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Liberal takes the "Patriotism Test"
Originally posted July 5, 2008 By the time all the words are laid out and I click on publish, the hands of the clock will have swung way past twelve, and another 4th of July will be over. And in the current spirit of all of the rehashed news that the 24 hour news giants produce and reproduce, I too am questioning everybody’s patriotism, and wondering just like a Chicken Little version of Jason Bourne, how patriotic are you? As my paranoia grows, and I pass judgment on all who come before me, the more I point my finger, and shout accusations, the more I become entranced with the ultimate paranoia. Am I a real patriot? If you want to discover the character of a man or woman, you must first look at their past and CNN would have live feeds on location within a short time to give us all the dirty, disgusting details. I lose points for being middle-class, and instead of studying to be a doctor or a lawyer, I wanted to be involved in the arts. More points are lost because I’m not tall, not handsome, and I generally leave a bad first impression, but after you get to know me, you’ll find I’m just another Liberals' liberal. This is an area where Fox News would then attack, attempting to eat the pinko alive, and Rush would chew me a brand new "one". As a member of the Hippie Generation, I did what all 18 year olds did in the early 70’s. On the night of the draft lottery, I sat and watched on television, waiting to see what number I would get. Any number drawn, between 1 and 200 meant you would surely be drafted within the year. I got number 32, and received my draft notice within a month or so. That year, I also received about 10 yellow-jacket stings, and the last one sent me into anaphylactic shock. I survived, and at the same-time I became Y-1 status for the draft. Even though I would not be drafted, the Viet Nam war dragged on, and I agreed with the anti-war sentiment. I even took part in a small peace demonstration in Downtown Cleveland. We weren’t tear-gassed or Billy-clubbed, and all two hundred of us were just sort of really anti-war in a really “peaceful” sort of way. But back in the days of peace and love, there was also a lot of “My country right or wrong” and “America Love it or Leave it” sentiment. If your country is wrong, you identify error, and you take steps to right the wrong. The freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution, give citizens like you and me the power to get involved as much or as little as we like in finding solutions to our country’s problems, and that is what makes this country truly great, the freedom to make choices. We have had the vote for many generations, and for decades that was the sole means by which an average citizen could voice their opinion on the government, and the state of our union. Now more than ever before, you can help with the process of identifying the errors or problems, give ideas and opinions as to how we fix these problems, and take your responsibility in righting the wrong as a proactive citizen of this nation. Today you can publish opinions about the issues, the candidates, and their proposals in a manner that millions can have the access to read. You can read millions of other opinions, and then go out and vote, more informed than ever before. No generation in the history of this country has ever had the ability to take so many individual voices, and combine them into the harmonies of public opinion that emanate from the millions of entries that come from professional writers, bloggers, and internet hobbyists, and then you add in the comments of millions of enthused web surfers, spiders, bots, and readers, and you have this extremely rapidly paced platform for a massive “town hall meeting” and “trial by your peers” all rolled into one. And the discussion takes place at the local, national, and world level simultaneously open to everyone who can log-in. At this point in our country’s history, we need to use this powerful resource, and steer the course of this country in the direction of prosperity, peace, and leadership in achieving those goals through public opinion. Let your voice be heard, listen with an open mind, and then cast your vote, making a well-informed choice. You know when you think about it, I probably would score low as a patriot with the 24 hour talking-heads, too many ghosts in the closet. But in my own mind, I think I’m very patriotic, and I think it’s because I care. I care about my country enough to voice my opinion loud, and clear. And that freedom, the freedom to dissent in a lawful manner, along with history's repression against allowing citizens to do so, is the reason we don’t sing “God save the Queen”, and was the very reason the 2nd Continental Congress started the war for independence by adopting the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. So even if you don’t agree with my opinions, I ask you to read them with an open mind, and then give me your feedback, because that is the only way I can gauge public opinion and the only way the discourse evolves. Of course what you say probably won’t change much how I feel or what I say, because like most Americans, I can be somewhat pig-headed, and you can bet that you’re going to hear it from me, because I have a big mouth. But that’s okay, because this is America. William S. James, Tilted to the left |
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Author
Site to promote Freedom Zone fz2878
www.fz2878.com
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