On July 4, 1776, over fifty people signed the Declaration of
Independence. They were openly resisting
the legal authority of the King of Great Britain.
Thousands joined them. They were
outlaws. They were breaking the laws of Britain and risked capture, prison and even death for their belief in
independence, equality, unalienable rights, and liberty. They were far from perfect as slavery, the
slaughter and removal of Native Americans and the exclusion of women demonstrated. But they did resist their globally powerful
government.
Who are the true patriots of today? Not the flag-wrapped politicians who send
other people's children off to be killed or disabled in wars to make the world
safe for big businesses. Not the flag-waving profiteers who view their
successes as their due. Not the crowds
who chant USA, USA, USA, upon learning of death of Osama bin Laden. Not the religious hypocrites who worship this
nation and its flag as yet another one of their gods.
The true patriots are people like Rosa Parks. People who courageously resist illegal and
unjust actions of government. They are
who should be celebrated today.
Here are a dozen of the thousands who are courageously
resisting illegal and unjust government actions. They risk their freedom to challenge the
state for freedom and truth and justice.
They are the true patriots.
Edward Snowden is a 30 year old risking a lifetime in prison
to expose massive extensive wrongful secret government surveillance of hundreds
of millions in the US and even more globally.
Rosanell Eaton, 92, a 70 year member of the NAACP, was
arrested on June 24 in North Carolina in one of the weekly actions resisting
government cutbacks and mistreatment of the unemployed. Nearly 600 others have also been arrested in
the last two months in the NAACP led protests.
Tim DeChristopher, 29, was just released from two years in
federal prison for disrupting an improper government auction of oil and gas
rights around national parks in Utah by making false bids for leases.
Bradley Manning is a 25 year old Army soldier who has been
in jail since May 2010 because he exposed evidence of illegal US airstrikes,
murder, and other embarrassing confidential political information about the US
and other governments.
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