Selective Support - Selective Justice

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My Country

“Even today, there is little value in ensuring the survival of our nation if its traditions do not survive with it.” - President John F. Kennedy –

What America is, has been, and is becoming, warrants serious consideration.

The words of John Kennedy, although they may make us uncomfortable, require that Americans consider what type of society we are, and are going to be. Our traditions of freedom, honor, and justice for all are the cornerstone of our nation. The loss of these basic values strips America of all that it stands for and all that it has stood for. Without these basic truths in operation, and vigorously defended, America ceases to be America.

I am an American. I believe in the ideals and values of America, but I cannot subscribe to the concept that America deserves blind support of its citizenry when it strays from our core beliefs. ‘America, right or wrong’ is as un-American a sentiment as George Bush senior’s words – “I will never apologize for America. No matter what the facts are.”

This type of blind allegiance, this cheap patriotism, is wholly un-American. It is the type of rhetoric most often heard when our government undertakes actions to circumvent our freedoms and protections, our rights and liberties, and our Constitution. America is more than the beating of a drum and the waving of a flag. America is more than idle words, insincere rhetoric, and false patriotism.

In 1931 we adopted the Star Spangled Banner as our National Anthem. The words of the Anthem speak for us to some degree, just as our flag represents us. The words proclaim not only who we are, but what we are as a society and nation. They recount our initial struggle for freedom and each stanza ends with the familiar words: “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

It is interesting to note that in the first stanza, unlike the other three, the line is a question : “Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” It’s a question we might consider today. Our flag flies proudly not only at home, but at places all over the world. It is a symbol not only of our nation, but of freedom – or, at least it has been. Today, many see it as a symbol of dominance and imperialism, and aggression. Some see it as a symbol of tyranny; the very thing we fought against when our nation was formed.

These are trying times in our history. These are times that, truly, test men’s souls. It is not an easy thing to criticize America. It is not easy to recognize and admit our wrong doing. But one must ask if our actions of late have been in the highest tradition of our country; have our actions been just? And, we must also ask, “Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” If not, then John Kennedy’s words have sounded the death toll of this grand experiment in democracy that we call America.

'And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!'

As a nation we have always invoked God, and God’s blessings. We have proclaimed our nation as a nation ‘trusting in God’. We use the words ‘one nation under God’ in our pledge of Allegiance. Yet, sadly, we have, of late, acted ungodly.

Micah 6:8 - He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

We have allowed the actions of a militant few to to cause us to throw off the very liberties we cherish for a false sense of safety. We have allowed a militant few to cause us to demonize an entire faith of others. We have, in fear, acquiesced to a government which views our most cherished Constitution as ‘just a goddamned piece of paper’ and has circumvented its proclamations at a whim. We have allowed a government, hell-bent on winning at all costs, to usurp all that we hold dear.

What is America without freedom? What is America without justice? What is America without truth? Sadly, it is nothing.

George Bush is a mistake

I remember...

When I was younger, Senator Robert Francis Kennedy was one of the men I most admired. He seemed to be all that a man should be. His commitment and dedication were only exceeded, it seemed, by his passion. He was an idealist.

He not only called people to action, he instilled in them a desire to be involved; a desire to strive to make the world a better place, and not just for ourselves, but for others.

He was truly a remarkable man.

The world at the time of Robert F. Kennedy was turbulent to say the least. Even so, he remained true to his beliefs and worked to effect change. When he, like his brother John, was assassinated the country once more fell into mourning. Men, women and children wept openly in the streets. The country lined the railroad tracks in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the casket, carried by train from Los Angeles back east, and to pay their respect. So many good men had been taken from us, violently, during those days; John Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, and ‘Bobbie’ (as most referred to Senator Kennedy). Their deaths left the country in despair, and though many continued to ‘fight the good fight’, it was painfully obvious that a unique era in American history was coming to an end.

Would we ever find men such as these again? Could we?

It’s been some time since men like Dr. King and Senator Kennedy stirred the hearts and minds of this nation. It’s been some time since words such as ‘equality and truth and justice and integrity’ have been used by those that seek public office. Fiscal responsibility has replaced social responsibility – or so it would seem. In truth, our so called leaders today are not fiscally responsible, nor socially concerned. Partisanship and personal gain, corporate influences and favoritism, are the mode of today. And, what’s most shocking, is that it is known and accepted, and without shame.

For those who are old enough to remember, these words, spoken by Bobbie’s brother Ted Kennedy, may spark something long dormant in your heart. For those too young to remember the Senator, the words may give you a glimpse of who the man was, and what he stood for. And, hopefully, give insight into a time when Americans truly believed in a society which sought to live up to the ideals it professed.

Consider this...

"...we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our calling and our creeds...we [will] have no time to think, no means of calling our miss-managers to account but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers. And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent ...till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery. And the foreshores of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression.

President Thomas Jefferson

Who we are is a choice.

When good men, in the face of evil, stoop to the level of their foe, they have ceased to engage in a battle of good versus evil and joined with their enemy, conceding the defeat of their values and ideals.

In 1947 Soldiers who had engaged in the use of ‘water boarding’ when interrogating Allied prisoners were convicted of war crimes. There was no hesitation, nor question, in condemning the practice as torture – until now.

