In light of two stories that surfaced this week (besides the Karl Rove scandal), the newest entry at USPatriotsUnited is timely to say the least.
The horrific abuses at Abu Ghraib re-emerged as a potential time bomb just waiting to go off in the faces of the Bush Administration...(THANK YOU Hunter for your enlightening entries). And Bush's Supreme Court nominee who interestingly enough, was on the judicial panel that gave Bush and his Administration carde blanche to treat citizens and non-citizens as less than human.
More below the fold...
The message contained in "The Inventing of America"is more important now than ever;
"It is particularly important to remember this during interactions involving those with whom we are engaged in any sort of conflict, whether it be on the personal, national or international level. This is underscored by use of the phrase "even in times of war". Human beings do not stop being human -- or lose their unalienable rights -- simply because we're on opposite sides of a military encounter. If respect for others, even those we may designate as "enemies", is lost, then our own self-respect is also lost.
Those who treat others as "less than human" make themselves less than human. And, by extension, their fellow citizens."
Kossacks, this is (in my opinion at least) an important grassroots effort to watch. I have found out that the first document this group released on July 4th,"Ten Characteristics of A True US Patriot", was picked up by Freedom Press
where over 50,000 copies of the flyer were downloaded for distribution within the first 24 hours of it's availability. Think of that...this was on a major holiday!...and it remains a very popular download. The Whispering Campaign also promoted "The Characteristics" with a flyer of their own, and is still listed as a "hot" item on their site. And look what you find when you search Google for "A True US Patriot".
Check it out, download a few flyers and leave them at the bank, the grocery store, the hair dressers. Link to USPatriotsUnited on your web site or in your signatures. Spread the word that what is passing for patriotism in the United States these days is a sham, and that there are a whole lot of people out there working hard to take it back from those who have demeaned it.