You Want To Defend Citizenship?

Throughout This Country's History There Have Of Course Been Systematic Efforts To Create An Official Underclass.

Sometimes When I Listen To Fellow Progressives, I Wonder If The Only Lesson We Took Away From The '04 Elections Is That Politics Is A Word Game.

Love Of Country Cannot Be A Supersized Version Of Individual Narcissism. True Love Of Country-of This Country-is Love Of Our Children, Of A Creed That Promises Them A Better Life Before It Promises Us Anything, And Embraces The Sacrifices Needed To Make That Better Life. True Love Of Country Is Giving Ourselves To A Cause And A Purpose Larger Than Ourselves. And That Cause Is To Make Liberty Worth Having, To Make The Pursuit Of Happiness Deeper Than The Quest For Personal Pleasure, And To Leave A Legacy Of Progress And Possibility.

Many Smart Folks Seem To Think That If You Just Get Your Metaphors And Messages Right, You'll Win. That If You Start Describing What You Favor As A 'moral Value' - 'affordable Health Care Is A Moral Value' Etc., - Then You'll Appeal To Red-state Voters.

True Patriots Believe That Freedom From Responsibility Is Selfishness, Freedom From Sacrifice Is Cowardice, Freedom From Tolerance Is Prejudice, Freedom From Stewardship Is Exploitation, And Freedom From Compassion Is Cruelty.