[HairOfTheDog]

I don't have anything confused.... I know that I am dang lucky and blessed to live here.... Could things be better? - Yes, almost anything done by man could be done better. So I follow people with good ideas.... but never people who tell me how miserable I should be.... I'm funny that way.

"MOST AMERICANS SHOULD BE ASHAMED TO CELEBRATE THE FOURTH" *Sucks* as an inspiration.

[missileboy]

That's because it's not meant to inspire. It's meant to wake people up to a reality they'd rather not acknowledge. The truth is not popular.

I didn't realize that inspiration was what we were shooting for. By all means, let's suppress the truth so we can all feel good.

[glocksman]

You're missing the point.

The author of the article isn't saying that we should be ashamed of the 4th as a holiday. He's saying that most Americans aren't even aware of the loss of liberties that has taken place in the name of 'necessity', and that's why they should be ashamed.

Put another way, they're going through the motions of celebrating, while having lost sight of what the holiday is supposed to honor.


As far as needing laws such as the USA PATRIOT act go, I offer the following quote from William Pitt;

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves"

Indeed.