Would you recognize a patriot if you saw one?

[Slugthrower]

The Founding Fathers were patriots. I assume we can all agree on this definition of them. George Washington was an enemy of the state and a traitor to the King. A criminal at the time of our revolution. John Hancock was a rum runner, a criminal in the eyes of the King. He was a "drug dealer" or a "bootlegger" to us today. Signed his name and made it the most visible signature. He was flipping the King off. They were all guilty of treason. Today we call men that fight for the government and goals of an administration patriots, this is a disservice to the word patriot. I find it sad to say , but many of us are nothing more than loyalists to political parties that have no loyalty to us or the "Natural Rights of Men". Many today would call a true patriot a vigilante or even a traitor. All one has to do is look to the "Minutemen" on the southern border. They have been called vigilantes by some.

A Nation or if you will, a country is defined by it's borders, language, and culture. The borders are not being respected by other nations. The language of the Constitution is in English, if you cannot read or speak the language , you cannot "know" what rights are protected and those which are not. In effect you weaken the cohesiveness of population as a whole by not having one language. The concept of "multiculturalism" is destroying the American culture. We are supposed to be a melting pot, not a lunch tray. The concept of multiculturalism is just a way to divide and conquer the people.

Hyphenated Americans , is a bad idea. Hitler was voted into power by only 8% of Germany's voters. Severe division of the people lends itself to tyranny. Vote as you like , as I will. Do either of the dominant parties really have the peoples rights in mind or are they just trying to secure power over a people for their own empowerment? Ever wonder why the government sees you as a "Human Resource" as opposed to an individual person?

Politicians are your representatives, not your leaders. The law as it were, is in the hands of the people , through the representatives we vote into office. When there is no legal recourse you will need patriot.

One thing we all have in common is the need to be free. Sometimes we confuse freedom with security. Trading liberty for security is a path that Benjamin Franklin would have scorned. The insecurity of people during the Great Depression has led to laws that are unconstitutional. NFA anyone?
I only know of one place that offers "Maximum or Super Maximum Security". Care to guess what that place is? Freedom is not free. Eternal vigilance is necessary to be free.

Peace and good will to all. Hope this inspires people to think.
Ok, yall can shoot me now.

 

[WSM MAGNUM]

Good read.
What really burns me, is when politicians think they can re-write the Bill of Rights or interpret laws the way they think it should be. Those politicians were not elected to do what they think or want. The powers belong to the people, not the politician. I don`t think most people realize this, or they don`t really care. If a politician is not representing the people the way he/she should, then the member should be thrown out of office quick.

 

[BillCA]

What is a patriot?

Patriot: one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests

To me, a patriot is someone who will put the interests of their country over their own interests. If, for instance, you are a building contractor and you support tightening up of immigration laws and deporting of illegal aliens, then you might be considered a patriot. Sure, you could profit from low cost labor supplied by illegals, but you see illegal immigration as the problem that it is and are willing to give up your profits to support your country.

A true patriot turns to rebellion as a last resort. Our forefathers endured years of hardships and tyranny at the hands of King George's appointees. They followed protocol by making complaints to local governors, both in writing and in personal pleas. They moved up the command-chain by writing letters, pleading their case to the King. When it was apparent that the King would allow the abuses by his officers, the founding fathers resorted to rebellion.

In today's environment where there is a morass of laws with which to trip up unsuspecting good-intentioned citizens, one has to be cautious about taking action. The "Minuteman" project is, as publicized, a legal activity in which people observe and report illegal immigration activity. The participants may be called patriots given that they are sacrificing their time and potentially their freedom to help their country control a border problem.

Our problem today, is that our government is overly concerned with political correctness and the belief that they are the sole possessor of power. Robert Heinlein was correct when he said, "In a mature society, civil servant is semantically equivalent to civil master".

When our government does the wrong things, puts the interests of power, position and/or privilege over the best interests of the country and its citizens, we ought to be raising our voices loudly and clearly.

We must demand that political correctness be scrapped. We are at war. We must not worry about offending this group or that. We need to worry about preventing one or more American cities from becoming a ghost towns from a "dirty bomb" -- or disappearing under a mushroom cloud. The stakes are too high to allow failure by "being fair", by not profiling based on our knowledge and (military) intelligence, or by worrying about some group protesting to CBS news.

I'd better stop now, or this will go on forever.

 

[BillCA]

WSM MAGNUM,

I think most people are generally too busy trying to pay the mortgage and raise their kids. Additionally, I think some people believe that unless you have some kind of organized "group", a single voice won't be heard.

And there is apathy too because people see or hear about a law being passed and think "it doesn't affect me, so I don't care". Sort of like the old saying "When they came for the Jews... "

Sad, but I think it's true to a fair degree.

 

[badbob]

The winds of change is starting to stir. I think most people sense that something is wrong, they just don't know what to do and have no direction.

"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." Mark Twain

badbob