I have been amazed (shocked and amazed) by the willingness of some to resort to actions – abhorrent and inhumane – that would be (and have been) quickly condemned when done by others. The relative ease with which values, long held dear, are put aside, replaced by acts universally recognized as barbaric, causes me pause.

King George has said, “We do not torture”. It is a lie. We do torture.

Torture is no less evil, no less abhorrent, and no less a despicable act when we – America - engage in the practice, than when any other nation does. It should be condemned, and those that practice or condone its use should be prosecuted.

Arundhati Roy, the author of “The God of Small Things”, said “once you’ve seen something, you cannot un-see it”. One can pretend they didn’t see, or profess they didn’t know, or deny they had any complicity, but that too is a lie. Silence is as political an act as any other, albeit the most cowardly.

The ideals and values Americans have long espoused hang in the balance. They will be confirmed or denied by our actions or inactions, and we will bear the burden of living with our choices for many years to come. Virtues and values cannot be claimed only when convenient. We, individually and collectively, either hold dear the rights of human beings or we don’t. And our decision regarding human rights will be known, not by our words or proclamations, but by our actions and practices. We cannot claim to be humane while acting inhumane, nor just while acting unjustly. And, we cannot claim to be lovers of freedom while denying others their basic human rights.

Love it or leave it?

To those who have conveyed to me the sentiment “America, love it or leave it.” I say, “I agree” and “I do”. It’s my country. I love it. I love the ideals of America. I love the hope and promise of America. I love America.

I love America so much that I refuse to sit idly by and watch as some – professing a perverse patriotism – attempt to dismantle the very foundations of America. I love the America that was formed to promote ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’; the America that was formed ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’; land of the free and home of the brave.

I love the America that prompted men to rise up and say, with sincerity and conviction, ‘Give me liberty or give me death’. I love the America that stood, proudly, for justice and equality, and freedom; freedom to speak your mind, and freedom to act.

I love America.

I resent those that would pervert America for their own personal gain or benefit, or partisan interest. I resent those that would try to weaken America through fear or manipulation or dictate. I resent those that would attempt labeling those that dissent – not only a right but a duty of all citizens – as un-American or unpatriotic. I resent those that, through apathy or indifference or sheer laziness or ignorance, allow others to minimize, subvert, or destroy the rights and freedoms guaranteed to each citizen – regardless of race, creed, color, or anything else - under the Constitution; the Constitution that so many of our forefathers have fought and died to defend.

I love America.

When I look at our flag I cannot help but feel a sense of pride. Within that cloth of stars and stripes I see my Uncle who was in the second wave of troops to land on Omaha Beach; I see my Father who, at 17 years of age, sailed off to war; I see my Brothers who continued that tradition of military service, enlisting during a time of war; I see those that served with me as well, young men from across America who willingly took an oath to ‘defend the Constitution against enemies both foreign and domestic’. And I see those who did not serve militarily but at home, ensuring that America continued to function. In short, I see Americans; men and women who come from strong stock, from ancestors who cherished freedom and justice and would never bow their heads to any dictatorship, whether at home or abroad. What I do not see when I look at our flag is buildings and offices and bureaucracies and committees. I do not see political parties, secret agendas, corporate interests, political action groups, or politicians. Nor do I see those that violate and betray the decency of our country and its citizenry by abusing others.

America, love it or leave it? I’m here for the duration. Let King George know.

H.R. 1955

Congresswoman Jane Harman and Co-Sponsors [see below] have succeeded in getting H.R. 1955 passed. The bill, which is titled “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007” is in direct conflict with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. Nonetheless, 404 members of Congress voted for the Resolution [only 6 members voting against, and 22 abstaining] and sent it off to the Senate.

A breakdown of those votes can be viewed at:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2007-993

The Resolution can be read in its entirety by simply Google-searching ‘HR 1955’. I encourage you to do exactly that.

The Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence July 4th, 1776. In the Declaration it is established that ‘the People’ have not only the right, but the duty, to throw off any Government which seeks to exert rule over – instead of for – the People.

It is the Constitution which establishes a ‘government of the People, by the People, and for the People’. The same Constitution which the noted Representatives took a solemn oath to defend, they now willingly seek to undermine. In case they’ve forgotten, I offer a simple reminder:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

America is not a land of Rulers lording it over the populace. It is a land where the will of ‘the People’ reigns supreme and ‘Representatives serve’ that will. Otherwise, it is not America at all.

[A personal note of Thanks to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California, for being the sole dissenting vote from the State of California.]

Cosponsors of H.R. 1955

[as of 2007-10-24]
Rep. Christopher Carney [D-PA]
Del. Donna Christensen [D-VI]
Rep. Yvette Clarke [D-NY]
Rep. Charles Dent [R-PA]
Rep. Norman Dicks [D-WA]
Rep. Al Green [D-TX]
Rep. James Langevin [D-RI]
Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D-CA]
Rep. Nita Lowey [D-NY]
Rep. Daniel Lungren [R-CA]
Rep. Ed Perlmutter [D-CO]
Rep. Ted Poe [R-TX]
Rep. Dave Reichert [R-WA]
Rep. Bennie Thompson [D-MS]

For too long our voices have been ignored. And for too long our elected Representatives have forgotten that they work for us, the People. Perhaps it is time that we exercise our right to be heard, to dissent, and to be truly served by simply firing those Representatives who act contrary to the will of the people. Elections are coming.