Posted by pancho (148.244.221.119) on November 12, 2001 at 10:54:11:
King George
To say that Assyrians are not attuned to the future, or the present, would be an understatement. It was refreshing to sit last night with a small group of ex patriot Gringos and hear their comments about the current administration and the direction America has taken under several of the last ones. These people without exception love their country. There was nothing treasonous in their talk, just sorrow and disappointment that what Americans would call Greatness had come to mean such a trivial and bullying thing.
There was a lawyer, some medical types, people well traveled who had lived in various other countries. And my neighbor the writing cowboy Vet. Found out that he’s been published in newspapers and magazines and actually gets PAID for what he writes. He writes under an assumed name because he knows what governments can do behind the scenes and slyly…even free ones. I can’t imagine a man with more of America’s best interests at heart and with more enlightened and specific criticism to level at the country…and deservedly so.
It was painful to compare his views and those of the ones seated around me chatting softly as the sun set across the valley, compare them to the low level of mentality and primitive loyalty I read on our forums. My god, how can people be so blissfully ignorant and spout so. What a definition of democracy we labor with, one that has as its chief component not the opportunity, almost the duty to become educated, but one that says one is free to utter whatever one feels like.
The Declaration of Independence states that it is a loyal citizen’s duty to rebuke even overthrow the government when in his conscience he feels it has become oppressive and strayed from the basic principles enunciated there.. That one sentence reveals what made America so damn unique…that for the first time in history the moral and therefore the practical organization and continuance of government was entrusted to the people…and even Rebellion was institutionalized rather than outlawed. It doesn’t matter in the least that also as a practical thing no government would give its blessings to such a call to arms …but the principle is what counts for it gives each American the obligation to be critical…if for no other reason than to forestall the headlong rush the government might make in a direction that would eventually lead to open rebellion.
Criticism is a release valve for the pent up frustrations of the citizenry and not only allows steam to be blown off, but pulls people into the affairs of government, gets them curious and wanting to know, because in these ways we might just avoid a prolonged trip to hell that might lead to more frustration and open rebellion. Anyone who says questions and criticism, no matter how strong or extreme, indicate a hate for America, doesn’t understand the country or the experiment. Such people are ever present…they were there when raw meat was eschewed for cooked…they were there when the colonies rebelled from England. These people always want their own comforts and security first…they are loyal as dogs are, not citizens of a free country, a country ever susceptible to having its freedoms abused and seized…as they have been in America for some time now.
Our little gathering was held at the home of a very interesting woman who lives alone here in the desert. She is German but has lived everywhere. She paints well and is a good artist in other ways. She is tanned and fit for all her seventy years of age. Her father wrote one of the few articles attacking Hitler and the Nazi Party and was forced to flee with his family.
He was loyal to Germany.