Because, sir, I have been looking for you, for more than a week now, to address this growing and disturbing trend we are all seeing across the nation.
From Zuccotti Liberty Park in NYC to the campus of University of California at Berkley - police officers in full riot gear are trampling on the civil rights of American citizens, brutalizing them with unwarranted pepper spraying, physically assaulting while they are expressing their inalienable Right to Peaceful Assembly.
Where are you, President Obama, on the use of the nation's police forces to coerce Citizens to obey Government, even in the face of widespread national discontent with the current situation in These United States.
I realize, that as President of The United States, it is not your job to micro-manage police forces in municipalities across the land.
But isn't it still your job to Lead the Nation, in matters of national merit?
Is this not one of those moments?
When up to tens of thousands of US Citizens take to the streets in a last ditch effort to have their voices heard above the thunderous racket of the wealthy 1% and their Citizens v United-fueled propaganda...
does it not behoove the Executive Branch of Government to respond to this outcry from the Citizenry?
How shameful is it, that in the land of the Free and the home of the Brave, setting foot to concrete, raising your voice in conjunction with your fellow Citizens, and marching about town, or simply sitting down and refusing to move until someone in authority does something about the egregious situation in our nation is now an act of such criminality that the response from municipal police forces is across-the-board to use chemical weapons on these peaceful protesters?
Mr. President, The People have spoken.
We are awaiting your response.
Please see this other police brutality diary by swellsman. It is well worth reading and has a vigorous comment section.
UPDATE
For those who are under the impression that I've asked the President to "take a side" on the issue of #Occupy... you are mistaken. See this comment in the diary by me, for perhaps a better explanation of what I am asking for.
Comment contents:
I'm not requesting that the President address the issue of #Occupy at all.
I'm asking him to take a stand for the Citizens of These United States who are being brutalized by the members of the various state and city police forces.
What we are seeing in video after video are peaceful protesters with NO WEAPONS of any kind, bearing signs, marching and chanting or simply sitting down - who are summarily beaten by baton, pepper-sprayed at random, rushed by horse-mounted riot-gear police forces and otherwise brutally treated via less than lethal gunfire and chemicals.
Seriously. If we were seeing images from, say, Egypt, displaying the exact same scenes, President Barack Obama would be on TV decrying the use of violence against peaceful protesters.
He has, in fact, already done so - back in February January 2011, after Tahrir Square.
I'm merely asking he do the same for my fellow Americans.
UPDATE
The following is from www.whitehouse.gov - the President's website.
Dateline: January 28, 2011
Remarks by President Barack Obama
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release January 28, 2011
Remarks by the President on the Situation in Egypt
State Dining Room
6:33 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Good evening, everybody. My administration has been closely monitoring the situation in Egypt, and I know that we will be learning more tomorrow when day breaks. As the situation continues to unfold, our first concern is preventing injury or loss of life. So I want to be very clear in calling upon the Egyptian authorities to refrain from any violence against peaceful protestors.
The people of Egypt have rights that are universal. That includes the right to peaceful assembly and association, the right to free speech, and the ability to determine their own destiny. These are human rights. And the United States will stand up for them everywhere.
Need I say more?