Just caught the top of the Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotbe hour of TODAY.  For some reason, they ran a clip of Bush saying he was sorry for the rhetoric he used in the early days of the war/occupation of Iraq.  (Of course, he has no regrets about the actual war/occupation.)

After the clip, Kathie Lee gave examples of the language he was referring to ("bring em on", etc.), but joked that we shouldn't be surprised by 'gunslinger' language like that, since he comes from Texas. Ha Ha.

Then....

"I do not understand why Americans are so complacent and just allow one grievous crime after the next to occur." - WI Dem (in a comment in a diary about the latest outrage: the FBI "NSL" violations).

Who, here, hasn't shared WI Dem's frustration. Not just with "America" as a whole,  but with our friends, families and co-workers.  Of course, there's no single reason for the apparent 'complacency.'  Unfortunately, there are many causes.

I'm wondering if it would be helpful to list some of those reasons and open up a discussion about how each of us can chip away at those obstacles and excuses we hear for inattention and inaction:

Americans are complacent because they/we are:

Forgive the short diary, but I want everyone here to know there is video available of Rep. James McGovern and Rep. Louise Slaughter fighting for the rule of law and for morality in the House today.

Just spoke by phone with a friend who mentioned seeing a promo for Path to 9/11.  I asked her if she was aware of the controversy.  She wasn't.  

My friend is single, and a hard-working teacher.  She can't afford the daily paper and doesn't have much time to watch the news.  Forget about the internet.

She isn't alone.

I was just putting together an e-mail to send to friends who are too busy to keep up with the ABC/Disney/Scholastic/Path to 9/11 controversy. Before I would ask them to write an e-mail or make a call, I wanted them to have easy access to critical articles, letters and taped interviews.

I believe that with a better understanding of the issues, they'll be more confident and more willing to register their complaints, to discuss it with friends and families, and to become more involved.

Yes, I've seen the light, and it's coming from a compact fluoresent light bulb.  We recently bought a CFL bulb because, according to the EPA's ENERGY STAR  web site,

ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 100-watt incandescent with a 32-watt CFL can save you at least $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.

and they

operate at less than 100F, they are also safer than typical halogen bulbs, which are frequently used in floor lamps or torchieres and burn at 1,000F. Due to their high heat output, halogens can cause burns and fires. CFLs are cool to the touch.

OK, they use less energy, last longer, are safer, and save money (in the long run)--that's all great, but
WHY WRITE A DAILY KOS DIARY ABOUT 'EM?

Haven't seen this mentioned here yet, and it's too important to miss:

Representatives for 10,000 scientists,  engineers, and other specialists with the Environmental Protection Agency have written a letter of protest, asking Congress to stop the administration from closing the EPA's technical research libraries... a process that already has begun.  

The letter complains the closures are "one more example of the Bush administration's effort to suppress information on environmental and public health-related topics."

Today, bonddad wrote about the prospect of a TEN TRILLION dollar debt ceiling.  We all know that's a staggering sum, but how many of us really grasp the magnitude and meaning of a mind-boggling number like that?  

A billion of this, a trillion of that. It's all so beyond our range of personal experience, numbers that huge just make our eyes glaze over.  That's why I'm always glad to find analogies and illustrations--some kind of mental or graphic images--that put these concepts into the kind of perspective we can "get."  (They're also a great tool to catch the interest of family and friends who don't pay much attention to 'dull federal budget statistics.')

I recently found some good examples on the net. Please join me for some
SHOW AND TELL...

Just saw this comment by donnas in danwendi's diary "Media Blackout on Colbert's Performance?"  (which soon will disappear from the rec. list)

My fear is those folks who don't tune in to C-SPAN have no idea that Colbert said anything so remarkable.

I'm the only person I know who watches it, so I think Colbert was talking to those already extremely interested in politics or those who tuned in because they were already fans of his.

So, I copied the lines of the Colbert piece that I thought were best and sent them, along with a link to the entire transcript and video, to everyone I know.  (bold-my emphasis)

Well, I'm guessing many of you would like to do the same, but don't have the time to track down a number of web sites and diaries. So, I've put together this little 'link library' for your convenience...

Welcome new visitors!  As a relatively new member of the DailyKos community, I'd like to welcome you.  I assume many of you are here because of the Washington Post's feature portraying left-wing blogger Maryscott O'Connor, who writes here often and has her own community blog, My Left Wing.

If you check out some of the recommended diaries (essays) here today, you'll see there's a big debate about the fairness of the story and whether it was an attempt to stereotype the Left Blogosphere as angry and extremist.

I'm not weighing in on that debate here.  What I want to do is to take this opportunity to introduce you to a great community on the web.

This is my first diary, and I cannot think of a better way to begin than by providing this link to Senator Boxer's inspirational speech in the Senate today-- after the cloture vote:

LISTEN HERE

Until this evening, I was unaware of her speech, even though I had visited a number of blogs and listened to some progressive radio shows today.  

I hope you will consider sharing this link with others, and I hope you will join me in sending her thanks for speaking so eloquently on this very important matter.