A few years ago, on my very first day in the United States, I read these stirring words on an information plaque on Boston Common.
What do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments, of their duties and obligations…This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real American Revolution.” John Adams
A few years later, I quoted them during a conversation over breakfast with an American couple who were visiting us in the UK while on holiday.
My father asked our guests whether the revolution was still alive, and they replied that it was.
Personally, I despair.
Below is an article posted on Op Ed News by Susan Lindauer, a U.S. Asset and one of the very first non-Arab Americans indicted on the Patriot Act, accused of acting as an “Iraqi Agent” for opposing the War. She was imprisoned on Carswell Air Force Base for a year without a trial.
The Patriot Act: When Truth Becomes Treason
Susan Lindauer | Op Ed News | May 26, 2011 at 21:19:59
Many Americans believe they understand the dangers of the Patriot Act, which Congress has vowed to extend 4 more years in a vote later this week. Trust me when I say, Americans are not nearly frightened enough.
Ever wonder why the facts about 9/11 never got exposed? Why Americans don’t fathom the leadership fraud surrounding the War on Terror? Why Americans don’t know the 9/11 investigation failed? Why the “Iraqi Peace Option” draws a blank? Somebody has known the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden— or his grave–for the past 10 years. But nobody’s talking.
In significant part, that’s because of the Patriot Act— a law that equates free speech with sedition. It’s got a big agenda, with 7,000 pages of Machiavellian code designed to interrupt individual questioning of government policy. In this brave new world, free speech under the Bill of Rights effectively has been declared a threat to government controls for maintaining “stability”. And the Patriot Act has become the premiere weapon to attack whistleblowers and dissidents who challenge the comfort of political leaders hiding inconvenient truths from the public. It’s all the rage on Capitol Hill, as leaders strive to score TV ratings, while demagoguing their “outstanding leadership performance” on everything from national security to environmental policy.
Leave a Reply