This is worth passing on

I do occasionally have an original thought but sometimes others say it much better. From epm today.

I have a few comments to add about weaklings and apathy.

Moveon.org is urging citizens to call their Democratic Senators asking for filibuster of the Alito nomination. Any takers? The Democratic Senators from Nebraska and South Dakota are voting for the nomination. The Democratic Senator from Louisiana says she doesn't think a filibuster would be a good idea. With these people for friends, we don't need any more enemies. Anyone out there interested in working on the next election campaigns in those states? Yes, I know the Senators from the "red" states have their problems but where are the backbones?

When my local moveon.org group was circulating petitions against the "nuclear option" back during the time of the Roberts nomination, we were amazed at how many people said

a) Please ma'am, what's a filibuster?
b) Who is John Roberts?
c) Who are our Senators (or Representative, as the case may be)?
d) Nuclear option? What's that?

We were armed with enough information to change several minds on the spot and obtain their signatures. We picked up some firemen and police, usually conservatives, who were appalled by the strongarm tactics being used even though they might have thought Roberts was the greatest thing since sliced bread. We need to get this stuff out to the public. We can all talk to each other, we can all stay informed, but unless we are willing to spread the word outside of our own "choir", not much will be accomplished.

Now that I have that out of my system, here's what our friend EPM has to say.

Another screed... I got wound up. Sorry.

If tomorrow New York city fell into the Atlantic, but we still had our constitution and liberty, America would continue to be America. If tomorrow California fell into the Pacific, but we still had our constitution and liberty, America would continue to be America. If tomorrow the Great Plains were to suddenly go fallow, but we still had our constitution and liberty, America would continue to be America.

But, if we amass great wealth and secure our oil and gold, yet compromise our liberty and stretch the constitution to it's breaking point, America ceases to be America. If, through fear and weakness, we cede our duties as American citizen and give up our liberties to someone who promises security but demands unrestrained power (no matter his claims of benevolence), America ceases to be America. If Americans think their responsibilities as citizens ends at the ballot box, or worse, requires only unquestioning allegiance in the president, America ceases to be the America that generations before us fought and died to secure. We will have squandered their blood.

George Bush's hollow bravado rings of weakness. It 's weakness to insist you're winning the war on terror in the face of ever-increasing acts of terror around the world. It's weakness to claim progress in the war on terror when you've turned the country of Iraq into a massive al-Qaeda training camp. It's weakness to claim you're making progress in securing America when you appoint unqualified political flunkies to highly critical positions in FEMA, Homeland Security and Immigration. And ultimately it is weakness to assume great power in secrecy and to treat American citizens as subjects to ruled.

By any measure, other than arrogance, George W. Bush is a very weak president. Ironically, the more this president carves into the liberties of Americans, the more power he assumes for himself at the expense of Congress, the Courts and the Constitution, and the more he does in secret with only the council of his inner circle, the more he reveals his weakness.

There is a better way to secure America and defuse the terrorist. A way of strength and honor and dignity. A way that stands upon the hill of American values rather than leveling it. If we don't live and practice our American values, where is the example for the world? How else do we show the young generations of not-yet terrorists in Iraq, Iran, and Egypt that there's a better way? That America indeed has values worth embracing not strangling?

Truly, if we don't exercise our American values at home -- our freedom and liberty -- they will wither and die. And I am not willing to let this president or this congress do that... even if they call me names.