[Vision2020] "American Lie" a Parody by Mark Hoolihan

[Tom Hansen]

"American Lie" Parody by Mark Hoolihan
Sung to the tune of "American Pie" by Don Mclean

A long long time ago 
I can still remember how government used to make me smile 
And I knew if bad times came to pass 
They'd stand up for us to the last 
And maybe we'd be safe then for awhile 
But John Ashcroft made me shiver 
With every judgement he delivered 
Bad news with a goosestep 
I couldn't take one more step 
I can't remember if I cried 
When I read some freedoms had to die 
But something touched me deep inside 
The day our freedoms died 

(Refrain) 
So bye-bye, Constitutional Rights 
Those amendments must be ended 
Said the government guy 
And the Founding Fathers watched with tears in their eyes 
Singing this'll be the day our dream dies 
This'll be the day our dream dies 

Did you read The Federalist 
Did you think it could ever be like this 
If John Ashcroft tells you so 
Do you believe in liberty 
Is it just good for you and me 
And not for those they call enemy 
Well I know that they are all muslims 
But aren't they still US citizens 
If they can lose their rights 
Who is next in Ashcrofts sights? 
I was a loyal proud American 
And a patriotic good citizen 
But I didn't know where to stand 
The day our Freedom died 

I started singin' 
(Refrain) 

Now two centuries we're on our own 
With freedoms we thought were carved in stone 
But that's not how it seems to be 
When colonists said don't you tread on me 
And dumped out all of King George's tea 
With a voice that came from you and me 
Oh and well the King was frustrated 
A new system was created 
No punishments we learned 
Til verdicts are returned 
And while Ashcroft spoke about freedom 
Some people languished in dungeons 
And we hoped we were the safe ones 
The day our Freedom died 

We were singing 
(refrain) 

Helter Skelter in a summer swelter 
Cheney flew off for a secret shelter 
Gas price high and rising fast 
Abu Ghraib had come to pass 
Don Rumsfeld said it was in the past 
But John Ashcroft brought such things home at last 
Now caught terrorists are good to see 
But must the price be our liberty 
We all want victory 
But we also want to be free 
Cause John Ashcroft he tried to go too far 
Trampling on rights we knew were ours 
Do you recall the stripes and stars 
The day our freedom died 

We started singing 
(refrain) 

Oh and there we were all huddled there 
A generation of terror 
With no chance left to start again 
So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick 
John Ashcrofts crackdown must never stick 
Cause silence is the tyrant's only friend 
Oh and as I watched him on the stage 
My hands were clenched in fists of rage 
Those rights for everyone 
In the Constitution 
And as the flames climbed high into the night 
To light the sacrificial light 
I saw King George laughing with delight 
The day our freedom died 

He was singing 
(refrain) 

I saw a muslim in brown shoes 
I asked him for some happy news 
But he went silent and turned away 
I went down to the big book store 
Where I'd read of freedom years before 
But the man there said they took the books away 
And in prison the suspects screamed 
The muslims cried and the liberals dreamed 
But not a word was spoken 
The rights for that were broken 
And the three things that kept us free 
Our justice, laws and liberty 
They were now called the enemy 
The day our freedom died 

And they were singing 
(refrain)

--------------------------------------------

Take care, Moscow.

Tom Hansen

"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of
others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of
hope."

Robert F. Kennedy
(1925-1968, American Attorney General, Senator)