Pilot a hero for us, not big business

By Joe Lamy, Seattle

Saturday, May 9, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Doug Hughes is not a terrorist any more than Mahatma Gandhi or Rosa Parks. On his “bicycle with wings” he floated along under the radar and landed safely on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol to deliver his message, but his mission is not accomplished. Yet.

Under the radar and under the control of someone less considerate than Hughes, a very real terrorist threat lurks in the shadows of the halls of Congress, in our policy, our pockets and our lives, presenting clear and present danger.

Especially since 9/11, we have a respect for weak links built on trust and decency or civility among us, yet Americans are unwittingly supporting the wishes of profiteers who write the scripts for the Congress we elect, and our system rots from the money from the inside out — from the gorilla.

Hughes was not carrying lethal weapons, explosives, anthrax or bombs. The letter that the 61-year-old mailman delivered to 535 folks on the Hill about the gorilla included this:

“I’m demanding reform and declaring a voter’s rebellion in a manner consistent with Jefferson’s description of rights in the Declaration of Independence.

“As a member of Congress, you have three options: 1. You may pretend corruption does not exist. 2. You may pretend to oppose corruption while you sabotage reform. 3. You may actively participate in real reform.”

Is Hughes right, or are we just fracking under the radar because it’s good for us; ramming oil trains through our cities at high speeds because we’re running dry; and forming the Trans-Pac Partnership under the radar so we can trash the planet, grab the money and run?

Campaign finance reform takes the power away from international corporations and it puts the voice of Americans back in our realm. Hughes is a hero.