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"Roman Holiday" |
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by Author: Gregory Koger; Submitted by Brian Dolinar
Email: brian.dolinar (nospam) cgu.edu (unverified!)
Phone: (217) 355-7947 (Brian)
Address: 204 S. Lynn St, Champaign 61820 |
08 Sep 2005
Modified: 12:00:57 PM |
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Another commentary from beyond the prison walls of Pontiac, Illinois. "Roman Holiday" by Gregory Koger is a scathing denuciation of the Bush administration's handiling of hurricane Katrina. Originally contacted through the Books to Prisoners project, he also has an article in this month's Public i newspaper. |
Roman Holiday
By Gregory Koger
As the nation and the world watches the indescribable suffering and destruction in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, as thousands of men, women, and children huddled in the deluged, trash-strewn streets without food or water, as many gave their last breaths amid the shattered glass and rubble of cities flooded, wind-wounded, and burning to the ground—Emperor Bush the Younger sat in his imperial holiday palace, fiddling.
There were no “bread and games” in the Colosseum, only tens of thousands of dehydrated and starved citizens seeking refuge. With the Imperial Army stretched across the globe seeking to expand the Empire and secure loot and plunder for the Patricians, the Emperor was more concerned with his colonial adventures in Mesopotamia than the conflagration engulfing the nation.
Sadly, everyone knows that this isn’t simply an exercise in creative historical fiction, but an all-too-real allegorical description of the disgusting and despicable situation existing right now in this country. Thousands of our own friends and family lie dying in the streets of America and Iraq, while George W. Bush and his imperialist clique stand in front of the cameras and blatantly lie to the people. As we all watch thousands of our people starving in squalor, the propaganda machine spins on about the “wonderful” relief efforts in the American South and the “victory” in Iraq. While we sit and watch with our own eyes, thousands of children, grandmothers, fathers, cousins, aunts, sisters, and brothers are literally starving before our cameras and soldiers are returning in caskets.
How long will the people accept this? How long will the people allow this incompetence, indifference, and negligence to continue? How long will the people acquiesce and allow this government to continue acting in their names?
The Bush administration would have us believe that it can launch an invasion on the other side of the globe at a moment’s notice, yet it cannot bring water, food, and shelter to Americans in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast? The government can move tons of equipment and transport hundreds of thousands of troops 10,000 miles across oceans and over continents, yet it cannot help our own citizens that are only hundreds of miles away inside America?
It is truly unfortunate that it would take such an overwhelming humanitarian tragedy to expose the lies and complete incompetence of this government in such an overt way. The stark images of those suffering in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina sharply contrast with those of George W. Bush and his obsequious sycophants who hold photo-ops and press conferences with smiles on their faces but evil in their hearts.
I truly hope that these scenes have opened the eyes of America. It’s time to take action and demand some serious changes in this government. How much longer are we going to watch our country burn to the ground while the Emperor sits in his holiday palace and fiddles away? |
This work is in the public domain |
