZENS in jeopardy. When the highest court in the land allows nonhuman entities (corporations) to donate unlimited funds to political candidates while limiting individual CITIZEN’S ability to donate to those politicians.
When states attempt to dissolve unions and citizen’s rights to bargain collectively with their employers. When corporations are given tax breaks that allow them to avoid paying taxes, and for sending jobs outside of the U.S. When more and more money and power is given to fewer and fewer people. When the requirements for graduation from schools are lowered so that graduates, CITIZENS, cannot qualify for a job, and that job is either sent outside of theU.S., or given to a non-CITIZEN. When the cost of a higher degree is placed out of the reach of most CITIZENS, while offering that education at a discount and/or help with paying for a higher education to NON-CITIZENS.
When measures are attempted to be placed on the ballot that interfere with a CITIZEN’S right to practice his/her religion. When members of the press publically try and convict the accused as soon as they are publically suspected of a crime, thereby denying a CITIZEN’S right to face their accusers in court, being presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law, and to a fair and impartial trial. That’s when this country is falling apart.