To cut to the chase, several of my former friends are calling me a traitor and claiming to have reported me to the FBI for my statements about how the war machine ought to be hacked and undermined.
See below. A so-called "conservative" group is also tossing the term traitor about. Often these groups serve as early indictators of what their friends in power in the Bush administration think. Remember that Free Congress' Weyrich helped push Ashcroft's nomination through the Senate when it was in danger of dying...
-Declan
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Free Congress Foundation's Notable News Now March 28, 2003
The Free Congress Commentary Anti-war Protestors: It's Time YOU Start Imitating Our Troops! By Lisa S. Dean
When it comes to supporting freedom of speech, I'm right there fighting with the next guy. But as with anything, there are limits to what freedom of speech can tolerate. In San Francisco last week, protesters rallied carrying a banner reading, "We Support Our Troops Who Shoot Their Officers." Now, moronic slogans such as "Bush is Hitler" and "Uncle Sam is a Terrorist" are tolerated because we, as a nation, support the right for even the dumbest of our citizens to publicly dissent. That's what democracy is all about, or so they say. But that banner isn't expressing dissent and it's not freedom of speech. It's supporting sedition and is downright treasonous. In an attempt to calm the fury of patriots who wanted to rip these protesters in two, an apparently soft-hearted resident of San Francisco rationally explained where these protestors were coming from. He opined that they have fallen on hard times because of the dot.com failures and are lashing out at anything in order to vent their frustration. Nice try but NO SALE! You mean to say that someone can act irresponsibly, even going so far as to put the lives of others at risk, just because you are throwing a temper tantrum over your miserable, sorry life? I don't think so. Look, whatever you may think about this war, remember that these men and women are serving their nation and as a citizen of their nation, they are serving YOU. They are putting their lives at risk FOR YOU. They aren't doing this for publicity, or for some other self-serving reason, they are doing it FOR YOU. And in case you didn't hear me, let me say it again, THEY ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES FOR YOU! So instead of insulting them, why not try imitating them? Skip Starbucks, throw down your protest banners and go help out in a soup kitchen. Go mentor a needy child. Go do something thoughtful for a family who has a loved one in Iraq right now. In other words, go and do something other than sitting around feeling sorry for yourself and taking out your self-pity on a society that you think owes you the comfortable lifestyle to which you have become accustomed. Spend some time contributing something to the country by serving somebody else, just like our troops. Lisa S. Dean is Director of the Center for Technology Policy at the Free Congress Foundation.
