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Cry Patriot
By Thomas D. Segel
June 22, 2004

"One who loves his country and zealously supports its authority and interests."

These are not my words. They are the words used to define the meaning of "Patriot" in Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. If we are to accept Webster as a defining source, then I would argue that many on the left hand side of politics can no long wave the banner of patriot while they spew out hate filled rhetoric against the national administration and the nation's war against terrorism.

We have Al Gore at New York University yelling out "How dare they subject us to such dishonor and disgrace." Later he screamed for the resignations of Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice and George Tenet. But, Al Gore cries he is a patriot!

We have actress Jessica Lange tell us she despises President Bush. We have the Dixie Chicks tell foreign audiences they are ashamed to be from the same state as our President. We have Janeane Garofalo broadcast that all Republicans are evil. But, they all Cry Patriot!

We have Ted Kennedy stand up in Congress and rant on all the ills of the administration, charging the war is a fraud and that everything was an undercover plan secretly assembled in Texas. And we cannot forget Al Sharpton who sought the highest office in the land, and compared the sitting president to gang leaders. They still think they are patriots.

The Internet should not be ignored. MoveOn.org is filled with hate speech about the current administration and its conduct of the war. One Thousand Reasons - Failure of the Bush Administration charges wrong doing by Republicans in everything but breathing. Smirking Chimp compares the President to that animal species and is extremely degrading. Bush-The Anti Christ is a site attempting to prove that charge. All feel justified in what they are doing and saying. They too feel it is patriotic.

It matters not if is Howard Dean comparing President Bush to Adolph Hitler or Wesley Clark saying "We've got a new axis of evil, and it's one our President himself created." All of this is hate speech. If you think differently, just remove the words Bush Administration, President Bush or the specifically named administration official and replace them with the words African American. Then how do they sound? You've got it! Hate Speech!

Any who oppose the administration or the conduct of the war have the right to speak out and express their views. If the liberal media or those of liberal persuasion have valid arguments for their position and their statements are based on facts, that is civil discourse and an expected response in our political system. Name-calling and insult have never been acceptable substitutes for hard facts.

Historically, during times of war and other national emergencies, this country has united around the Commander in Chief. Political parties have not used war situations as wedge issues in campaigns and hate filled rhetoric were never the dialog of the day. Those who have abandoned those traditions are far from being patriotic. In fact, they should be eternally grateful for their constitutionally protected right of free speech. In many places around the world such words are called treason. In those same places, these screamers of hate speech could never Cry Patriot.

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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.