Patriots, Please Identify Yourselves.

[ajbera]

A true patriot respects the principles his country was founded on, including the right to freely speak one's mind. Che and the rest are very welcome here.

[SlowwHand]

Sava, you asked that I not communicate with you.
I accepted your request.
One more word from you, and that is forfeit.

Che? In your wildest dreams.

[Sava]

That's okay Slowwy, you can discuss with me any relevant on-topic issue. Direct insults to a brick wall please, k thanks.

I don't recall directing any post to you anyways.

ajbera: Patriotism isn't supporting the name on the door, or the flag in the air. Patriotism is the support of the ideals and principles the country was founded on. When a corrupt government goes against those ideals, a patriot protests. Blind faith != patriotism... Blind faith = jingoism

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Spiffor
What does "splitting hairs" mean ?

Arguing distinctions which are so small that they no longer make a difference.

[Q Classic]

Sloww...

what makes you the judge of what is and what what is not patriotic?
did someone die and make you the supreme arbiter of the american way?

the very basis of the United States of America is its Declaration of Independence and its Constitution; and if Che firmly believes in it, and will support it until his expiration, he is as much of a patriot as you.

patriotism is not mindless flagwaving. patriotism is not blindly supporting your leaders. patriotism is not trusting your superiors simply because they tell you they're right.
that's nationalism.

patriotism is holding true to the institutions that make your nation great--in this case, what makes our nation great is the fact that we have the Constitution, the Declaration, the Federal system, voting, and almost limitless freedom and the rights (AND RESPONSIBILITIES) to use them.

i believe you feel that you are a patriot, and i also believe that you do exactly those things i detailed in the latter paragraph. i believe che does so as well; thus, you are both patriots, even if you disagree on many of your basic political principles.

that's what makes this country so great. to tell him or to get out because he's "not a patriot" by your definition is as disingenuous as to wipe out our bill of rights in the name of national security.

[JohnT]

I am. Hell, Laura and I have copies of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence framed and hanging on our wall.

[Sava]

JohnT... good documents to rely on.

[Sandman]

I'm not a patriot, and I am suspicious of anyone that is, since I regard it to be the same thing as nationalism.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by JohnT
Hell, Laura and I have copies of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence framed and hanging on our wall.

Hell has a copy of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence framed and hanging on the wall??? That should improve the atmosphere down there remarkably.

(Sorry about the cheap shot, JohnT. Good idea, actually.)

[Spiffor]

Thanks Zkribbler

[Zero]

I hate this country. I pay my taxes. I abide by the legal boundaries set by the government, so that I can expect the benefits provided by the government.

Thats good enough for me. And thats all I expect of others.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


Hell has a copy of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence framed and hanging on the wall??? That should improve the atmosphere down there remarkably.

(Sorry about the cheap shot, JohnT. Good idea, actually.)

That's OK... if we can't laugh at our own expense, then life isn't worth living.

(btw, they look really nice... but then, we didn't go cheap on the frames).

[David Floyd]

I'm a patriot in that I love the general values set forth by the US Constitution - that is, individual freedom is paramount. That's probably the only way I could be considered a patriot, though.

[Sava]

Taxation is in the Constitution, Floyd.

[David Floyd]

I never said the Constitution was 100% right. I just said that in general, I support the values in the Constitution.