Patriotism: Still The Last Refuge Of A Scoundrel

Forty-seven Republican members of Congress wrote and signed a letter to the leaders of Iran saying that even if they agree to halt their nuclear-enrichment program, the Senate must ratify all treaties and the next President may well void any agreement. The minute I heard about this, one word came to my mind: treason.

Yes, I know treason is a very serious word with huge implications, but the last time I checked the Constitution, the President was in charge of all foreign policy decisions. And for a group of members of the legislative branch to insert themselves into foreign policy—especially a negotiation of this importance—reeks of treason. In my opinion, all forty-seven of these traitors should be brought up on charges. They won’t be, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t.

I’m sure these men all consider themselves to be patriots, but some incredibly despicable things have been done in this country under the guise of patriotism. Under the banner of patriotism, General Custer slaughtered tens of thousands of Native Americans with the full support of the U.S. Government. George Wallace stood in the door of the University of Alabama to block the entry of black students and said what he was doing he did in the name of defending America. Dick Cheney still has the gall to say that his order to torture detainees was done to defend the United States from terrorism.

What do all of these men have in common? They are all an embarrassment to what this country should truly stand for: freedom, equality, peace, and fairness. When we let people like this pervert the meaning of what it is to truly be a patriot, we are allowing ourselves to be debased just as much as they seek to debase us.

I for one will not allow myself to stand by silently and see such blatant disregard for our President. These men should be voted out of office and they should stand trial for treason.

But in the absence of those things, these men should be forced to wear the label they have so richly earned: scoundrel.

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