It is noon on the west coast right now, on this
day of September 11, 2006. I am an American,
born March 1st, 1959 in Minneapolis Minnesota.
On my mother’s side, we can trace our American
ancestors back to 1640. On my father’s side to
about 1880 from Ireland. On my mother’s side, I
have an direct ancestor who ran for president 4 times
and was secretary of state, William Jennings Bryant.
My family history is rooted deep in American history
and 9/11/01 damaged my family as it damaged
every single family in america. 9/11 is not a republican
tragedy or a liberal tragedy but an American tragedy.
Affecting every single American. WE on the left in our
response to 9/11 are called appeasers, traitors
and the suggestion is often made that we must kill liberals
because they don’t want to bomb the world in retaliation for
9/11. These suggestions are made as if we on the left didn’t
suffer on 9/11. As if the only Americana’s who cared about
those who died on 9/11 are the right, the conservatives.
This is simply not true. Did Pearl harbor happen only to the left
or right, no, Pearl harbor happened to americans and the response
to Pearl harbor was an American response. And why is this tragedy
of 9/11 any different? Why does the right think they have a
monopoly on an AMERICAN tragedy? It is often said the left
hates america, hates capitalism, hates everything American.
but the fact is our roots in america is as deep and profound as
any right winger. I can trace my American background further
back then most. My family history is American history. And so
why does the right just assume that I don’t care about 9/11.
Just because I don’t want to kill everybody like IMP does, does
that mean I care less? I have offered up many different solutions
to terrorism, to the middle east situation and to rogue states.
My solutions are as valid as any because I am no less an
American then any. Because my solution does not involve
killing everybody possible doesn’t mean I don’t care, it
just means I see a different solution then the right. Just as
I don’t see destroying the constitution as a meaningful
solution to terrorism it doesn’t mean I don’t care or understand
or want an end to terrorism, it means I value my rights
as an American, the values that make an America worth
living in. If we destroy freedom in america in pursuit of
terrorism, then what is the point of living in america?
I see the solution to terrorism, not less freedom,
but more freedom. I espouse American values as
an answer to terrorism. To those on the right who
advocate spying on American citizens, wiretapping American
citizens, opening the American citizen mail, preventing American
citizens from freely traveling around the world in the name of
protecting americans, find ourselves losing those values that
make america great. If protecting ourselves means losing
those values which made america great, values such as
freedom, liberty, morality and honesty, if our protection
means the destruction of those values, then I would rather
terrorist destroy america. To lose those values is to lose
what makes america, AMERICA. It is not in the citizens
lives that make america, but in its values. I would
would happily sacrifice all I hold dear, my wife, my daughter,
my self, my family to protect the American values of freedom
and liberty. It is not in my person that makes america great,
but in the values of being American that makes us great.
If we sacrifice our values, we may as well not be American,
for we often declare ourselves as the “GREATEST COUNTRY
ON EARTH” but that in fact only exist if we have our American
values, if we live our American value of freedom and liberty.
It is in those values of freedom and liberty, can we live
up to our self proclaimed titled. We have given up our core
values that make us americans. We have sacrificed freedom
and liberty in the name of security and as Ben Franklin has
noted, if you do so, you wind up with neither. I would freely
give up security for freedom, because without freedom,
security means nothing.
Kropotkin