What is an American? The question is being asked all over the world where the tea party meets the coffee house! At this nexus, I'd like to submit what I learned as a child... It seems to have been forgotten... Three points will cover it for me.
An American believes in and practices elective process, parliamentary procedure and protection of individual rights from the majority. Period. Anything beyond these three points is personal opinion to be discussed in public forum using these three principles to come to the highest truth possible for whatever particular group at whatever particular time. This... is where the tea party meets the coffee house.
Once this is clearly understood, we can begin engaging in public rhetoric following the principles of parliamentary procedure. My first contribution to the fun, will be to re-introduce the Four Freedoms and see if anybody else has ever heard of them. They are freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from coercion, and freedom from hunger.
Aren't there any other old ladies or gentlemen to pass on these Essential Basic American Principles to our younger generations? Was I the only one listening during our push against fascism in the 1940s? Is anybody listening? Hello out there!
Friday, June 4, 2010
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Oh, I remember... I did't here the original speech but I was alive then. We didn't have electric lights, television or radio but the newspapers reprinted the speech and the parents and grandparents discussed the subject night after night, after night.
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