These Are The Times

"These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."

Written by Thomas Paine during the retreat of Washington across the Delaware, and by order of the Commander was read to groups of his dispirited and suffering soldiers.

I could hardly contain myself today and not comment on the Independence Day pontifications of the pompous "I was in Viet Nam," John Kerry. Out of respect for the day, I refrained from taking this summer soldier and sunshine patriot to task. But, as this is almost a new day, here goes.

Posting to that liberal lament, the Huffington Post, I will take you line by line through the hyperbole, distortion and knows nothing but tells all logorrhea of John Kerry.

This Fourth of July it's right to spend some time thinking about what it means not just to be an American, but to be a patriot -- because the concept of patriotism itself is under assault in ways that remind me of a different time in our history.

Well, boys and girls what time do you think John is thinking of? If you said Viet Nam, then you got it right and you must be a frequent visitor to Mr. Kerry's neighborhood.

When we protested the war in Vietnam some would weigh in against us saying: "My country right or wrong." Our response was simple: "Yes, my country right or wrong. When right, keep it right and when wrong, make it right."

I don't know who said that, but it certainly wasn't a real American patriot, Stephen Decatur. Time-honored tradition, stated by all of the standard books of quotations on the market, says that when Commodore Stephen Decatur lifted his glass at a testimonial dinner given in his honor in Norfolk on April 4, 1816, he said: "Our Country! In her intercourse with foreign nations, may she always be in the right, but our country right or wrong."

Liberals are forever making up quotes and inserting them into their revsionist history lessons and Kerry is not to be outdone.

I feel history repeating itself.

Really, John? So do I, I feel you're using this war for self promotion as you did Viet Nam. It's deja vu all over again, isn't it?

What did the United States Senate do before leaving town for the 4th of July break? In a summer when things are decidedly not right for American soldiers in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan, while their families at home are hit with record gas prices, health care costs a mess, and veterans still go without the health care they were promised, did we unite in some big hearted cause to make these urgent challenges right?

No. We debated a craven effort to amend the Constitution allegedly to protect the flag we all love. The Senate -- the place the original patriots -- the Founding Fathers -- imagined as the place big national issues would be addressed out of love of country, became a place where the Constitution itself was nearly shredded for political convenience, for ideology, for short term political gain and political timidity.

Make no mistake -- this wasn't a test of who loves the flag. But it was a test of who had the courage to protect the Constitution.

I would hardly describe the effort to protect our national symbol as cowardice and had the Founding Fathers been able to conceive of someone burning their flag and not being, at the very least, tarred and feathered I am sure they would have taken steps to prevent it. It is the height of hyperbole to describe this as the shredding of the constitution which protects and allows the very effort to attempt such an amendment.

I love the flag for all the history, the glory, the promise, and the possibilities that are carried within its four corners. I will never forget seeing our flag draped over my father's casket and remembering that long ago he too served his country when freedom was threatened. I've seen the cloak of patriotism draped over the coffin of friends I lost thirty seven years ago, and too recently I've seen Old Glory cover the caskets of young men lost from Massachusetts in two new wars. Our flag is a stunning symbol of all that has made us who we are.

That's why I get so angry to see politics -- again and again -- fail to live up to our flag, and to our values -- in the way politics too often has become a food-fight, in the way news is too often treated as mere entertainment, in the way millions tune out because they're so sickened by what's happening they've given up on the idea of changing it.

We desperately need a real debate about patriotism -- about service, about American values.

We don't need another series of phony debates about whether we love our country, we need an injection of honesty about how to love our country.

Since you are ok with people burning the flag, John, you might want to be a little more careful about wrapping yourself up in it, which, in my opinion is a greater desecration than burning it. I understand that those who support you are slow of wit and reason and probably need to burn the flag out of frustration. But, surely, you can help them to see that this doesn't qualify as speech and is merely a way of advertising their poor communication skills. I'm certain that surrounding yorself with cretins boosts your self esteem, but it is rather unbecoming to that aristocratic image you so love to project.

I think patriotism starts with telling the truth. Truth is the American bottom line. I don't think it's an accident that among the first words of the first declaration of our national existence it is proclaimed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident...".

Do not talk about the truth, John, until you completely open up your military files to the entire American public, as you promised you would. Your definiton of truth is not self-evident.

Patriotism also means dissent -- when it's hardest. The bedrock of America's greatest advances--the foundation of what we know today are defining values--was formed not by cheering on things as they were, but by taking them on and demanding change.

Dissent is a two-way street and the courtesy you wish for yourself you must extend to others. That means those who disagree with you, those who would make it illegal to burn the flag have as much right in the debate as you do. But, you, John, like the rest of your sanctimonious liberal lot wish to ascribe all the freedoms to yourself and none to your opponents. Because you, the ultimate Big Brother know what is best for us all. You are smarter, richer and better than the rest of us.

Patriotism demands we debate how we live by our principles and our values in the world. America has always embraced the best traditions of civilized conduct toward combatants and non-combatants in war. But does anyone think we're well served when leaders hold themselves above the law--in the way they not only treat prisoners in Abu Ghraib, but assert unchecked power to spy on American citizens? The Supreme Court certainly doesn't!

More hyperbole, once again what the country needs to do to keep itself secure so we can continue to be free is open to debate. You keep espousing debate, but only if your side gets to present and not the other.

Patriotism demands telling the truth to Americans -- America can handle the truth about the Administration's boastful claim of "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq. The true pessimists are those who cannot accept that America's power and prestige depend on our credibility at home and around the world -- and the most dangerous defeatists, the most are those who invoke September 11th to argue that our traditional values are a luxury we can no longer afford.

If I were you I'd avoid the truth issue until I open up that 180 to the public at large. As far as traditional values, those are not necessarily constitutional rights but part of the open society we all have come to enjoy. We have sacrificed before in wartime why wouldn't we once again? I know anything longer than four months without a medal is anathema to you, but many of us peons know the meaning of real sacrifice. We do it daily. When was the last time you went without?

But it's more than that. It's not just what we fight against, but what we fight for. Patriotism means not just ending this war, but preventing the next one -- to act now so that at some future date America will never have to fight for its economic security because we are permanently held hostage to foreign oil. Patriotism ought to be commanding us for the second time in our history todeclare and win our independence, this time not from foreign rule but from foreign oil. To live out the patriotism of Abraham Lincoln who said we were the "last best hope of Earth," leaders should be insisting that we stop being the denier of global warming that endangers the Earth.

This is sheer nonsense. No one has the crystal ball necessary to tell what situation will arise in the world that could cause conflict. It is only Monday morning quarterbacks who have the luxury of waffling that get to always be right. You are so desperate to be listened to you will use anything even global warming to pitch your snake oil.

Al Gore is a patriot this Fourth of July who is living out that kind of love of country -- and we need more like him.

We have too many like him, even one more is too many.

We need a politics of national purpose -- that recognizes America has always been stronger when we have not only proclaimed free speech, but listened to it. A politics that's not afraid to fight for big ideas -- because, after all, there are no bigger idea than the ones on which America was founded.

So, on this Fourth of July, the bottom line is that we will only be stronger if we reclaim America's true character and strength -- if we declare our independence from a politics that lets America down --if we truly commit ourselves to the big hearted patriotism determined "to 'make it right' and "keep it right" once again.

John, you have no understanding of America's strength and where she draws it from. You presuppose your ideas are the big ones that is why you cannot debate and that is why you are not a proponent of free speech. You misunderstand America and you and your party are too self absorbed to grasp it. Even now you plot the expulsion of Joe Lieberman, one of the few rational men left among you. You are almost dangerous, but fortunately not in charge and not likely to be.