Richard MichaelObama, Patriotism, and The Patriot Act
June 30th 2008 18:02
Freedom isn't Free
Obama gave a speech this afternoon, the subject of which was patriotism. Besides stating that he would never question the patriotism of his opponent (duh...) he also addressed the definition of patriotism, and made a subtle jab at the Bush administration.
In his speech, Obama stated that we should never question the patriotism of those who serve our country, but we can question the patriotism of those who run it. He quoted Mark Twain, “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” He went on to say, "Patriotism has been used as both a political sword, and a political shield." While Obama did not state it directly, I can think of no better example of the exploitation of the idea of patriotism than the Patriot Act. This bill was said to keep us safe, and in the weeks following 9/11 no one questioned its contents, or its ability to protect the country.
But as the shock of 9/11 wore off and the Iraq war was started with some confusion, people began to take a second look at the Patriot Act. Among the questionable and unconstitutional components to the Patriot Act were illegal wire tapping and spying on the American public, and pork that was aimed to raise pharmaceutical drug prices. Hidden behind the rhetoric of patriotism, even if a legislator disagreed with the Patriot Act, how could one vote against it so soon after 9/11?
Now I know many will say that wiretapping is only a way to protect us from terrorist attacks. But at what cost? Government spying is a slippery slope, and if we allow our government to listen to our phone calls and monitor our purchases, it is only a matter of time before the government watches everything we do. One cannot have total security and still be free. And so it comes down to this, which do we value more? Our lives, or our freedom?
I feel that true patriotism is loyalty to our American and constitutional ideals. True patriotism is loyalty to the American idea of progress, of freedom, and the ability to constantly reinvent ourselves. Now at the start of the new millennium America has a chance to honor our tradition of progress and reinvention. By electing Barack Obama we will not only be electing the first African American president, but we will also be making a statement that government should not only cater to war and to the wealthy, but to the common people, and to civil progress.
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