Tonight, on that bastion of intellectual thought, Hannity & Colmes, I learned that I’m unpatriotic because I embrace some liberal ideals, such as participatory democracy. This is a terrible thing because some liberals attempting to engage conservatives in a debate over contemporary issues have also used provocative language, claiming to be embarrassed to be Americans. And this—this claim to embarrassment—this is, well, just un-American.

But why shouldn’t we be embarrassed? We have a President who admits to things that would land most people in a looney-bin!

According to Abbas, immediately thereafter Bush said: “G-d told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and I will have to focus on them.”

How dare we parade our lack of patriotism by refusing to stand by our President? After all, he knows what needs to be done if we’re to free the oi…er, smite the evil-doers as G-d hath commanded (no, actually, G-d really only “told” him to do it).

“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President.”
—Theodore Roosevelt

Those of you who are incapable of hearing alternative points of view (that seems these days to mean “Conservative”) and those of you who are ignorant (but I’m being redundant) or unable to think about something before pronouncing judgment (oops, there I go again) can click on over to something that makes more sense to you right now.

For those remaining, let me address the question: Am I ashamed to be an American? You bet your ass! But not for the reasons some of you might think.

I’m ashamed to be an American because to be an American today means to insist that one may not question the President of the United States.

To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. —Theodore Roosevelt

I’m ashamed to be an American because to be an American today means to insist that those who believe in a participatory democracy rather than follow like so many sheep are unpatriotic.

“Americans used to roar like lions for liberty. Now we bleat like sheep for security.” —Norman Vincent Peale

I’m ashamed to be an American because to be an American today means to insist that it is okay to sacrifice our rights and our personal liberties because, after all, “if you have nothing to hide, there is no reason to be afraid.”

“In Germany, the Nazis first came for the communists, and I did not speak up, because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak up, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak up, because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I did not speak up, because I was not a Catholic. Then they came for me… and by that time, there was no one to speak up for anyone.” —Martin Niemoeller, Pastor, German Evangelical (Lutheran) Church

I am ashamed to be an American because to be an American today means to insist that those who say they are ashamed are threatened with death.

“The cause of liberty becomes a mockery if the price to be paid is the wholesale destruction of those who are to enjoy liberty.” —Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

I am ashamed to be an American because to be an American today means to insist that the threat of terrorism requires harsh measures and sacrifice not for freedom, but of freedom.

A people may prefer a free government, but if by momentary discouragement or temporary panic, or a fit of enthusiasm for an individual, they can be induced to lay their liberties at the feet of even a great man, or trust him with powers to subvert their institutions, in all these cases they are unfit for liberty. —John Stuart Mill

I am ashamed to be an American because to be an American today means to insist that there is nothing wrong with war as a way of life.

The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home. —James Madison

I am ashamed to be an American because to be an American today means to insist that it’s not the economy, it’s the terror.

Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few … No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare. —James Madison

What will it take to overcome this shame? What will it take to be proud of America? Just one thing.

PROTECT THIS!