I love the French People. I love Brie and goat cheese, and crepes, and
half rotted, tender beef. I love Paris, Marseilles, Bordeaux, and the
French Riviera. Of all things French I probably love French Unity when
it comes to being lazy. I love the 35 hour work week, the endless
lunch breaks that last nearly two hours and about half that if you
procure a quick lunch from a street vendor. While they will definitely
have to make a change if they are to survive economically, you can't
help but respect the way they come together for a cause. France's
President Nicolas Sarkozy sees that a change is needed and is trying
desperately to implement those changes. But, my lord, do those French
dig the soles of their feet in for a cause.
Proceeding from that thought, one has to ask, "What happened to the
United States of America?" Weren't we the ultimate rebels at one time?
From tea in Boston Harbor in the face of a tyrannical monarchy to the
labor strikes of the 1970's, we just didn't put up with injustice and
forced servitude. What happened, America? Did we just get too
comfortable? Were the rewards of a new car every three or four years,
an endless supply of a variety of beer, wines, spirits coupled with
mind numbing amounts of televised sports do something to our thought
process? Have we become reluctant to voice an opinion that might
disrupt our part of the world? Is everything fine as long as we have a
roof and a television? Our children are now taught in a "politically
correct" manner. Let's face it, it's not important how well you do in
any given field of study as long as you felt good about it.
We now impose our Constitution on other countries. Even make war to
prove that it's vastly superior to anything else in existence. I say,
"Why not?" Let's face it, we don't use it anymore, we might as well
rent it out. Over the past forty-five to fifty years, there seems to
have been a growing contempt, yes, even a loathing of the United
States Constitution and the limits it places on government. So much so
that ways of circumventing, even suspending the edicts of our nation's
Founding Fathers is common place within the halls of government. Enter
the Patriot Act.
What if, despite the fact that we have been taught to despise the
French, we embraced the idea of "shutdown"? I sometimes believe that
we as citizens of the U.S.A. have forgotten how powerful we are as a
group. Taking a lesson from the French and even Austria, what if we
protested unpopular laws by simply shutting the country and its
commerce down until changes were made? Much the same way the RICO
Statutes hit at the heart of organized crime by relieving the criminal
element of property, money, and the items needed to further a criminal
enterprise, what if we imposed our own version of RICO upon the
decision makers of our government? What if we told our political crime
families, you know, the Republicans and the Democrats that we're
taking away their ability to further the criminal organization of the
Federal Reserve, the Internal Revenue Service, the Patriot Act and
even the ridiculous double standard in law enjoyed by members of
Congress, for a twenty four hour period? That means no trains, no
trucks, no ships, no dockworkers, no fuel, and no commerce of any kind
for one complete business day? Then what if we actually could garner
nationwide support for this action and then DID IT? After twenty-four
hours they would have thirty days to comply. That means changing laws,
becoming accountable and actually working for us as was meant to be in
the first place. If nothing is done, we'll go out for a week, then ten
days. What if we continued until the folks in their Washington hotels
and dormitories finally came to realize that we, the people who
elected them, are in charge of this country and its future?
Now some may say I'm unpatriotic. Since I'm not with you I must be
against you, and liberty, and freedom, and I don't support the troops
and... Please. This is all rhetoric. I love my country. I love the
language and eloquence and foresight that are the U.S. Constitution. I
do, however, make a distinction between my country and my government.
To be patriotic is to be mindful and painfully aware of the precious
gift that was conferred upon us. To be patriotic is to be a caretaker,
a husbandman to the land and ideas of freedom that were passed on to
us by our fathers. To be patriotic is to care for and nurture our
country so that we hand the torch over to our children with the flame
still burning.
Perhaps the French People have understood our uniquely American United
States Author, Mark Twain, better than the people of the country that
produced such an old sage. Perhaps, we too, could take a lesson from
him as well and remember what being an American in this part of the
world means and what an awesome responsibility comes with that moniker.
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your
government when it deserves it." Mark Twain
