Proud to be an American!

America is a country founded on the rights of the citizen, not the rights of government. Our constitition was unlike any other law book in history. Look at the ten commandments- things "thou shall not" do...

Look at the bill of rights- things the state shall not do. Really makes me proud. We are a nation of laws, we believe in the rule of law, and our highest law is our constitution. Gosh I'm proud of that.

In America, if you're accused of a crime you have the right to confront your accusers in open court and see the evidence against you.
-- 6th amendment

In America, we don't torture confessions out of people, nor do we torture or mistreat prisoners of war.
-- 8th amendment, Geneva Convention,
Detainee Treatment Act of 2005

In America, we don't disappear people into secret prisons.
--6th, 14th amendments

In America, the police can't search your home or listen to your phone calls without a warrant issued by a judge-
-- 4th amendment,
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978

Oh.


Well, I guess I'll just have to be proud because...

I don't know, if I can't have truth, justice, and the American Way, I guess cable TV is cool. Yeah. I'm proud of cable tv. And pop music. Oh, and microwave ovens.

I may be a coward, but

What will history say of us? You and me, not W, not Cheney or Rumsfeld. What about us? What did we do to stop this mess? Where were your guts when they said they needed these new powers to protect you? What did you do to stop people being tortured? Did you think it was a good idea? I know a lot of you still do, and it breaks my heart that you can't see how truly wrong you are.

When I heard about Iraqis being humiliated and tortured in Abu Gharib, I honestly tried not to pay attention, I felt strongly that it was wrong, and I was glad to see people go to prison over it, but I didn't really think about it. I didn't really think about what that meant about us. This wasn't an isolated incident, was it?

By not being outraged, by allowing ourselves to be distracted with working 2 jobs and watching tv, we are letting this happen. Like all acts of cowardice, it is the easiest thing to do.

What are you waiting for? Some big thing that everyone will see is wrong? How about secret prisons? Doesnt that sound pretty wrong? Let's take their word for it that everyone in the secret prisons is a Very Bad Terrorist. How do we know that the next president might not be so wise and concerned about our rights? What if he decides that I should go spend some time in Uzbekistan or wherever they "render" you to these days?

I don't want that kind of protection. Seriously, thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather keep our constitution, or return to it, I'd rather have limits on police power, and not have any more of this "war" on terror. It's not a war. Its organized crime, nothing more, and if you're so scared of the big bad terrorists that you're willing to let this stuff continue, you are both a coward and a fool.